Ride On Reimagined Bus Service Changes and Zero Fare Started Sunday, June 29 – MocoFeed

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has implemented phase one of the Ride On Reimagined plan  on Sunday, June 29, with new and updated routes and schedule adjustments. The changes are in coordination with the launch of Metro Bus changes, from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), that began on the same day.

The Ride On bus service changes streamline connections to Metrorail, prevent overlap with routes serviced by Metro Bus and allow for more reliable service where demand is high. The Metro Bus changes are based on recommendations derived from responses to the WMATA Better Bus network study .

“We are implementing these changes to better use our resources in collaboration with WMATA,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Based on extensive review of the routes and ridership, we have new lines and schedules that better use our resources to provide transit to those who rely on it most and to improve reliability so that more people will use it. This is one of the most significant overhauls of our transit system in decades, and it’s just the beginning of what we plan to do.”

MCDOT has released the details of each major Ride On bus route affected:

BUS ROUTE 10 MAP WITH REPLACEMENT SERVICE

Bus Route 10: This route will be discontinued and replaced by new Metrobus routes M12, M42, M44 and M60 as part of WMATA’s Better Bus network redesign.

BUS ROUTE 34 MAP WITH REPLACEMENT SERVICE

Bus Route 34: This route will continue to provide service between Bethesda, Medical Center and Wheaton Metro Stations. The current routing between Wheaton and Bethesda will remain the same. Ride On 41 will provide service between Aspen Hill and Wheaton. Metrobus D96 will provide service between Bethesda and Friendship Heights Metro Stations. Route 34 will also be streamlined to remain on Connecticut Avenue between Veirs Mill Road and University Boulevard as a replacement for the Metrobus Route L8 along this corridor.

NEW BUS ROUTE 40 MAP

Bus Route 40: Ride On will introduce the new Route 40, previously referred to as the M10 in WMATA’s Bus Network Redesign materials. Route 40 will replace portions of WMATA’s former Q2, Q4 and Q6 routes, operating between Wheaton and Montgomery College Rockville.

BUS ROUTE 41 EXTENSION MAP

Bus Route 41: Ride On Route 41 will be extended south to Wheaton to replace Route 34 and L8 service on parts of Connecticut Avenue. Service will be provided between Glenmont and Wheaton Station via Weller Road, Connecticut Avenue, Plyers Mill Road and Georgia Avenue. This change will also introduce all-day and weekend service on Plyers Mill Road between Kensington and Wheaton. Route 37 will continue to provide peak service to this area on weekdays.

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BUS ROUE 42 MAP

Bus Route 42: This route will run between North Bethesda Station and Montgomery Mall Transit Center; service to Boiling Brook Parkway and the Bolger Center will be discontinued. Ride On 38 will provide service on Boiling Brook Parkway. Metrobus M42 and M44 will stop at Parklawn Drive and end at North Bethesda Station. The existing Metrobus Route T2 will be replaced with the Metrobus Route M82 in WMATA’s Year 1 network.

Riders can learn more about the changes by reviewing Ride On’s final summary of changes . The new schedules are available at RideOnBus.com  and will be reflected in the Ride On Trip Planner app  once the changes are in effect.

Details on the WMATA Metrobus changes  can be found online. Metro also released a Frequently Asked Questions page.

“These service adjustments represent a comprehensive shift in route planning, incorporating current and planned service needs, as well as the input of thousands of community members over two years,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We know you cannot improve access without improving service. We have added extended hours and weekend service along key routes and coordinated service routes with Metrobus to ensure coverage. We hope these changes will allow our riders more choices and more flexibility when planning their trips.”

Ride On currently operates more than 80 routes, with more than 18 million rides annually. The implementation of the Ride On Reimagined Service and Implementation Plan  will take place in phases over the next several years, transforming Ride On bus service and delivering the most significant transit improvements in decades.

The County has also implemented a zero-fare policy, that went into effect on Sunday, June 29 for all Ride On , Ride On extRa , Ride On Flex  and Flash  buses. The zero-fare policy reduces barriers to access for many residents and will allow the County to avoid the high cost of replacing and maintaining a fare collection system. The County estimated that the cost of replacing fare boxes on its fleet of nearly 400 Ride On buses to maintain compatibility with the regional system would have cost about $20 million, which would have been difficult to recover from the limited fare revenue collected.

For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot , follow @MCDOTNow on X , Bluesky , Instagram , Facebook  and subscribe  to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.

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