Montgomery County Department of Transportation Will Have Free Fares for Ride On Buses in Support of Earth Day on Monday, April 22

For Immediate Release: Friday, April 19, 2024

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will offer free rides on County buses including Ride On, Ride On extRa, Ride On flex and Flash on Monday, April 22, in support of Earth Day.

Ride On buses will waive the $1 fare to encourage use of public transportation. The announcement was made in coordination with the Maryland Transit Administration, which is offering free fare on MTA-operated transit on Earth Day. Regular fares will be required on Metrobus. 

“In celebration of Earth Day, I encourage all residents and visitors in the County to take advantage of the free fare to try out our Ride On transportation system as an alternative to driving,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “By choosing public transportation, you can reduce your carbon footprint, and you could read or relax and let someone else worry about the driving.” 

MCDOT offers a free trip planning app, Ride On Trip Planner, that provides transportation planning across multiple bus agencies, Metro and Bikeshare and gives estimated travel times and costs.  

“Earth Day is a great opportunity to try public transportation,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “I especially encourage residents to try some of our innovative transportation options such as Flash, our Bus Rapid Transit line, and Ride On Flex, an on-demand shared ride system.” 

Riders who want to try Ride On Flex can download the Ride On Flex app for free from the Apple or Google store or can contact the call center at 240-301-3842. Flash BRT provides a higher frequency of service than typical bus schedules and amenities like USB charging, level boarding and pre-payment of fare for faster service. The first Flash corridor is already in operation on U.S. 29, Colesville Road/Old Columbia Pike, traveling between Downtown Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney, with stops as far north as Burtonsville during weekday rush hour periods. 

For more information on MCDOT programs and services, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on X, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.   

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Release ID: 24-184
Media Contact: Emily DeTitta 240-372-2282
Categories: Environment, Transportation