The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has
developed a plan to provide supplemental transportation services to assist
travelers during the Washing Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA)
SafeTrack plan when work occurs in Montgomery County.
SafeTrack is a year-long effort to improve the safety and
reliability of the Metrorail system. Three planned line segment repairs and
around-the-clock single tracking projects, referred to as “Safety Surges,” will
affect WMATA’s Red Line service in Montgomery County.
By keeping up to 17 recently replaced buses in service,
MCDOT will provide additional Ride On service on certain bus routes and free
bus shuttles between affected Metrorail stations. Ride On will provide
on-street ambassadors at affected Metrorail stations to help direct travelers
to transit options.
For specific information about the supplemental Ride On
service and to learn about the other transportation options available to you,
visit http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-dir/safetrack/index.html.
Ride On makes it easy for youth to travel around the county
in the summer by offering the Youth Summer Pass, which allows residents ages 5
to 18 to take unlimited Ride On trips from June 1 through August 31 for a flat
fee of $18.
The Youth Summer Pass, which can only be loaded to a Youth
Cruiser SmarTrip Card, can be purchased at the TRiPS Commuter Stores in Silver
Spring and Friendship Heights, the Montgomery County Treasury Office, online at
www.SmarTrip.com, and select CVS and
Giant locations. See this list
for all locations.
Kids Ride Free hours are still in effect during the summer,
but the summer pass can be used for all other rides where regular fares apply.
Starting on or about August 1, 2016, the Carroll Avenue
Bridge over Sligo Creek in Takoma Park will be closed as the Maryland
Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration (SHA) begins a major
rehabilitation of the bridge.
During this time, Ride On routes 12 and 13 will follow a
detour. Buses traveling in both directions will utilize Flower Avenue,
Maplewood Avenue, Maple Avenue and Lincoln Avenue to avoid the impacted
area on Carroll Avenue. This detour is expected to last up to 18 months.
Riders who typically board in the impacted area of Carroll
Avenue should board at a stop on Flower Avenue while this work takes place.
For more information about the work, visit the state's project
information page.
Even rain drops and gray skies couldn’t quell the excitement
at the grand opening celebration of the new Westfield Montgomery Mall Transit Center,
which took place on April 28 in Bethesda. The transit center officially opened
to the public on May 1.
Special guests and speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony
included MCDOT Director Al Roshdieh, Ride On Chief Carolyn Biggins, County Council
President Nancy Floreen and Westfield Senior Vice President of Development
Clive Mackenzie.
Ride On’s marketing team greeted riders at the center
throughout opening week and handed out tote bags as a free welcome gift.
The center features many customer amenities, including bus
bays serving Ride On & Metrobus, digital real time information displays,
heated waiting areas with seating, commuter parking and bike racks.
Westfield Montgomery Mall Transit Center was
built as the result of a public-private partnership between Montgomery County
and Westfield Corporation. The new transit center is a key piece
of the mall’s future expansion plan and it is located further away from
the current transit center as the mall will expand out
to the transit center in future years.
To learn more about the transit center, view our brochure.
Ride On passengers donated 6,258 pounds of food this year
during the annual Give & Ride food drive that was held April 24-30. Riders
received free trips by donating canned or nonperishable food for Montgomery
County school students.
“Every year, Ride On sponsors the Give and Ride food drive
for a week during April,” said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. “We
appreciate the generosity of our passengers and employees who donate to help
local elementary-school students access food over the weekend.”
All donations were given to Manna Food Center to supplement
its Smart Sacks program, which provides nutritious foods for children and their
families on the weekends. More than 35 percent of public school students are
eligible for free or reduced meals during the school week. Smart Sacks operates
in 60 elementary schools in the county and feeds over 2,450 children each week.
Give & Ride is a great opportunity for our community to
help others in need. Each donation plays an important role in giving local
school students the ability to excel in the classroom and beyond. Even though
the reward of a free ride may not resonate much with some users, we appreciate
all of the generosity shown by our riders. Thank you!
|
