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Montgomery County's Ride On celebrates 49 years in service this week! The Ride On bus system is the second largest in the region, and one of the busiest, operating 7 days a week on over 80 routes.
Making its debut in 1975 with just 20 buses, Ride On was the first county-run bus service in the Washington, DC area, designed to provide service in Takoma Park and Silver Spring. Within weeks of its introduction, the bus service was transporting twice the number of riders originally projected - nearly 2,000 passengers each day. Three years after Ride On started service, Montgomery County expanded the bus service to 22 routes with 79 buses. The move increased ridership from about 4,000 passengers per day to more than 12,000. Eventually, the bus service extended to include Takoma Park, Langley Park, White Flint, Gaithersburg, and Wheaton, with Silver Spring Metro station as the focal point.
In 2000, Ride On celebrated its 25th anniversary by painting two buses uniquely to commemorate the milestone and offered 25-cent daily fares and $1.50 regional passes for all passengers for the rest of the year. In 2006, Ride On began accepting SmarTrip® cards. In recent years, Ride On has expanded to operate Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex and Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Ride On's first four all-electric buses began service in 2020 in Silver Spring/Takoma Park. The electric buses can run a full day on a single charge and offer sustainable mobility solutions, since they significantly reduce GHG emissions, air pollution, and dependence on fossil fuels.
Ride On has also introduced new initiatives as part of its dedication to service improvements. The Ride On Reimagined Study aims to take a critical look at the County's current and future bus network and transit systems, to pinpoint where improvements can be made, based on experience and feedback from the community. Another program is the Bus Priority Program which was created by a group of Montgomery County staff members in 2021. The program focuses on advancements for bus operations including dedicated bus lanes, bus signal prioritization and enhanced bus stops.
Another initiative is the Great Seneca Transit Network which will create hubs at Shady Grove Metrorail Station, the Universities at Shady Grove, and Adventist Shady Grove Hospital. Slated to start in 2024, this service which will be branded as Ride On extRa and will include 24 bus stops, dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority at seven intersections and new bike and pedestrian connections. Today, Ride On is on track to achieve an emissions-free bus fleet by 2035.
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, by subscribing to receive email alerts at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/govdelivery, or texting MONTGOMERY RIDEON to 468311 to receive text alerts.
For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.
Title VI: Montgomery County assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1987, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity.
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