You may have noticed red lanes recently on Fields Rd. and Decoverly Dr. in and around Gaithersburg’s Crown neighborhood. These are new dedicated bus lanes that are a part of the Great Seneca Transit Network (GSTN), which will “provide frequent transit options, improving mobility and access to crucial jobs in the healthcare, biotech, and education sectors.”
MCDOT writes that “GSTN is a crucial factor in supporting the continued growth of the burgeoning medical sciences industry by providing new efficient options to travel. GSTN will improve transit equity for all residents by connecting riders to jobs, healthcare providers, and medical facilities without auto use.” The network will be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 includes the Lime Line and the Pink Line. Phase 2 includes two additional routes (Cobalt Line and Gray Line) and an extension of the Lime Line (map below). The Lime line includes the lanes you see in Gaithersburg’s Crown neighborhood.
MCDOT is advancing the initial phase of the project (Phase 1A) through planning, design, and construction. This phase includes opening the service with new bus stops at all the recommended station locations, dedicated bus lanes on the Pink and Lime Lines, and Transit Signal Priority (TSP) upgrades for traffic signals on the Pink Line. Montgomery County has funded Phase 1A of the project through design and construction.
GSTN will operate as enhanced bus routes branded as Ride On extRa service. Schedules will be designed to meet shift/class changes at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center and the Universities at Shady Grove, and will not be limited to traditional 9-to-5 commuting and working hours. A 14-hour span of service on weekdays and frequent, consistent headways accommodate the all-day schedules of the science and student sector, as shown below:
- Pink Line will feature 10-minute peak period headways
- Lime Line will feature 15-minute peak period headways
- Both lines will feature 15-minute all day (weekday off-peak) headways
- Both lines will feature 30-minute headways on weekends
