The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will implement phase one of its Ride On Reimagined plan on June 29, introducing new and adjusted bus routes and schedules, coordinated with Metrobus changes, to improve service reliability and coverage. The changes also include the introduction of a permanent zero-fare policy across all Ride On services to enhance access and eliminate fare collection costs.
Per MCDOT: “The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will implement phase one of the
Ride On Reimagined plan
on Sunday, June 29 with new and updated routes and schedule adjustments. The changes are in coordination with the launch of Metro Bus changes, from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), taking place on the same day.
The Ride On bus service changes will bring streamlined connections to Metro rail, prevent overlap with routes serviced by Metro Bus and allow for more reliable service where demand is high. The Metro Bus changes are based on recommendations derived from responses to the
WMATA Better Bus network study
.
“We are implementing these changes to better use our resources in collaboration with WMATA,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Based on extensive review of the routes and ridership, we have new lines and schedules that better use our resources to provide transit to those who rely on it most and to improve reliability so that more people will use it. This is one of the most significant overhauls of our transit system in decades, and it’s just the beginning of what we plan to do.”
MCDOT has released the details of each Ride On route affected:
Route 10 Map with Replacement Service
Route 10
: This route will be discontinued and replaced by new Metrobus routes M12, M42, M44 and M60 as part of WMATA’s Better Bus network redesign.
Route 34 Map with Replacement Service
Route 34
: This route will continue to provide service between Bethesda, Medical Center and Wheaton Metro Stations. The current routing between Wheaton and Bethesda will remain the same. Ride On 41 will provide service between Aspen Hill and Wheaton. Metrobus D96 will provide service between Bethesda and Friendship Heights Metro Stations. Route 34 will also be streamlined to remain on Connecticut Avenue between Veirs Mill Road and University Blvd. as a replacement for the Metrobus Route L8 along this corridor.
New Route 40 Map
Route 40
: Ride On will introduce the new Route 40, previously referred to as the M10 in WMATA’s Bus Network Redesign materials. Route 40 will replace portions of WMATA’s former Q2, Q4 and Q6 routes, operating between Wheaton and Montgomery College Rockville.
Route 41 Extension Map
Route 41
: Ride On Route 41 will be extended south to Wheaton to replace Route 34 and L8 service on parts of Connecticut Ave. Service will be provided between Glenmont and Wheaton Station via Weller Road, Connecticut Ave., Plyers Mill Road and Georgia Ave. This change will also introduce all-day and weekend service on Plyers Mill Road between Kensington and Wheaton. Route 37 will continue to provide peak service to this area on weekdays.
Route 42 Map
Route 42
: This route will run between North Bethesda Station and Montgomery Mall Transit Center; service to Boiling Brook Pkwy. and the Bolger Center will be discontinued. Ride On 38 will provide service on Boiling Brook Pkwy. Metrobus M42 and M44 will stop at Parklawn Drive and end at North Bethesda Station. The existing Metrobus Route T2 will be replaced with the Metrobus Route M82 in WMATA’s Year 1 network.
Riders can learn more about the changes by reviewing Ride On’s
final summary of changes
. The new schedules are available at
RideOnBus.com
and will be reflected in the
Ride On Trip Planner app
once the changes are in effect.
Details on the
WMATA Metrobus changes
can be found online. Metro also released a
Frequently Asked Questions page.
“These service adjustments represent a comprehensive shift in route planning, incorporating current and planned service needs, as well as the input of thousands of community members over two years,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We know you cannot improve access without improving service. We have added extended hours and weekend service along key routes and coordinated service routes with Metrobus to ensure coverage. We hope these changes will allow our riders more choices and more flexibility when planning their trips.”
MCDOT will also implement a zero-fare policy effective June 29 for all Ride On, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex and Flash buses. The zero-fare policy will reduce barriers to access for many residents and will allow the County to avoid the high cost of replacing and maintaining a fare collection system. The County estimated that the cost of replacing fare boxes on its fleet of nearly 400 Ride On buses to maintain compatibility with the regional system would have cost $22 million, which would have been difficult to recover from the limited fare revenue collected
Ride On currently operates more than 80 routes, with more than 18 million rides annually. The implementation of the
Ride On Reimagined Service and Implementation Plan
will take place in phases over the next several years, transforming Ride On bus service and delivering the most significant transit improvements in decades.
For information on MCDOT programs and services visit
montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot
, follow @MCDOTNow on
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