Ride On Fares Will Continue to be Free Through January 1, 2022

Ride On Fares Will Continue to be Free Through January 1, 2022

September 28 Update:

Council votes unanimously to approve Ride On fare holiday for Montgomery County residents through January 1, 2022. https://t.co/d7A4DZdGOA

— Montgomery Council (@MoCoCouncilMD) September 28, 2021

Council Scheduled to Take Action to Extend Ride On Fare Holiday until January 2022

Per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Monday, September 27, 2021

Public Hearing and Vote on Required Council Resolution Scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 1:30 p.m.

Rockville, Md., Sept. 27, 2021–On Tuesday the Council will introduce, hold a public hearing and vote a new resolution led by Council President and Transportation and Environment Committee Chair Tom Hucker to extend the County’s Ride On fare holiday through Jan. 1, 2022.

“Public transportation is vital to our community and fare-free service has collectively saved our residents millions of dollars in commuting costs at a time when we know that many are still struggling financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Council President Hucker. “Keeping Ride On fares suspended keeps our County moving, is consistent with our climate and racial equity goals, and eliminates the cost burden from our lowest-income residents as they continue to use public transportation to reach their jobs and conduct essential activities.”

Approval of the new Council resolution would continue free Ride On service for all County residents which the Council last approved in May to continue until Sept. 30, 2021. In May, the Council also approved County Executive Marc Elrich’s funding request to allow the Department of Transportation to conduct a Fare Equity Study for Ride On.

The Council expected that the report and the Executive’s recommendations on fares would be transmitted in late August or early September 2021. At this time, neither the study nor the Executive’s recommendations have been transmitted.

The Council will review the Fare Equity Study for Ride On once it is received and will schedule and hold another public hearing on a proposed fare schedule that would be implemented after the fare holiday ends on Jan. 2, 2022.

A recent report by the Council’s Office of Legislative Oversight showed that 47 percent of Ride On customers have an annual household income below $30,000, 47 percent are people of color and 42 percent speak a language other than English at home.

Residents who would like to testify at the Council’s public hearing on Sept. 28 at 1:30 p.m. can do so at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/calendar.html.