MCDOT Archives - Page 31 of 43

‘Walk and Roll to School Day’ on Wednesday, Oct. 4, Will Include Special Event at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney

Published September 29, 2023 at 9:57AM

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program, which encourages students who have a safe path and live near their elementary school to walk to school, will join in the national recognition of “Walk and Roll to School Day” on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Most County elementary schools will participate, with a special event starting at 8:15 a.m. that day at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney.

The walking groups, led by MCDOT’s Zeal the Safety Zebra and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue’s Sparky the Fire and Rescue Dog, will meet at the front of Brooke Grove Elementary School. The event will commence with fanfare including music, balloons, giveaways, police officers, firefighters and firetrucks. Students will be singing and carrying signs.

Bus Stop Closures Impacting Ride On Routes 17 & 18 Begin Friday, September 29

By Patrick Herron

Published September 28, 2023 at 9:18AM

Per MCDOT: Due to property repurposing, starting this Friday, Sept. 29, Ride On Bus Routes 17 and 18 will no longer be able to access the Adventist Hospital property in Takoma Park. Both routes will temporarily detour using Flower Ave. to Maplewood Ave. to return to their normal route on Maple Ave. Stops 26950, 26952, 26954, and 26956 will be discontinued. Riders should use alternate stops 22332, 22274, 23854 and 23856. This will become a permanent change with our next service change in January 2024.

Ride On bus fare is only $1 and monthly passes are $22.50 using SmarTrip, cash, or tokens. Seniors age 65 or older, persons with disabilities and youth ages 18 and under all ride free using specialized SmartTrip cards. Riders can plan trips online using the free Ride On Trip Planner App.

Free Ride On Shuttle for Friendship Picnic this Sunday, Sept. 24, in Wheaton

By Patrick Herron

Published September 23, 2023 at 8:43AM

Per MCDOT: The County’s 10th annual Montgomery County Friendship Picnic takes place this Sunday, Sept. 24, from noon to 5 p.m. at Wheaton Regional Park, located at 2000 Shorefield Road in Wheaton. Ride On will provide free shuttle service, with 15 – 20 minute frequency, to and from the Wheaton Ice Rink and Athletic fields located at 11717 Orebaugh Avenue.

All are welcome to the free celebration featuring a wide range of activities for children and adults including music, dancing, moon bounce, face painting, the carousel and rides on the park’s miniature train.

Conceptual Findings from Ride On Reimagined Public Transportation Study Will Be Discussed at Virtual Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 28

By Patrick Herron

Published September 21, 2023 at 4:03PM

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a virtual open house at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, to present a first look at the Ride On Reimagined study and get community feedback on proposed concept changes to the County transit network. The ongoing Ride On Reimagined Study is a full-scale re-assessment of how the Montgomery County public transit network will operate. Montgomery County residents are encouraged to register and participate in the meeting.

The Ride On Reimagined Study has the goal of creating a future-focused public transportation system. The study, which began in February 2022, conducted a comprehensive assessment of the current Ride On and Metrobus network, ridership patterns and ongoing projects. To better address community needs, MCDOT sought extensive community feedback through ridership surveys, pop-up events and focus groups comprised of transit riders and non-riders.

Montgomery County Calls for Feedback on Conceptual Findings from Ride On Reimagined Public Transportation Study

By Patrick Herron

Published September 18, 2023 at 7:26PM

Per MCPOT: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) announced a virtual open house to be held via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28 to present a first look at the Ride On Reimagined study findings and get community feedback on proposed concept changes to the County transit network. Montgomery County residents are encouraged to register and attend to share their feedback.

The ongoing Ride On Reimagined Study is a full-scale re-assessment of how the Montgomery County public transit network will operate in the County, with the goal of creating a future-focused public transportation system. The study, which began in Feb. 2022, conducted a comprehensive assessment of the current Ride On and Metrobus network, ridership patterns and ongoing projects. To better address community needs, MCDOT sought extensive community feedback through ridership surveys, pop-up events and focus groups comprised of both transit riders and non-riders.

Free Fare for all Ride On Buses on September 22 in Support of Car-Free Day

By Patrick Herron

Published September 18, 2023 at 8:18AM

Per MCDOT: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) today announced a “fare-free day” in support of Car Free Day on Friday, Sept. 22. All Ride On buses will waive the one-dollar fare to encourage the use of public transportation. The announcement was made in coordination with the Maryland Transit Authority, which is offering free fare throughout the weekend on all MTA-operated transit. Regular fares will be required on Metrobus.

Residents can also take the regional pledge online to participate in Car-Free Day and be entered into a raffle for prizes such as gift cards, an annual Capital Bikeshare membership and a pre-funded SmartTrip card. Duplicate entries will be disqualified. Participants can take the pledge at carfreemetrodc.org/pledge-page.

Hybrid Public Meeting on the Old Columbia Pike / Prosperity Drive Improvements Project in White Oak to be Held on Wednesday, September 27

By Patrick Herron

Published September 13, 2023 at 6:38PM

Per MCDOT: On Wednesday, Sept. 27, starting at 6:30 p.m., the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a hybrid public meeting to discuss the latest progress of the Old Columbia Pike / Prosperity Drive Improvements project in Burtonsville. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments.

The Old Columbia Pike / Prosperity Drive Improvements project provides for a facility planning study to enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities as they travel to nearby schools and facilities, and improve intersection safety and capacity issues. Drainage issues within the project limits will also be addressed. The project limits are from Stewart Lane to Cherry Hill Road. Public input is encouraged and may influence the design of this project.

Ride On Bus Ridership Trends Upward in Summer

By Patrick Herron

Published September 13, 2023 at 6:10PM

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) delivered more than 5 million rides on its Ride On bus transit system from March 2023 through June 2023, the last quarter of the 2023 Fiscal Year. That number represents a 9 percent increase in ridership over the same period of the previous year. The trend toward increased ridership on Ride On buses accelerated over those four months, with June recording a nearly 15 percent increase in total ridership over 2022.

“Higher rates of Ride On ridership benefit everyone by reducing the number of cars, improving traffic congestion, and helping our environment,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “I hope to see this trend continue. Increased bus ridership is important toward the County reaching our Climate Action Plan goal of a 100 percent carbon emission reduction by 2035. We have invested significant resources into creating a modern, accessible and customer-focused transit network. We have more exciting plans to come for Ride-On including fully transitioning to a zero-emission bus fleet while continuing to provide our riders increased amenities, improved routes and better on-time performance. If you haven’t tried Ride-On recently, please consider getting on board soon.”

Fall Cleaning of Montgomery County Public Parking Garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton Began Today (Monday, Sept. 11)

By MCS Staff

Published September 11, 2023 at 5:50PM

Per MCDOT: Starting on Monday, Sept. 11, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will begin its semi-annual interior washdown to degrease and clean 21 County-owned parking garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The cleanings will occur on nights and weekends starting with Bethesda garages in September and concluding with Silver Spring garages on Saturday, Nov. 4. Some garages will experience partial closures during the cleanings, including select entrance/exit areas and ramps. The full schedule of garage cleanings can be viewed  here.

MCDOT performs spring and fall washdowns to keep garages clean and help keep grease, oil and debris out of local waterways. Regular cleanings also prevent deterioration from prolonged exposure to salt, sand, oils, gas, dirt, pollen and leaves. MCDOT contractors will do their best to perform work around garage traffic and parked vehicles and to post signs notifying customers of anticipated impacts. For more information about parking in the County, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-parking/news/index.html. 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.

Students Can Ride County Buses for Free with Youth Cruiser Card

By Patrick Herron

Published September 6, 2023 at 6:47PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is encouraging youth to take advantage of the free Youth Cruiser cards being made available at area schools and libraries. Youth Cruiser cards offer free bus fare for all MCDOT Ride On buses and most Metro buses operating in the County. The Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card is for County residents ages 5-18 (older if still in high school). It can be used for free rides on all County Ride On buses, including Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex and Flash. The card will waive fares on most Metro buses operating in the County. Value can be added to the card for service on Metrorail and Metrobuses operating outside of the County.

“MCDOT has been operating the Kids Ride Free Program since 2019,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Students with the Youth Cruiser card can tap their card on the farebox, and they will not be charged the current $1 fare. Buses are a safe and environmentally friendly travel alternative for anyone that needs to get around Montgomery County. This year, we launched a new app, Ride On Trip Planner, which is a free and intuitive, regional trip planner that makes finding the fastest public transit route easy.”

Overnight Construction at the Bethesda Metro Station Will Impact Ride On Route 34 Beginning Monday, Sept. 11

By Patrick Herron

Published September 6, 2023 at 12:15PM

Per MCDOT: Due to work on the fountain at the Bethesda Metro Station by Brookfield Properties, Ride On Route 34 will experience a temporary bus bay change overnight on Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12 between 11 p.m. – 4 a.m. Route 34 (Aspen Hill-Friendship Heights) will be relocated across the street, from bus bay A to bus bay D.

Ride On bus fare is only $1 and monthly passes are $22.50 using SmarTrip, cash, or tokens. Seniors age 65 or older, persons with disabilities and youth ages 18 and under all ride free using specialized SmartTrip cards.