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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The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has immediate openings for full-time and part-time Ride On bus operators.

The positions offer applicants 21-and-over paid CDL license training, a competitive benefits package and a fun, supportive atmosphere, with ongoing professional development opportunities.

Transportation is one of the County’s most important resources. MCDOT’s Ride On bus service achieves an essential mission of the County by connecting people, communities, workplaces, educational institutions and many other essential destinations. MCDOT owns and operates nearly 400 buses.

“I’m a social person, so I really enjoy meeting new people and personalities every day,” said Ride On operator Yader Mendez-Sotelo. “I’ve never seen a company that pushes people forward like MCDOT does.

My chief started out as a Ride On driver, so you know there is room here for advancement. Drivers work together and help each other, and management works with you.”

Supporting residents and visitors with transit options and infrastructure, MCDOT is a large organization with about 1,300 employees.

Potential applicants can get more information and apply at bit.ly/3C2fIRl.  Search “Driver” or position code IRC51804.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has been awarded a $450,000 grant by the Federal Transit Administration to create a Ride On Crowd Sourcing System (ROCSS) application that provides real-time bus status and passenger counts for Ride On routes to the public and MCDOT’s central dispatch. The new technology is the first to coordinate with strategically placed buses to assist routes nearing capacity and offer “How Full Is My Bus?” trip planning services.

This cutting-edge project is slated to begin this fall with a pilot of users from the Montgomery County Transit Advisory Group. Rollout to all riders is projected to begin in spring 2022.

The new app will decrease bus wait times by providing additional buses instead of requiring riders to wait for the next scheduled bus. Strategically placed buses will be positioned for a quick response and can be placed on several routes within minutes to provide additional service on a bus route that is nearing capacity. ROCSS will inform the public when a new bus is being dispatched.

For riders who may choose to seek alternative or multiple transit options, ROCSS will provide trip planning that includes other local options such as Metrorail and Metrobus. By using real-time passenger count information that updates every 20 seconds, ROCSS will increase rider confidence and reliability.

“This project will support social equity by making our buses more reliable for our residents that depend on them,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “In order for us to achieve our county’s goal of reducing carbon emissions, we need to reduce the number of cars on our roads and increase the number of residents choosing mass-transit as their commuting option. By improving the reliability of our buses and cutting down on wait times, we are making transit a more attractive option for our residents.”

The grant is part of the Federal Transit Administration’s support of strategies that improve transit operations and enhance the mobility of transit users affected by the COVID-19 public health crisis.

MCDOT will be the first transit agency in the region to have this information sent to Central Dispatch to deploy strategic buses and the first to use the information to provide alternate trip planning.

“This program will undoubtedly enhance the user experience by shortening wait times and increasing reliability as we transition back into in-person activities,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “The app will also allow for trip planning and contribute to the overall ease of public transit use.”

Ride On services remain free to all passengers—a temporary change made during the health crisis. All passengers are required to wear a face-covering to board and must continue wearing the covering for the entire time riding on a bus. All buses have a supply of face coverings for those who cannot provide their own. Buses will continue to be cleaned by the County’s Department of General Services twice daily with hospital-grade disinfectant. Bus filter and ventilation systems also are treated each night with a disinfectant.

Marc Elrich Announces Agreement That Will Enable County to Transition More Than 40 Buses from Diesel to Electric Power

Per Montgomery County:

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today announced an agreement with AlphaStruxure, a leader in Energy as a Service (EaaS) solutions, to deploy an integrated microgrid and electric bus charging infrastructure project at the Brookville Bus Depot, 8710 Brookville Rd, in Silver Spring. The project will enable at least 44 buses in the Ride On Montgomery County’s transit fleet to transition from diesel to electric power. This event, advancing the County’s goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035, reducing lifetime emissions by over 155,000 tons, while delivering resilience to climate events and power outages.

“This advanced infrastructure project drives forward several of our priorities—converting our fleets to electric, reducing harmful emissions, and ensuring safety and security—in alignment with our ambitious climate goals,” said County Executive Elrich. “I’m pleased that this project will also improve the County’s resilience, so we can continue providing transportation services even in the event of prolonged power outages.”

The Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot is a first-of-its-kind integration of microgrid and EV charging infrastructure, delivering sustainability, reliability and resilience for the County’s public transportation system. AlphaStruxure, a joint venture of Schneider Electric and the Carlyle Global Infrastructure Opportunity Fund, will design, build, finance, own and operate the project to enable Ride On’s growing electric bus fleet. The project is scheduled to be completed in late spring 2022 and is designed to deliver the following benefits and outcomes:

Bus Electrification: Enabling the County’s transition from fossil fuel buses to electric buses with a customized energy and infrastructure solution

Environmental Sustainability: 62 percent carbon emissions reduction with electric buses powered by the microgrid and lifetime greenhouse gas benefit of over 155,000 tons

Climate Resilience and Operational Reliability: Ensures uninterrupted bus services during any long-term power outages caused by severe weather as well as any short-term disturbances or perturbations of the utility grid

Flexible Fleet Operations: Avoidance of utility demand charges and time-of-use tariffs provides fleet operations with ultimate dispatch flexibility

Financial Benefits: Energy as a Service approach eliminates upfront cost to the County for the project including all microgrid and charging infrastructure, and provides long-term cost predictability for energy supply

Economic Development: Creates more than 50 construction jobs

“Electrifying our bus fleets is a necessary step in reducing carbon emissions, which is why the microgrid and electrification project brings us one step closer to meeting our ambitious climate goals,” County Council President Tom Hucker said. “This project can show a sustainable path for other counties and cities to follow Montgomery County’s lead in transitioning away from dirty energy and moving toward electrification.”

The Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot will utilize Schneider Electric’s industry-leading EcoStruxure™ platform, including its top-ranked microgrid controllers and electrical distribution equipment. Leveraging strong relationships with industry-leading partners, the project integrates clean energy including solar photovoltaic canopies designed and built by SunPower, AB Energy USA onsite generation with a carbon neutral fuel transition strategy, Dynapower battery energy storage, charging and energy management software, ChargePilot from The Mobility House, and Heliox chargers. Mortenson will provide construction services and Arup will serve as engineer of record. AlphaStruxure will operate the project via a cloud-connected Network Operations Center providing 24/7/365 operations, monitoring and optimization of energy performance.

“The Smart Energy Bus Depot project provides a national model for local governments, transit agencies, and the private sector looking to electrify their fleets,” said Montgomery County Department of General Services Director David Dise. “Rather than buying the microgrid and charging infrastructure outright, the County partnered with AlphaStruxure, who builds, owns, operates and maintains the system. The County then purchases the electricity and resilience supplied by the microgrid and charging infrastructure on an ongoing basis. This model delivers the supporting infrastructure required to electrify our bus fleet, customized to our specific needs, at no upfront cost while also enhancing resilience and environmental sustainability.”

“We at AlphaStruxure applaud Montgomery County’s continued leadership in sustainability, resilience, and electrification. With transportation now the largest source of U.S. carbon emissions, we believe electrifying vehicle fleets is essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. However, the availability of sustainable and resilient electricity often poses a major barrier to organizations seeking to migrate fleets off of fossil fuels,” said Juan Macias, CEO, AlphaStruxure. “AlphaStruxure serves as the comprehensive partner for fleet electrification. We’re taking the capital cost, complexity and risk out of electrification for Montgomery County through a powerful integration of technical, financial and contractual solutions.”

“We believe we have the tools to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuels, but organizations are struggling to navigate their options for energy infrastructure improvements,” said Pooja Goyal, co-head of the Infrastructure Group at The Carlyle Group and AlphaStruxure board member. “Carlyle and Schneider created AlphaStruxure to address these challenges with an Energy as a Service offering that we believe is truly unique to the market. We are working alongside our customers and providing a comprehensive solution encompassing technology, ongoing servicing as well as financing. The Montgomery County project illuminates a new pathway to pursue fleet electrification, but it’s only scratching the surface of the outcomes and goals we believe AlphaStruxure can help customers achieve.”

AlphaStruxure is a joint venture between the Carlyle Global Infrastructure Opportunity Fund and Schneider Electric. Beyond microgrid fleet electrification projects, AlphaStruxure partners with energy-intensive and energy-sensitive clients spanning commercial, industrial, government, and critical infrastructure sectors to deliver custom EaaS solutions. Delivering specified outcomes for sustainability, resilience, reliability, and cost-predictability, AlphaStruxure’s EaaS microgrid solutions often integrate additional energy-related technologies including electrical and mechanical upgrades, electrification technologies, charging infrastructure and other advanced systems.

“AlphaStruxure’s microgrid and electrification project and our continued partnership with Montgomery County are more proof points of Schneider Electric’s leadership as the world’s most sustainable company,” said Annette Clayton, CEO & president, Schneider Electric North America and AlphaStruxure board member. “With our innovative Energy as a Service approach we are delivering the triple-bottom-line results for our customers: resilience, cost predictability, and sustainability.”

Ride On Resuming Front Boarding, Fare Collection in April

Beginning Monday, April 5, 2021, front door boarding and fare collection will resume on Montgomery County’s Ride On, Ride On extRa, and Flash buses. These routines had been suspended due to COVID. With the return of front boarding, the rear doors on Ride On buses will return to their pre-COVID exit only layout.

The standard Ride On fare remains at $2.00 per trip. In addition to cash, fares can now also be paid virtually with virtual SmarTrip Cards on iPhones and Apple Watches.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation and Ride On are also recruiting high school students and bilingual adults to join their Transit Advisory Group, created to improve the Ride On customer experience. Applications are also due Monday, April 5.