Ride On (bus)

Ride On is the primary public transportation system in Montgomery County, Maryland. Ride On serves Montgomery County as well as the community of Langley Park in Prince George's County and Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. In fiscal 2018, it operated on a US$112.3 million budget.[2]

Ride On

A Gillig compressed natural gas bus at Bethesda station in the most recent paint scheme.
Parent	Montgomery County
Founded	March 31, 1975 (1975-03-31)
Headquarters	101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Service type	Local, Express, and Limited Stop bus service, paratransit, demand responsive transport
Routes	81
Fleet	350
Daily ridership	73,300 (Q1 2017)[1]
Annual ridership	23,438,000 (2017)[2]
Fuel type	CNG, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid
Website	www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/

Ride On operates 81 routes, including operating two Metrobus routes on weekends.[3]

History

The former Ride On logo, used as the primary logo from the late 1990s until mid-2009. It is still used on some older buses.

1970s–1990s

Ride On began service on March 31, 1975. Starting in 1983, single front door TMC City Cruisers entered service. These buses were part of a joint order with Frederick City Transit, and shared the same paint livery. In 1988, OBI Orion I 30' foot buses were introduced. In 1989, 57 30-foot Gillig Phantom buses, the first buses in the second-generation blue-and-white scheme, went into service. These buses retired in 2014 due to the arrival of the Gillig Advantage CNG

In the spring of 1996, Ride On's first CNG buses, the 1996 35-foot Orion V buses, went into service. These buses have since retired.

2000s

In September 2001, Ride On buses were used to transport Montgomery County firemen to the Pentagon in Virginia to assist in search and rescue operations after the September 11 attacks.[4]

In early 2004, Ride On's first low-floor buses, the 2003–04 35-foot Orion VII CNG buses (5900–5932), went into service. They replaced all of the remaining 1989 30-foot Gillig Phantom buses (which were also Ride On's last buses without wheelchair lifts), therefore resulting in an all-accessible fleet.

In 2006, Ride On started accepting SmarTrip cards. All of the buses would be equipped with SmarTrip-compatible fare boxes by August of that year.

Also in 2006, Ride On's first five hybrid-electric buses, the 2006 40-foot Gillig Low Floor aka Gillig Advantage buses (5300-5304), went into service. The following year (2007), eight additional 40-foot Gillig Low Floor hybrid-electric buses (5305-5313) went into service.

Between summer and fall 2008, Ride On's first low-floor diesel buses, the 2008 29-foot Gillig Advantage (5001-5006) and 2008 40-foot Gillig Advantage buses (5726–5746), went into service. They are the last buses in the second-generation blue-and-white paint scheme.

In 2009, Ride On introduced a new logo and blue-yellow-green paint scheme with the delivery of new Gillig Advantage clean diesel and hybrid buses.

2010s

In autumn 2011, Ride On's 12 40-foot Gillig Low Floor hybrid buses (5349–5360) and one clean diesel bus (5758) went into service. All 13 of these buses were purchased with funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Seven additional 40' Gillig Low Floor hybrid buses (5361–5367), which were also purchased with stimulus funds from the ARRA, went into service in mid-2012.

In July 2012, Ride On retired all 62 of its 2007 Champion cutaway buses due to fires and replaced them with 30 1998 30-foot Orion V buses. All 30 of these units were formerly operated by Washington's WMATA.

On September 19, 2013, 12 new 40-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5759–5770) went into service. A week later (September 26, 2013), 28 new 29-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5032–5059) also went into service. Also, the 2013 29-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses replaced all of the 2003 model shuttle transit vehicles (STV) that were formerly operated by Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County.

In April 2014, 19 brand-new 2014 40-foot Gillig Low Floor CNG buses (5837–5855) entered service. They are Ride On's first new CNG buses in almost a decade (2005 35' Orion VII CNG buses, which went into service in 2006).

Between September and October 2014, 32 new 29-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5060–5091) went into service and replaced all of the 1998 30-foot Orion V buses that were formerly operated by WMATA.

Ride On celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015, with 3 buses (1 from each of the 3 bus divisions) wrapped in the transit agency's 40th anniversary ad.

Between April and May 2016, 40 new 40' Gillig LF clean diesel buses (4000-4039), 1 29' Gillig LF clean diesel bus (2000) and 16 40' Gillig LF CNG buses (4040-4055) entered service. And with the new buses came the new five-digit numbering system for Ride On, along with the addition of suffixes denoting engines with a ("C" for compressed natural gas, "D" for diesel and "H" for hybrid).

Ride On extRa, a new limited-stop bus service along Maryland Route 355, began on October 2, 2017 between Lakeforest Transit Center and Medical Center Metro Station. As of September 17, 2018, the route serves 13 stops. Ride On added 59 Gillig 40-foot buses in summer and the fall 2017; 42 buses replaced some of the oldest vehicles in the fleet. Seventeen buses (4056D-4072D) are specially branded and used exclusively for Ride On's new extRa service that began October 2, 2017. This limited-stop service runs along Route 355 from Lakeforest Transit Center to Medical Center Metro Station. All of the 59 buses are manufactured by Gillig; 25 run on clean diesel (4056D-4080D) and 34 use compressed natural gas (4081C-4114C).[5] Four additional 40-foot CNG buses (4115C-4118C) entered service in the winter of 2018.

Ride On was award a $1.75 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase the county's first four electric buses and charging stations. Ride On is partnering with Proterra, the bus manufacturer, and the Center for Transportation and the Environment, a nonprofit that develops technologies and implements solutions to achieve energy and environmental sustainability. The Montgomery County Department of General Services, which purchases and maintains the Ride On buses, greatly assisted with the grant application. The four Proterra Catalyst 35 ft electric buses are scheduled to serve Route 18 in Takoma Park starting in 2019. The county has applied for a separate grant to help buy 10 more electric buses through FTA's Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. The county expects to hear back around the end of the year if its application was approved.[6][7]

MCDOT Ride On received a $4.365 million grant from the FTA to replace diesel buses with 10 new, electric buses on October 1, 2018.[8]

Ride On added 26 Gillig 40-foot buses in spring 2019; replacing all the remaining Orion VII's. These buses introduced a brand new paint scheme with a wave pattern and are painted blue, dark blue, light green, and a touch of white.[9] 23 use compressed natural gas (4119C-4141C) and 3 run on clean diesel (4142D-4144D).

On April 28, 2019, Ride On announced Ride On Flex, an on-demand bus service that runs in three major metropolitan areas in the county using new, 11-passenger cutaway buses.

Additional Service Types

Along with standard bus service, Ride On operates two additional services, Ride On extRa and Ride On Flex. Ride On is also adding Ride On Flash in 2020.

Ride On extRa

Logo of Ride On extRa

Ride On extRa, a new bus service that started on October 2, 2017, is a limited stop service via Maryland Route 355 between Medical Center station on the Washington Metro's Red Line and the Lakeforest Mall Transit Center. This bus route has free WiFi, USB charging ports, and more padding in the seats compared to traditional Ride On services. The fare charged is the same as on other Ride On buses, although fare loading on the bus is not permitted. As of September 17, 2018, Ride On extRa serves a new stop at Templeton Place in Rockville, increasing the number of bus stops to 13.

Ride On Flex

Logo of Ride On Flex

Ride On Flex is an on-demand bus service that began serving Montgomery County on June 26, 2019 and runs in and around Rockville, Glenmont, and Wheaton using new, 11-passenger cutaway buses.[10] Passengers are able to request a bus using an app. The new service does not charge a higher fare, and accepts the same payment methods as standard Ride On buses with no onboard fare loading allowed.[11]

Flash BRT

Logo of Flash BRT

Flash is a bus rapid transit network currently under construction that will begin service in 2020.[12] The first route will run between Silver Spring and Burtonsville along MD Route 29.[13] Additional routes are in development and will likely run along MD 355 between Clarksburg and Bethesda and MD 586 between Rockville and Wheaton.[13][14] Flash will have dedicated stops with prepayment machines and will operate in dedicated lanes using articulated buses equipped with Wi-Fi and USB ports.[15] When complete, it will be the second operational BRT system in the Washington metropolitan area and the first to be located in Montgomery County.

Fares

Ride On's current one-way fare is $2.00 regardless of payment method. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities ride free on weekdays between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM, and on Saturdays between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM; at all other times, a reduced fare of $1.00 is charged. As of July 1, 2019, children ages 5 and up can ride Ride On, as well as Metrobus routes originating in Montgomery County, for free until they graduate from high school by using a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card.[16] Ride On offers a $0.50 discount for bus fares that transfer from the Washington Metro.

As with all other transit providers in the Washington Metropolitan Area, as of January 4, 2009, Ride On stopped the issue or acceptance of paper transfers. Riders wanting transfer credit must use a SmarTrip card to get the rail-to-bus or bus-to-rail discount or to transfer free from bus to bus.

Fleet

Ride On operates a fleet consisting of Diesel, CNG, and Diesel-electric hybrid buses produced by Gillig Corporation, New Flyer Industries, and Starcraft.

Picture	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Length (feet)	Engine/Transmission	Fleet series (Qty.)	Notes	Divisions
<<< Diesel >>>
	2008	Gillig	Low Floor Advantage	29	Cummins ISL (2008-2009 models) Cummins ISL9 (2010-2016 models) Cummins L9 (2017 models) Allison B400R	5001–5006 (6)		Nicholson (5001-5068) Silver Spring (5069-5091, 2000D)
	2009–2017					5007–5091, 2000D (92)	5007-5031 are 2009 models 5032-5059 are 2013 models 5060-5091 are 2014 models 2000D is a 2016 model
	2008–2017			40		5726–5770, 4000D-4039D, 4073D-4080D (93)	5726–5746 are 2008 models, using its 2nd generation livery 5747-5757 are 2009 models 5758 is a 2011 model 5759-5770 are 2013 models 4000D-4039D are 2016 models 4073D-4080D are 2017 models 5729[17] and 5731 are retired due to accidents	Gaithersburg (5726-5748, 4073D-4080D) Silver Spring (5749-5770, 4000D-4039D)
	2019				Cummins L9 Allison B400R	4142D-4144D (3)	Introduced a new paint scheme	Gaithersburg (all units)
	2017		Low Floor BRT Plus			4056D-4072D (17)	Specially branded with Ride On extRa design	Gaithersburg (all units)
	2016	Starcraft	Allstar XL	30	TBD	TBD	Only operate on Route 301	TBD
	2019		Starlite Transit	21	Ford 3.2L Diesel	1001D-1006D (6)	Specially branded with Ride On Flex design	Nicholson (all units)
<<< Diesel-electric Hybrid >>>
	2006–2007	Gillig	Low Floor Advantage Hybrid	40	Cummins ISB Allison EP-40 HybriDrive	5300–5313 (14)	5300-5304 are 2006 models originally numbered 5750-5754 5305-5313 are 2007 models 5312 was retired due to fire damage	Silver Spring (all units)
	2009–2012				Cummins ISB (2009 models) Cummins ISB6.7 Allison EP-40 HybriDrive	5314–5367 (54)	5314-5348 are 2009 models 5314 was originally numbered 5349 5349-5360 are 2011 models 5361-5367 are 2012 models 5348 was retired due to damage from an accident[18]
<<< Compressed Natural Gas >>>
	2005	New Flyer	C40LF	40	Cummins Westport C Gas Plus Allison B400R	5822–5836 (15)	All units currently out of service due to rear door issues	Gaithersburg (all units)
	2014–2017	Gillig	Low Floor Advantage CNG	40	Cummins ISL G Cummins L9N (2017 models) Allison B400R	5837–5855, 4040C-4055C, 4081C-4118C (73)	5837-5855 are 2014 models 4040C-4055C are 2016 models 4081C-4118C are 2017 models 5840 is out of service due to damage from an accident[19]	Gaithersburg (all units)
	2019				Cummins L9N Allison B400R	4119C-4141C (23)	Introduced a new paint scheme	Gaithersburg (all units)

On order

Picture	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Length (feet)	Engine/Transmission	Fleet series (Qty.)	Notes
	2019[6]	Proterra	Catalyst	35	TBA	3000E–3003E(4)	Buses are scheduled to serve Route 18 in Takoma Park starting in 2020. First bus arrived on Property on December 13, 2019
	2019	Nova Bus	LFS–A	60	TBA	6000D-6013D (14)[20]	To be used for the Ride On Flash BRT service[13] Second non WMATA operator operating Articulated buses in the Washington area transit after DASH.[21]
	2020	Gillig	Low Floor Advantage[22]	29	TBA	2001D-2019D (19)[23]	To replace 2008-09 29' Gillig Advantage buses based out of Nicholson division
	2020	Gillig	Low Floor Advantage[22]	40	TBA	4145D-4153D (9)	To replace the 2006-07 Gillig Advantage HEV buses based out of Silver Spring division

Retired fleet

Picture	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine/Transmission	Fleet series (Qty.)	Year retired	Notes
	1979-1981	TMC	T-30 CityCruiser	Caterpillar 3126 Allison MT-740	5102-5256
	1984	Orion Bus Industries	Orion I (01.502)	Detroit Diesel 6V71N Allison MT-643	5257-5297
	1990-1992			Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison HTB-748	5500-5545
	1988-1989	Gillig	Phantom 30' (3096TB3208)	Cummins C8.3 Allison MT-64	5300-5356	2004	Originally powered by Caterpillar 3208T engines
	1993	Flxible	Flxible Metro D	Cummins C8.3G	5700-5703		Ex MTA Maryland buses Often used on Route 70 Runs on LNG fuel
	1994-1997	Gillig	Phantom 35'	Detroit Diesel Series 50 Voith D863.3	5360-5409	2013
	1999			Cummins ISM Allison B400R	5410-5423	2015
	1992	Orion Bus Industries	Orion V (05.504)	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison HTB-748	5546-5547
	1995		Orion VI CNG (06.501)	Cummins L10G Allison B400R	5801-5802	Mid 2000s	Ex Orion demos Built for an Ottawa Bus company but rejected the models Seldom used in revenue service
	1996		Orion V CNG (05.503)	Cummins L10G ZF HP590	5997-5999		35 ft buses Originally numbered 5567-5569
	1996		Orion V (05.503)	Cummins M11 Voith D863.3	5550-5566		35 ft buses
	1998			Cummins M11E Voith D863.3	5572-5579	2014	35 ft buses
	1999		Orion V (05.501)	Detroit Diesel Series 50 Voith D864.3	5705-5725	2017	40 ft buses
	1999-2000		Orion V CNG (05.501)	Detroit Diesel Series 50G Voith D864.3	5803-5821	2015
	1999		Orion V (05.505)	Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison B400R	5100-5129	2014	Ex WMATA buses acquired in 2012 Replaced the 2007 Champion Cutaways
	2001-2002		Orion V (05.504)	Detroit Diesel Series 50 Voith D864.3	5580-5623	2016-2017
	2003		Orion VII CNG (07.502)	Detroit Diesel Series 50G Voith D864.3E	5900-5917	2017
	2004			Cummins Westport C Gas Plus Voith D864.3E	5918-5932	2018
	2005			Cummins Westport C Gas Plus ZF 5HP592C	5933-5957	2019	All units are retired on May 1, 2019 Replaced by the 2019 Gillig Low Floor CNGs
	2001-2002	ElDorado National	Aero Elites		5101-5181		Originally contracted to outside firms until the late 2000s
	2004	IC Corp		International DT 466 Allison 2000	5232-5234, 5238-5241, 5243-5246	Mid 2010s	Replaced all Champions Cutaway buses
	2001	Ford/StarTrans Bus	Cutaways		5201-5212	2012
	2007	Champion	Cutaways	International VT 365 (5182-5231) GMC 8.1L (5285-5296) Allison 2000	5182–5231, 5285-5296	2012	Seven different fires occurred on these buses between 2009 and 2012, but caused no injuries.[24][25] All buses were pulled out of service following the seventh engine fire on July 18, 2012.[26][27] Replaced by the Gillig 30-foot Low Floor, 1999 30-foot Orion Vs (Ex-WMATA), and a few buses from Pittsburgh.

Divisions

The bus fleet, owned and operated by Ride On, is distributed among three garages in Kensington, Silver Spring and Gaithersburg.

Division name	Location	Capacity	Routes	Notes
Silver Spring	8710 Brookville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910	147	1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 34, 36, 39, 41, 51, 129 Monday-Saturday Only: 5 Weekdays Only: 47 Weekends Only: L8, T2	Diesel-Electric Hybrid Division Diesel
Gaithersburg	16700 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, MD 20855	155	43, 46, 48, 49, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 90, 101 Monday-Saturday Only: 100 Weekdays Only: 75	CNG Division Diesel
Nicholson	4700 Nicholson Ct, Kensington, MD 20895	68	6, 7, 8, 23, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 81, 83, 96, 97, 98 Late Night and Sunday Only: 5 Weekends Only: 47, 75 Sundays Only: 100	Diesel

Routes

Ride On offers 81 routes throughout Montgomery County. All routes run through peak rush hour periods between 6 AM and 9 AM and 3 PM to 7 PM on weekdays. Many routes offer services for off-peak hours and weekends as well.[28]

Ride On routes

Route	Name	Termini (Western/Southern)	Termini (Eastern/Northern)	Weekday Peak	Weekday Off-Peak	Saturday	Sunday	Notes
1	Silver Spring – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights Station	Silver Spring Station	Y	Y	Y	Y
2	Silver Spring – Lyttonsville	Silver Spring Station	Brookville (Ride On Operations Center)	Y	Y	Y	Y
4	Silver Spring – Kensington	Armory Avenue & Knowles Avenue	Silver Spring Station	Y	N	N	N
5	Silver Spring – Twinbrook	Twinbrook Station	Silver Spring Station	Y	Y	Y	Y
6	Parkside – Grosvenor – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall Transit Center	Grosvenor-Strathmore Station	Y	Y	N	N
7	Wheaton – Forest Glen	Forest Glen Station	Wheaton Station	Y	N	N	N	AM from Wheaton Station, PM from Forest Glen Station
8	Silver Spring – Wheaton	Silver Spring Station	Wheaton Station	Y	Y	Y	N	via Forest Glen Road & Holy Cross Hospital
9	Silver Spring – Wheaton	Silver Spring Station	Wheaton Station	Y	Y	Y	Y
10	Twinbrook – Hillandale	Twinbrook Station	New Hampshire Avenue & Power Mill Road	Y	Y	Y	Y	replaced WMATA Metrobus Route C6 in 1998.
11	Silver Spring – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights Station	Silver Spring Station	Y	N	N	N	AM from Silver Spring Station, PM from Friendship Heights Station Service started in 1997 as a rush-hour variant of Route 1.
12	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Carroll Avenue
13	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Station	Y	N	N	N	via Sligo Creek Parkway
14	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Station	Y	Y	Y	N	via Colesville Road
15	Silver Spring – Langley Park	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Langley Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	Second highest ridership in system, avg. 4,500 per day
16	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	via New Hampshire Avenue
17	Silver Spring – Langley Park	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Langley Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Montgomery College in Takoma Park
18	Silver Spring – Langley Park	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Langley Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Takoma Station, Sunday service between Langley Park and Takoma station only (no Sunday service between Takoma and Silver Spring stations)
19	Silver Spring – Northwood	Silver Spring	Forest Glen Road & Burnett Avenue	Y	N	N	N	AM from Forest Glen Road, PM from Silver Spring
20	Silver Spring – Hillandale	Silver Spring Station	New Hampshire Avenue & Power Mill Road	Y	Y	Y	Y	Operates via Piney Branch Road & New Hampshire Avenue
21	Silver Spring – Briggs Chaney Park & Ride	Silver Spring Station	Briggs Chaney Park & Ride	Y	N	N	N	AM from Briggs Chaney, PM from Silver Spring Station. Service started on June 25, 2007.[29]
22	Silver Spring – Hillandale	Silver Spring Station	Hillandale Center (Power Mill Road)	Y	N	N	N	Operates via Columbia Pike & Colesville Road
23	Friendship Heights – Sibley Hospital	Sibley Hospital	Friendship Heights Station	Y	Y	Y	Y
24	Hillandale – Takoma	Takoma Station	Power Mill Road & New Hampshire Avenue	Y	N	N	N	AM from Hillandale, PM from Takoma Station
25	Takoma – Langley Park	Takoma Station	Takoma Langley Transit Center	Y	N	N	N	via Maple Ave
26	Montgomery Mall – Glenmont	Montgomery Mall Transit Center	Glenmont Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	Replaced original WMATA Metrobus Route C8 in 1996.
28	VANGO Free Circulator – Silver Spring	Silver Spring Station		Y	Y	Y	N	Free service at all times, VanGO Shuttle Loop around Downtown Silver Spring.
29	Bethesda – Glen Echo/Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights Station	Bethesda Station (Weekdays) Glen Echo (Goldsboro Road) (Weekends)	Y	Y	Y	Y	replaces WMATA Route C1, and N8 and original Ride On Route 31
30	Bethesda – Medical Center	Bethesda Station	Medical Center Station	Y	Y	N	N
31	Wheaton – Glenmont	Wheaton Station	Glenmont Station	Y	N	N	N	via Poplar Run. Service started in late 1998.
32	Bethesda – Naval Ship R&D Center and Woodrock	Naval Ship Research & Development Center (Woodrock)	Bethesda Station	Y	N	N	N	via Cabin John
33	Glenmont – Medical Center	Medical Center Station	Glenmont Station	Y	N	N	N
34	Aspen Hill – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights Station	Aspen Hill (Weekday Rush Hours only) Wheaton Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	Serves Aspen Hill to Friendship Heights Station AM Rush, From Friendship Heights Station to Aspen Hill PM Rush Originally went from Aspen Hill to Medical Center Station only Extended to Friendship Heights Station on May 4, 2008 replacing original Ride On Route 42.
36	Bethesda – Potomac – via Hillandale Rd	Connelly School (Bradley Blvd)	Bethesda Station	Y	Y	N	N	via Bradley Blvd via Hillandale Road (Rush Hour Only) AM to Bethesda Station PM to Connelly School
37	Potomac – Wheaton	Potomac Community Center	Wheaton Station	Y	N	N	N	Serves Grosvenor-Strathmore Station AM Rush service from Wheaton, PM Rush service to Wheaton
38	Wheaton – White Flint	White Flint Station	Wheaton Station	Y	Y	Y	Y
39	Glenmont – Briggs Chaney Park & Ride	Glenmont Station	Briggs Chaney Park and Ride	Y	N	N	N
41	Aspen Hill – Glenmont	Glenmont Station	Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Replaced WMATA Metrobus Route Q3 in 1996.[30]
42	White Flint – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall Transit Center	White Flint Station	Y	Y	Y	N	Select trips operates to White Flint via Boiling Brook Parkway Created on January 13, 2013; formerly part of Route 38.[31]
43	Shady Grove – Traville Transit Center – Fallsgrove Center	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Shady Grove Rd and Medical Center Dr Serves Montgomery County's Johns Hopkins University campus, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Fallsgrove Center, and the Universities at Shady Grove. Sunday service was added September 16, 2018.
44	Twinbrook – Rockville	Twinbrook Station	Rockville Station	Y	N	N	N
45	Rockville Regional Transit – Twinbrook/Rockville Senior Center	Twinbrook Station	Rockville Regional Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	N	Select trips operates via Rockville Senior Center
46	Shady Grove/Montgomery College – MD355 – Medical Center	Medical Center Station	Montgomery College Rockville Campus	Y	Y	Y	Y	via N. Washington Street and Rockville Pike Serves Rockville Town Center, Montgomery County Circuit Court, Rockville District Court, Rockville, Twinbrook, White Flint, and Grosvenor-Strathmore stations.
47	Rockville – Montgomery Mall – Bethesda	Bethesda Station	Rockville Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Falls Road, Wootton Parkway, Seven Locks Road, Fernwood Road, and Old Georgetown Road. Serves Montgomery Mall and Suburban Hospital.
48	Wheaton – Rockville	Wheaton Station	Rockville Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	Replaced original WMATA Metrobus Route Q4 in the mid 1990s.
49	Rockville – Glenmont	Rockville Station	Glenmont Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	Replaced WMATA Metrobus Route Y4 in 1998.
51	Glenmont – Norbeck Park & Ride	Glenmont Station	Norbeck Park & Ride	Y	N	N	N	Service started in late 1998.
52	Rockville – Montgomery General Hospital – Our Lady of Good Counsel High School	Rockville Station	Montgomery General Hospital	Y	N	N	N	This route serves Our Lady of Good Counsel High School during peak hour.
53	Shady Grove – Glenmont	Shady Grove Station	Glenmont Station	Y	N	N	N
54	Rockville – Lakeforest	Rockville Station	Lakeforest Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Muddy Branch Road, Research Blvd, and West Montgomery Avenue Serves Washingtonian Rio
55	Rockville – Germantown Transit Center	Rockville Station	Germantown Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Frederick Road Serves Milestone Center, Montgomery College in Germantown (Monday-Saturday) and Rockville, Lakeforest Transit Center, Shady Grove station, and Rockville Town Center Sunday service was extended to Rockville station on September 17, 2017
56	Rockville – Lakeforest	Rockville Station	Lakeforest Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Falls Road, Wootton Parkway, Darnestown Road, and Quince Orchard Road Serves Fallsgrove Center, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Kentlands and Gaithersburg Park & Ride
57	Shady Grove – Lakeforest	Shady Grove Station	Lakeforest Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Washington Grove Road, Muncaster Mill Road, and Redland Road Serves the Gaithersburg MARC station
58	Shady Grove – Lakeforest – Watkins Mill	Shady Grove Station	Lakeforest Transit Center Kaiser Permanente (Frederick Avenue) (Weekdays only)	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Snouffer School Road and East Village
59	Rockville – Montgomery Village	Rockville Station	Montgomery Village Center (Clubhouse Road)	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Frederick Road, Deer Park Road, Gude Drive, Crabbs Branch Way, and Stonestreet Avenue Serves Lakeforest Transit Center and Shady Grove station
60	Shady Grove – Montgomery Village	Shady Grove Station	Montgomery Village Center (Stedwick Road)	Y	N	N	N	via Shady Grove Road, Midcounty Highway, Washington Grove Lane, Flower Hill Way, and Centerway Road. AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove
61	Shady Grove – Germantown Transit Center	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Germantown Road, Clopper Road, Frederick Road, and Girard Street Serves Germantown MARC station, Kingsview Park & Ride, Metropolitan MARC station at certain times on weekdays, Gaithersburg Park & Ride, Lakeforest Transit Center, and Washington Grove MARC station
63	Rockville – Shady Grove	Rockville Station	Shady Grove Station	Y	Y	N	N	via Gaither Road and Piccard Drive
64	Shady Grove – Montgomery Village	Shady Grove Station	Montgomery Village Center (Clubhouse Road)	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Centerway Road and Emory Grove Road
65	Shady Grove – Montgomery Village	Shady Grove Station	Montgomery Village Center (Stedwick Road)	Y	N	N	N	Limited Stops via Midcounty Highway AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove
66	Shady Grove – Traville Transit Center	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove Station	Y	N	N	N	via Shady Grove Adventist Hospital AM from Shady Grove, PM from Traville
67	Shady Grove – Traville Transit Center	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove Station	Y	N	N	N	via Frederick Avenue and Dufief Mill Road AM from Traville, PM from Shady Grove
70	Germantown – Bethesda Express	Bethesda Station	Milestone Park & Ride	Y	N	N	N	Express Route: $4.25 fare via I-270 Serves Medical Center station
71	Shady Grove – Kingsview Park and Ride	Shady Grove Station	Kingsview Park & Ride	Y	N	N	N	via I-370, I-270, Clopper Road, Mateny Road, Dawson Farm Road, and Steeple Road AM from Kingsview Park & Ride, PM from Shady Grove Station
73	Shady Grove Metro – Cabin Branch	Shady Grove Station	Cabin Branch (Clarksburg)	Y	N	N	N	via I-370, I-270, Frederick Road, Clarksburg Road, and West Old Baltimore Road Service started on May 14, 2017.[32]
74	Shady Grove – Germantown Transit Center	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	N	via I-370 and Great Seneca Highway Serves Kingsview Park & Ride, Kentlands, Montgomery County's Johns Hopkins University campus, and Washingtonian Rio.
75	Clarksburg Correctional Facility – Clarksburg-Milestone- Germantown Transit Center	Germantown Transit Center	Montgomery County Correctional Facility	Y	Y	Y	Y	via Frederick Road and Snowden Farm Parkway Serves Milestone Center and Clarksburg Premium Outlets Extends to Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours
76	Shady Grove – Poolesville	Poolesville	Shady Grove Station	Y	Y	Y	N	via I-370, Muddy Branch Road, Great Seneca Highway, and Darnestown Road Serves Kentlands and Quince Orchard High School. Saturday service was added September 22, 2018.
78	Shady Grove – Kingsview Park and Ride	Shady Grove Station	Kingsview Park & Ride	Y	N	N	N	via I-370, I-270, Clopper Road, Mateny Road, and Richter Farm Road AM from Kingsview Park & Ride, PM from Shady Grove
79	Shady Grove – Germantown – Clarksburg	Shady Grove Station	Clarksburg Gateway Center	Y	N	N	N	via I-370, I-270, Middlebrook Road, and Ridge Road. AM from Clarksburg, PM from Shady Grove Rerouted on April 9, 2009 replacing Route 82.
81	Rockville – White Flint	White Flint Station	Rockville Station	Y	N	N	N	via Tower Oaks Blvd
83	Holy Cross Germantown – Milestone Park & Ride – Germantown Transit Center – Germantown MARC	Germantown Transit Center	Holy Cross Hospital Germantown	Y	Y	Y	N	via Century Blvd, Waters Landing Drive, Father Hurley Road, Ridge Road, and Seneca Meadows Parkway Serves Milestone Center and extends to Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours
90	Shady Grove – Damascus	Shady Grove Station	Woodfield (Woodfield Road) (Peak hours) Milestone Park & Ride (Damascus) (Off-Peak hours)	Y	Y	N	N	via Shady Grove Road and Woodfield Road Serves Montgomery County Airpark in the AM heading to Damascus and the PM heading to Shady Grove station. Effective September 17, 2018, midday service now terminates at Milestone Park & Ride in Germantown.
96	Grosvenor – Rock Spring – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall Transit Center	Grosvenor-Strathmore Station	Y	Y	N	N	via Tuckerman Lane, Old Georgetown Road, Rockledge Drive, and Fernwood Road Serves Rock Spring Park
97	Germantown Transit Center – Gunners Lake	Germantown Transit Center	Germantown Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	A circular loop route via Middlebrook Road, Father Hurley Blvd, Wisteria Drive, and Waring Station Road Serves Germantown Town Center and the Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours AM: Clockwise loop, PM: Counterclockwise loop
98	Germantown Transit Center – Kingsview Park & Ride	Kingsview Park & Ride	Germantown Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	N	via Clopper Road, Schaeffer Road, Richter Farm Road, Steeple Road, Father Hurley Blvd, Wisteria Drive, Wanegarden Drive, Wynnfield Drive, and Water Landing Drive Serves Germantown Community Center during weekday non-peak hours, Cinnamon Woods during weekday peak hours, and Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturdays
100	Shady Grove – Germantown Transit Center Express	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Transit Center	Y	Y	Y	Y	Express via I-370 and I-270
101	Lake Forest – Medical Center (Ride On extRa)	Medical Center Station	Lakeforest Transit Center	Y	N	N	N	Started service on October 2, 2017. Route overlays Route 46 and 55 on MD 355 that serves only 13 stops every 10 minutes. Replaced WMATA Metrobus Routes J7 & J9. AM times: 5:30am–9:30am, PM times: 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
129	Burtonsville – Silver Spring (Limited Stop)	Silver Spring Station	Burtonsville Park & Ride	Y	N	N	N	Service started on May 14, 2018. Limited Stop service between Silver Spring & Burtonsville P&R Only serves 15 stops every 15 minutes. AM times: 5:30am–9:00am, PM times: 3:00 pm–7:00 pm via Colesville Road, Lockwood Drive, Stewart Lane, Tech Road Park & Ride, Briggs Chaney Park & Ride, Castle Blvd
301	Rockville – Tobytown	Tobytown Drive	Rockville Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	Started service on October 2, 2016. Serves North Potomac and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital

Additionally, Ride On operates two weekend routes that are served by WMATA Metrobus on weekdays.[33][34]

Ride On Routes

Route	Name	Termini (Western/Southern)	Termini (Eastern/Northern)	Weekday peak	Weekday off-peak	Saturday	Sunday	Notes
L8	Aspen Hill – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights Station	Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill)	(WMATA Metrobus)	(WMATA Metrobus)	Y	Y
T2	Rockville – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights Station	Rockville Station	(WMATA Metrobus)	(WMATA Metrobus)	Y	Y	via Potomac

Former routes

These routes have been served by Ride On at one point but have since been discontinued due to either low ridership, duplication of another route, simplification to other routes, or combined into another route. However some routes would be reincarnated into new routes for Ride On.

Former Ride On routes

Route	Name	Termini (Western/Southern)	Termini (Eastern/Northern)	Weekday peak	Weekday off-peak	Saturday	Sunday	Notes
3	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Station	Y	N	N	N	AM from Takoma Station, PM from Silver Spring Station. Discontinued on September 17, 2017 due to low ridership.[35]
10 (first use)
11 (first use)
21 (first use)	Burtonsville Shuttle	Briggs Chaney Park & Ride	Briggs Chaney Park & Ride	Y (see note)	Y	N	N	Looped around the Briggs Chaney Park & Ride. Only ran midday on weekdays. Discontinued on January 4, 2002.[36]
26 (first use)
27	Friendship Heights – Medical Center	Friendship Heights Station	Medical Center Station	Y	N	N	N	Discontinued on September 7, 2003 due to low ridership. Alternative service available on extended Route 33 and realigned Route 36.[37]
31 (first use)				Y	Y	Y	Y	Replaced by Route 29 in early 1998.
35	Wheaton – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall Transit Center	Wheaton Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	Discontinued on September 1, 2002; replaced by extended route 47 and realigned Route 34.[38][39]
40	White Flint – Glenmont	White Flint Station	Glenmont Station	Y	Y	Y	N	Discontinued in early 2001; replaced by extended WMATA Metrobus route C8.[40][41]
41 (first use)
42 (first use)	Friendship Heights – Medical Center	Friendship Heights Station	Medical Center Station	Y	Y	Y	Y	Combined with Route 34 on May 4, 2008.[42]
48 (first use)
49 (first use)
50
51 (first use)
62	Shady Grove – Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Montgomery College Rockville Campus	Y	Y	Y	Y	Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[43][44]
63X	Shady Grove - Gaither Road	Shady Grove Station	Gaither Road & Gaither Drive	Y	Y	N	N	Served as a supplement to Route 63, connecting passengers from the Gaither Road industrial area to Shady Grove Metro during the midday and late night. Started service on January 6, 2019. Combined with route 63 on May 12, 2019.
66 (first use)	Shady Grove – Shady Grove Hospital	Shady Grove Station		Y	N	N	N	Discontinued by 1998.
67 (first use)	Shady Grove – Shady Grove Hospital	Shady Grove Station		Y	N	N	N	Discontinued by 1998.
68	Germantown MARC Shuttle	Germantown MARC	Germantown MARC	Y	N	N	N	Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[43][44]
69	Germantown MARC Shuttle	Germantown MARC	Germantown MARC	Y	N	N	N	Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[43][44]
72	Shady Grove – Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Commons	Y	N	N	N	AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[43][44]
73 (first use)	Shady Grove – Germantown – Goldenrod Lane	Shady Grove Station	Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd	Y	N	N	N	AM from Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[43][44]
77	Shady Grove – Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Commons	Y	N	N	N	AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[43][44]
80	Shady Grove – King Farm Loop	Shady Grove Station	Gaither Road & Redland Road	Y	N	N	N	Discontinued; last run was on May 3, 2002.[36]
82	Clarksburg Town Center – Germantown Transit Center	Clarksburg Gateway Center	Department of Energy in Germantown	Y	N	N	N	AM from Clarksburg; PM from Department of Energy. Combined with Route 79 on April 5, 2009.[42]
91	Rockville Pike Shuttle	Rockville Town Center	Rock Pike & Edson Lane	N	Y	N	N	Operated from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Discontinued on September 3, 2001.[45]
92	Bethesda Shuttle	Bethesda Station	Bethesda Station	Y	Y	Y	N	Became operated by the Bethesda Urban Partnership on September 3, 2006.[46]
93	US – HHS – Twinbrook Station	Twinbrook Station	DHHS Parklawn Shuttle (Fishers Lane)	Y	N	N	N	Discontinued on September 17, 2017 due to low ridership.[35]
94	Clarksburg – Germantown MARC	Germantown MARC	Clarksburg Gateway Center	Y	N	N	N	Discontinued on September 17, 2017 due to low ridership.[35]
124	Shady Grove Express	MD 117 Park & Ride MD 124 Park & Ride	Shady Grove Station	Y	N	N	N	Operates through I-270. Discontinued on March 14, 2008.[42]
127	Campus Connector (Takoma – Silver Spring – Shady Grove UMS)	Takoma Station	University of Maryland	Y	Y	N	N	Discontinued on May 16, 2008.[42]

Additionally, Ride On ran one weekend route that are served by WMATA Metrobus on weekdays. These routes have since been discontinued due to the same reason as other discontinued Ride On routes.

Ride On Routes

Route	Name	Termini (Western/Southern)	Termini (Eastern/Northern)	Weekday peak	Weekday off-peak	Saturday	Sunday	Notes
Z2	Colesville – Silver Spring	Olney (Spartan Rd & Georgia Ave)	Silver Spring station	(WMATA Metrobus)	(WMATA Metrobus)	Y	N	Saturday Service Discontinued on January 12, 2013 due to low ridership.[47] Weekday service is still operated by Metrobus, See Colesville–Ashton Line for history.

References

1. "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2017" (pdf). American Public Transportation Association. June 6, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017 – via http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/ridershipreport.aspx.
2. "Transit Services - Ride On Program". Montgomery County MD Government. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
3. "Ride On Routes and Schedules".
4. 911NewsCoverage (4 July 2014). "ABC (WJLA) 9-11-2001 News Coverage 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM" – via YouTube.
5. "Ride On to Add Dozens of New Buses to Fleet". Montgomery County Department Of Transportation. MCDOT. May 16, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
6. "Grant Allows Montgomery County To Buy Electric Buses for Its Fleet". Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda Magazine. September 15, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
7. "MCDOT's Ride On Bus System Awarded $1.75 Million FTA Grant to Purchase Electric Buses and Charging Stations". Montgomery County MD Gov. Montgomery County MD Gov. September 15, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
8. "MCDOT Receives $4.365 Million from U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration to Purchase 10 Electric Buses". Montgomery County MD Gov. Montgomery County MD Gov. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
9. Profitt, Ashley (2019-04-25). "'Ride On' To Unveil New Bus Design and Kick Off 'Give and Ride Week'". Montgomery Community Media. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
10. "MCDOT Unveils Ride On Flex at Microtransit Public Forum". dccommutetimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
11. "Ride On Flex". www.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
12. Clabaugh, Jeff. "Montgomery Co.'s new Bus Rapid Transit system to be called 'Flash'". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
13. "FLASH is an easier, more reliable, and less stressful way to get you where you need to go quickly". ridetheflash.com. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
14. Lyons, Jane. "MoCo advances two bus rapid transit projects on Route 355 and Veirs Mill Road". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
15. "FLASH features a different kind of vehicle. It's like a train on rubber tires with features that keep you plugged in and moving". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
16. "Kids Ride Free".
17. Hedgpeth, Dana. "Crash involving Ride On bus and SUV in Bethesda". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
18. Zimmermann, Joe. "Ride On Bus Crash Injures Five on Western Avenue". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
19. Arnold, Tiffany. "Ride On bus driver pinned in crash involving truck". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
20. "Montgomery County Maryland Capital Budget". apps.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
21. Malouff, Dan. "DASH is running the first non-WMATA articulated buses in Washington area transit". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
22. "Montgomery County Maryland Capital Budget". apps.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
23. Kass, Adam (2020-01-20). "Anyone know what a ⁦@RideOnMCT⁩ is doing in Tempe, AZ? I assume it's a delivery but that's just a guess. ⁦@fox5dc⁩ ⁦@SweeneyABC⁩ ⁦@WTOP⁩pic.twitter.com/3xYdbLGcdi". @adamkass8. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
24. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/ride-on-bus-fires-in-montgomery-prompts-federal-safety-probe/2012/04/11/gIQAF2WgBT_story.html
25. "Crews Battle Fire on Ride On Bus". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
26. "Some Ride On Buses Taken Out of Service Following Fire". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
27. "The Schumin Web » I didn't want to have this I-told-you-so moment, but…". www.schuminweb.com. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
28. "MCDOT RIDE ON ROUTES AND SCHEDULES". www.montgomerycountymd.gov.
29. www.montgomerycountymd.gov (June 21, 2007). "Dump the Pump June 21, 2007 Ride Transit". web.archive.org. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
30. "Ride-On Route 41 Information". web.archive.org. March 22, 1996. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
31. "MCDOT Current Events". web.archive.org. January 29, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
32. "Schedule Change 4/17: Layout 1" (PDF). www.montgomerycountymd.gov. May 4, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
33. https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/upload/L8_180916.pdf
34. https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/upload/T2_180916.pdf
35. "Schecule Change:Layout 1" (PDF). Retrieved April 11, 2019.
36. "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (April 4, 2002)". web.archive.org. April 4, 2002. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
37. "Ride On Service Changes Effective Sunday, September 7, 2003". web.archive.org. September 7, 2003. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
38. "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (June 2, 2002)". web.archive.org. June 2, 2002. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
39. "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (October 3, 2002)". web.archive.org. October 3, 2002. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
40. "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (April 13, 2001)". web.archive.org. April 13, 2001. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
41. "Metrobus service changes effective January 13, 2001 Maryland". February 10, 2001. Archived from the original on February 10, 2001. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
42. "Ride On Routes and Schedule (April 5, 2009)". web.archive.org. April 5, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
43. "Ride On Routes and Schedule (June 5, 2005)". web.archive.org. June 5, 2005. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
44. "Ride On Routes and Schedule (August 26, 2005)". web.archive.org. August 26, 2005. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
45. "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (October 5, 2001)". web.archive.org. October 5, 2001. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
46. "Ride On Routes and Schedule (November 4, 2006)". web.archive.org. November 4, 2006. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
47. https://www.wmata.com/about/news/pressreleasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=5392

External links

• Official website
• The Schumin Web Transit Center: Ride On
• Oren's Transit Page: Ride On
• GP Bus Gallery
• Ride On at the Wayback Machine (archived February 5, 1998)