Montgomery County Will Increase Ride On Bus Service Starting Sunday, March 13

Per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 3, 2022

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will increase Ride On bus service beginning Sunday, March 13. The new schedule changes will return bus service to 86 percent of pre-COVID levels.

The new increase in service will reflect a 6 percent increase from the temporary January reduction due to the number of employees who were sick from or exposed to COVID-19 during the recent surge.

Routes that will resume service or increase frequency include:

• Ride On Flex, the on-demand service in Wheaton/Glenmont and Rockville, will resume service.
• Ride On extRa, the limited-stop service along MD 355 between Lakeforest Transit Center and Medical Center, will resume service.
• Flash, the bus rapid transit bus line servicing US 29, will resume full weekday service and will continue to service the Food and Drug Administration campus in White Oak.
• Ride On buses will increase service on routes 9, 14, 20, 30, 43, 56, 61, 63, and 100.

Trip planning and real-time bus arrival information is available at rideon.app/directions. Ride On bus service remains free for all riders until at least July 2.

“Restoring our bus services are a priority and our service levels are moving in the right direction,” said MCDOT Division Chief of Transit Services Dan Hibbert.

MCDOT is actively hiring new operators offering paid CDL license training, a competitive benefits package and ongoing professional development opportunities. Potential applicants can get more information and apply here. Search “bus” or “operator” under the job search tab.

“Many County residents depend upon our Ride On bus system for essential trips,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We are thankful that many of our bus operators have been able to return to work, and we have ramped up our hiring efforts so that we can continue to increase service levels.”

Protective partitions are still in place for drivers. Bus operators have mandated COVID-19 vaccinations or a weekly test process—as do all County employees. Bus interiors will continue to be cleaned by the County’s Department of General Services on a nightly basis with hospital-grade disinfectant. Bus filter and ventilation systems also are treated each night with a disinfectant.

A Federal mandate remains in effect requiring passengers to wear face coverings when traveling by public transportation. MCDOT buses have a supply of face coverings for those who cannot provide their own.

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. Riders can text MONTGOMERY RIDEON to 468311 to receive text alerts.

For information on  MCDOT’s programs, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit the MCDOT website and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter here.

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