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Montgomery County Department of Transportation to Celebrate 47th Anniversary of Ride On Bus Service by Thanking Riders on Friday, March 25

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 24, 2022

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will celebrate the 47th anniversary of the County’s Ride On bus service on Friday, March 25. MCDOT will have outreach teams located at four Metro stations and three transit centers from 6 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. to greet riders and distribute free special items.

The outreach teams will be at the following locations:

  • Germantown Transit Center
  • Silver Spring Transit Center
  • Takoma Langley Transit Center
  • Friendship Heights Metro Station
  • Glenmont Metro Station
  • Rockville Metro Station
  • Shady Grove Metro Station

The Ride On system began operations in 1975 with 20 buses in downtown Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Gaithersburg. Today, Ride On operates nearly 400 buses and provides transit service countywide for about 45,000 riders every weekday.

Ride On is the second-largest transit system in the region and includes Ride On, Ride On extRa, Flex and the Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services.

“Ride On is a vital system for our residents,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “For many riders, this is the only accessible form of transportation to get to work and make other essential trips. Ride On will also be an important part of our transit system as we expand our transit options going forward. I am committed to ensuring that our residents can count on a reliable and affordable transit system, which is why I’ve proposed a long-term $1 fare. As a part of our efforts to address climate change, we need to encourage more people to use transit, and Ride On is an important part of that effort.”

MCDOT last month launched Ride On Reimagined Study, a comprehensive transit system study. Over the next two years, the study will include an extensive review of the County's existing and planned transit systems to recommend system-wide changes to meet the community’s transportation needs. The study will heavily rely on community feedback to identify where improvements can be made to the system. Community outreach is expected to begin within the next few weeks. The study’s scope of work was shared for public comment in October 2021 and has since been finalized and posted on the website.

“We have really come a long way,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Our bus service is continually expanding and getting better. Equity and environment are priorities. We are looking to grow our Flash Bus Rapid Transit corridors in Equity Emphasis Areas, where people depend on public transit the most. We’ve also committed to a zero-emissions fleet by 2035. We’re consistently improving our system to meet community needs and are engaging community members to find out what those needs are.”

For the most up-to-date service information, riders should follow @RideOnMCT on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. In addition, information is available at RideOnBus.com and by subscribing to receive email alerts at montgomerycountymd.gov/govdelivery. Riders can text MONTGOMERY RIDEON to 468311 to receive text alerts. 

For information on MCDOT programs, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit the MCDOT website and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter. 

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Release ID: 22-190
Media Contact: Emily DeTitta 240-372-2282
Categories: Transportation