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Ride On (bus)

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Ride on
A Gillig compressed natural gas bus at Shady Grove station in the most recent paint scheme.
Parenttransit services division, Montgomery County Department of Transportation
FoundedMarch 31, 1975; 49 years ago (1975-03-31)
Headquarters101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Service typeLocal, express, and limited stop bus service, paratransit, demand responsive transport, bus rapid transit
Routes81
Fleet350
Daily ridership55,500 (weekdays, Q1 2024)[1]
Annual ridership16,644,600 (2023)[2]
Fuel typeCNG, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, battery electric
Websitewww.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/

Ride On (formerly Ride-On) is the primary public transportation system in Montgomery County, Maryland. Managed by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, 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.[3] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 16,644,600, or about 55,500 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.

Ride on has a fleet of about 400 buses and operates 81 routes, including operating two Metrobus routes on weekends.[4]

History

[edit]
Ride On's former logo, used in the 1970s and 1980s.
Former Ride On logo, used as the primary logo from the mid-1990s until mid-2009. It is still used on some older buses that entered service in the 2000s.

1970s–1990s

[edit]

Ride On began service on March 31, 1975, as Ride-On.[5] Serving Silver Spring and Takoma Park, two routes were in operation: The Blue and the Green. Within a few weeks it was carrying twice the number of passengers projected: about 2,000 riders per day. The Buses were nineteen passenger Grummans. 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 the fall of 1984, as the Washington Metro's Red Line extension to Shady Grove was complete, Ride On would see its largest route expansion to date. Numerous routes would be added to accommodate passengers who would utilize the eight new metrorail stations along the western portion of Montgomery County. At that time, Ride On would begin to replace a few WMATA routes that operated in Montgomery County. OBI Orion I 30' foot buses would be introduced that same year to allow for the added service. In 1989, 57 30-foot Gillig Phantom buses, the first buses in the second-generation blue-and-white scheme, went into service. In 1991 and 1992, 45 new Orion I 30' buses - Ride On's last Orion Is - entered service.

In the spring of 1996, Ride On's first CNG buses, the 1996 35 feet Orion V buses, went into service. These buses retired in 2009.

2000s

[edit]

In 2000, Ride On buses were painted in a special livery to commemorate Ride On's founding's 25th anniversary.[6]

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 attacks which were on September 11, 2001.[7][8]

In 2001, the 2001 40 feet Orion V Diesel buses (5580-5591 and 5612–5623) went into service.

In 2002, the 2002 40 feet Orion V Diesel buses (5592-5611) went into service. These were the last high floor buses, until the 2019 RideOn Flex buses.

In early 2004, Ride On's first low-floor buses, the 2003/2004 35 feet Orion VII CNG buses (5900–5932) went into service. They replaced all of the remaining 1988-1989 30 feet Gillig Phantom buses (5300-5356), which were also Ride On's last buses without wheelchair lifts, therefore resulting in an all-accessible fleet.

In late 2005, 15 New Flyer C40LF buses (5822-5836) went into service. These were the first New Flyer's Ordered by RideOn.

In 2006, Ride On started accepting SmarTrip cards. All of the ride on buses are equipped with GFi GENFARE, starting from August 2006.

Also, in 2006, the 2005 35 feet Orion VII CNG buses went into service. These were the last Orion models ordered for RideOn. Additionally, Ride On's first five hybrid-electric buses, the 2006 40 feet Gillig Low Floor aka Gillig Advantage buses (5300-5304, formerly 5750–5754), went into service.

In 2007, 8 of the 2007 40 feet Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5305-5313, formerly 5755–5763) went into service. Also, in 2007, an order of Champion cutaway buses (5182–5231 and 5285–5296) went into service. All of these buses had fire damage and they all were retired 5 years later, on July 18, 2012.

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

In 2009, Ride On introduced a new logo and a new blue/yellow/green paint scheme. Also, in 2009, the 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5007-5031), the 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5747-5757), and the 40 feet Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5314-5348) all went into service. 5314 was originally numbered 5349. These buses were the only buses to have a big yellow uppercase letter "R" on the back side.

2010s

[edit]

On autumn 2011, 12 of the Ride On's 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 2011, the 2008/2009 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5726-5757) transferred to the Gaithersburg bus depot.

In July 2012, all 62 of the 2007 Champion cutaway Ride On buses retired due to fires and got replaced with 30 of the 1999 30 feet Orion V buses (renumbered 5100–5129). 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 of the brand-new 2014 40-foot Gillig Low Floor CNG buses (5837–5855) entered service. These replaced Ride On's first 40 ft CNGS (5803-5821). 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 of the new 29-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5060–5091) went into service, and replaced all of the 1999 30 feet Orion V buses (5100-5129) 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.

In 2016, between April and May, 40 of the new 40 ft Gillig LF clean diesel buses (44000D-44039D), 1 bus which is 29 ft Gillig LF clean diesel (42000D) and 16 of the 40 ft Gillig LF CNG buses (44040c-44055c) 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, "E" for electric and "H" for hybrid).

Ride On extRa, a new limited bus stop 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 (44056D-44072D) 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 (44056D-44080D) and 34 use compressed natural gas (44081C-44114C).[9] Four additional 40-foot CNG buses (44115C-44118C) entered service in the winter of 2018. These replaced all of the 2003 Orion VIIs and most of the 2004 Orion VII buses.

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.[10][11]

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.[12]

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.[13] 23 use compressed natural gas (44119C-44141C) and 3 run on clean diesel (44142D-44144D).

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 (41000D-41006D).

2020s

[edit]

MCDOT has a climate action plan to move to zero-emissions fleet by 2035. On September 4, 2020, Ride On's first four fully-electric buses (43000E-43003E) entered service on the routes 18 and 25 in Silver Spring and Takoma Park. They are manufactured by Proterra and can run on a single charge all day long. That same year, 39 of the 29 feet buses (42001D-42039D) and 9 of the 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (44145D-44153D) entered service. These new 2020 Gillig buses came with new annocements that repeat stops twice. These replaced the 2008/2009 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses, and the 2006/2007 Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses.[14]

On October 14, 2020, Ride On launched its brand new BRT Flash service on US 29. The orange route operates between Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney every 15 minutes daily while the blue route operates between Silver Spring and Burtonsville every 15 minutes only during peak hours (5:30AM to 8:30 AM and 3:30PM to 7:00 PM) Monday-Friday. Ride On's very first articulated (62 feet) buses (46000D-46015D) operate on the Flash service, which replaced Ride On route 129 and WMATA route Z11

In 2022, all of the Ride On buses changed their announcement narrator, getting a new announcement narrator to replace the old narrator.

On Friday, September 30, 2022, all of the 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5726-5746) retired. These were the last buses in the fleet to keep the old annoucement narrator. In December 2022, this led to the Gaithersburg bus depot getting 9 of the 2013 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5762-5770) from the Silver Spring bus depot to replace the 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses.

In March 2023, Ride On's first Gillig Plus Battery Electric buses (44154E-44163E) entered service. 44156E and 44158E entered service on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

In July/August 2023, Ride On brought back 3 of the 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses from retirement (5737, 5744, and 5746) to operate for the Flash BRT service.

Between late June/July 2024, Ride On brought back the remaining 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses from retirement (5726, 5728, 5730, 5732-5736, 5738/5739, 5742/5743, and 5745) due to the 2 new Ride On extRa routes "Lime" and "Pink" that operate between the Shady Grove metro station and Traville Transit Center. As these buses returned, they got the new announcement narrator just like what the other Ride On buses had, starting from 2022. These buses are expected to stay in service until 2025, when the new hydrogen fuel celled buses are expected to be delivered to the Gaithersburg bus depot.

Additional services

[edit]

Along with standard bus service, Ride On operates three additional services, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, and Ride On Flash.

Ride On extRa

[edit]
Logo of Ride On extRa

RideOn extRa is a bus service that started on October 2, 2017, and is a limited bus stop service via Maryland Route 355 between Medical Center station on WMATA metro train'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 bus stop at Templeton Place in Rockville, MD, increasing the number of bus stops to 13. There are two new routes called "Lime" and "Pink" that will provide stops along Shady Grove Rd, and Downtown Crown starting on September 8,2024

Ride On Flex

[edit]
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.[15] 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.[16]

Flash BRT

[edit]
Logo of Flash BRT

Flash is a bus rapid transit network that began service on October 14, 2020.[17][18] The first route operates between Silver Spring and Burtonsville along U.S. Route 29.[19] Additional routes are in development and will likely run along MD 355 between Clarksburg and Bethesda and MD 586 between Rockville and Wheaton.[19][20] Flash has dedicated stops with prepayment machines and operates in a mix of mixed-traffic and dedicated lanes using articulated buses equipped with Wi-Fi and USB ports.[21] It is the second BRT system in the Washington metropolitan area and the first in Montgomery County.

Fares

[edit]

As of August 1, 2022, Ride On's current one-way fare is $1.00 regardless of payment method. Children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities can ride for free. Fares were suspended from March 2020 to July 2022 in response to COVID-19. Prior to that, Ride On's one-way fare was $2.00 regardless of payment method. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities could 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 was 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.[22] 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

[edit]

Ride On operates a fleet consisting of Diesel, CNG, Diesel-electric hybrid, and Battery electric buses produced by Gillig Corporation, Nova Bus, Proterra, and Starcraft.

Current Fleet

[edit]
Image Builder and
model name 		Model year Length Numbers
(total) 		Vehicles
in service 		Fuel type Notes

Gillig
Advantage 		2008 40 feet (12 meters) 5726-5746 (21 buses) 16 Diesel
  • The first Gillig Advantage Diesel buses for RideOn!
  • The last buses in the second-generation blue-and-white paint scheme!
  • 5726-5746 transferred to the Gaithersburg bus depot in 2011.
  • 5732 was wearing the yellow 40th anniversary wrap in 2015.
  • All the buses were originally retired on Friday, September 30, 2022.
  • In July/August 2023, 3 units (5737, 5744, and 5746) were wearing the Flash BRT wrap and re-entered service.
  • Many other units were also in the process of returning to service in time for the Great Seneca Transit BRT beginning in September 2024.
  • 5728 and 5732 were training vehicles, but then re-entered service in July 2024.
  • 5729 and 5731 retired due to damage from accidents.
  • 5727, 5740, and 5741 are in unknown condition and are most likely retired.
2009, 2011, 2013 40 feet (12 meters) 5747-5770 (24 buses) 19
  • 5747-5757 are 2009 models.
    • The only buses to have a big yellow uppercase letter "R" on the back side!
    • 5747-5757 transferred to the Gaithersburg bus depot in 2011.
    • 5749-5757 transferred back to the Silver Spring bus depot between 2017 and 2018.
    • 5749-5757 transferred back to the Gaithersburg bus depot in November 2021 due to the Silver Spring bus depot getting the 2020 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (44145D-44153D).
    • 5752 and 5757 retired in 2021 and are being used for parts.
    • 5751, 5753, and 5754 are training vehicles.
    • 5753 is sometimes used on regular routes to train Ride On operators.
    • 5747-5750 and 5755/5756 are the only active buses.
    • 5756 was a training bus, but returned to service in March 2024.
  • 5758 is a 2011 model.
    • 5758 has a Cummins ISL engine, sounding similar to the 2009 gillig buses.
  • 5759-5770 are 2013 models.
    • 5762-5770 transferred to the Gaithersburg bus depot in December 2022 to replace the 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5726-5746).
    • 5769 and 5770 transferred back to the Silver Spring bus depot in January 2024.
    • 5769 and 5770 transferred back to the Gaithersburg bus depot in May 2024.
2009, 2011, 2012 40 feet (12 meters) 5314-5367 (54 buses) 53 Diesel-electric hybrid
  • 5314-5348 are 2009 models.
    • 5314 was originally numbered 5349.
    • The only buses to have a big yellow uppercase letter "R" on the back side!
    • 5348 was retired due to damage from an accident.
  • 5349-5360 are 2011 models.
    • 5352 was involved in an accident. It crashed into a house. Since returned to service!
  • 5361-5367 are 2012 models.
2009, 2013, 2014, 2016 29 feet (8.8 meters) 5008, 5011, 5017, 5025, 5027, 5032–5091, 42000D
(65 buses) 		63 Diesel
  • 5008, 5011, 5017, 5025, and 5027 are 2009 models.
    • 5008, 5011, 5017, 5025, and 5027 were brought back from retirement in July/August 2022 due to the new route 27 service between Hillandale and Tech Rd.
    • The only buses to have a big yellow uppercase letter "R" on the back side!
    • 5008 was retired due to damage from an accident.
  • 5032-5059 are 2013 models.
    • 5032 and 5033 transferred to the Silver Spring bus depot in January 2024 to replace 5008.
    • 5032 and 5033 transferred back to the Nicholson bus depot in May 2024.
    • 5039,5040, 5050, 5052, and 5055 have been repainted into the 2019-2022 paint scheme.
    • 5047 was wearing the yellow 40th anniversary wrap in 2015.
    • 5059 was involved in an accident. It was struck by a truck on I-270. Since returned to service!
  • 5060-5091 are 2014 models.
    • 5060, 5061, 5065, and 5066 have been repainted into the 2019-2022 paint scheme.
    • Replaced the 1999 30 feet Orion V Diesel buses (5100-5129)
    • 5091 was retired due to fire damage.
  • 42000D is a 2016 model.
2014 40 feet (12 meters) 5837-5855 (19 buses) 18 Compressed natural gas (CNG)
  • The first Gillig Advantage CNG buses for Ride On.
  • 5855 is being used as a training vehicle.
  • 5840 was retired due to damage from an accident.[23]
  • Replaced the 1999/2000 Orion V CNG buses
2016 40 feet (12 meters) 44000D-44039D (40 buses) 40 Diesel
  • Replaced the 2001/2002 35 feet Orion V Diesel buses (5580-5623)
  • 44039D transferred to the Gaithersburg bus depot in June 2024.
40 feet (12 meters) 44040C-44055C (16 buses) 16 Compressed natural gas (CNG) 44049c was involved in an accident on July 12, 2022. It returned to service a week later!
Ride On Starcraft Allstar 60 on Route 301, at Rockville Metro Station Starcraft Bus

Allstar XL

2016 30 feet (9.1 meters) 59-61
(3 buses) 		3 Gasoline
  • The first Starcraft buses for Ride On.
  • Only operates on Route 301.
  • Only buses (and route) operated by an outside contractor (Jewish Council for the Aging).
  • 59 is plain white with Ride On decals, 60 has the 2019-2022 paint scheme, and 61 has the 2009-2017 paint scheme.
  • 59 and 61 rarely operate.
Gillig
BRT Plus 		2017 40 feet (12 meters) 44056D-44072D
(17 buses) 		17 Diesel * Operates on the RideOn extRa route 101
Gillig

Advantage

44073D-44080D (8 buses) 8
  • 44073D was involved in an accident on July 6, 2022. Since returned to service.
  • Replaced the 2003/2004 Orion VII CNG buses
2017/2018 44081C-44118C
(38 buses) 		38 Compressed natural gas (CNG)
  • 44081C-44114C are 2017 models.
  • 44115C-44118C are 2018 models.
  • 44104C was involved in accident circa 2022.
  • Replaced the 2003/2004 Orion VII CNG buses
Starcraft
Starlite Transit 		2019 30 ft (9.1 m) 41000D-41006D
(7 buses) 		7 Diesel
  • It is a RideOn Flex bus.
Gillig

Advantage

40 ft (12 m) 44119C-44141C
(23 buses) 		23 Compressed natural gas (CNG)
  • Replaced the 2005 Orion VII CNG buses (5933-5957)
44142D-44144D
(3 buses) 		3 Diesel
Nova Bus
LFS Artic 		62 ft (19 m) 46000D-46015D
(16 buses)[24] 		16
  • It is a Flash BRT bus! [19]
  • Entered service on October 14, 2020
  • Second non-WMATA-operated articulated buses in the Washington area after DASH[25]
  • The 2 Flash BRT routes Blue and Orange replaced WMATA’s route Z11 and MCDOT’s route 129.
Proterra
Catalyst BE35 		35 ft (11 m) 43000E–43003E
(4 buses) 		4 Battery electric[26]
  • The first all-electric transit buses for Ride On
  • Replaced the 2006 40 feet Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5300-5304)
Gillig

Advantage

2020 40 ft (12 m) 44145D-44153D
(9 buses) 		9 Diesel
  • Replaced the 2007 40 feet Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5305-5313)
2020 29 feet (8.8 meters) 42001D-42021D
(21 buses)[27] 		21
  • Replaced the 2008/2009 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5001-5031)
Gillig

Advantage

2021 29 feet (8.8 meters) 42022D-42039D (18 buses) 18 Replaced the 2005 New Flyer C40LF buses (5822-5836)
  • 42022D-42025D transfered to Nicholson Garage from Gaithersburg Garage in June 2024 due to the 2008 gilligs being put back in revenue service
Gillig Plus 2022 40 ft (12 m) 44154E-44163E (10 buses) 10 Battery Electric

44156E and 44158E entered service on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, and the rest of the buses entered service in March 2023.

Retired fleet

[edit]
Model year Builder and model name Numbers
(total) 		Year
retired 		Picture Notes
1979–1981 Transportation Manufacturing Corporation
T-30 CityCruiser 		5101-5256 (156 buses) 1996–1998
1984 Bus Industries
of America
Orion I (01.502) 		5257-5297 (41 buses) 2001–2002 The first buses in the second-generation blue-and-white paint scheme
1990–1992 5500-5545 (46 buses) 2010
1988–1989 Gillig
Phantom 30' (3096TB3208) 		5300-5356 (57 buses) 2004 The first Gillig Phantom buses for Ride On
1993 Flxible
Metro D 		5700-5703 (4 buses) 2008
  • Ex-MTA Maryland buses, acquired in 1995.
  • Originally ran on LNG fuel.
  • These buses were at the Gaithersburg bus depot until 2008.
  • Often operated on the route 70.
  • The first and only Flxible Metro D buses for Ride On!
  • The 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5726-5746) replaced these buses.
1994–1997 Gillig
Phantom 35' 		5360-5409 (50 buses) 2013
1999 5410-5423 (14 buses) 2015 The last Gillig Phantom buses for Ride On
1993 Bus Industries
of America
Orion V (05.504) 		5546-5547 (2 buses) 2009
  • 5547 retired in 2000 due to fire damage.
1995 Orion Bus Industries
Orion VI CNG (06.501) 		5801-5802 (2 buses) 2005
  • Ex-Orion demos, acquired circa 1997.
  • 5801 previously demoed for London Transit.
  • 5802 previously demoed for Toronto Transit Commission.
  • The first low-floor buses for Ride On!
  • The first buses in the CNG green/yellow/white paint scheme
  • Rarely put in service
1996 Orion Bus Industries
Orion V CNG (05.503) 		5997-5999 (3 buses) 2009
  • 35 feet buses
  • Originally numbered 5567–5569.
  • The first CNG buses for Ride On
Orion Bus Industries
Orion V (05.503) 		5550-5566 (17 buses) 2011
  • 35 feet buses
1998 5572-5579 (8 buses) 2012
  • 35 feet buses
1999 Orion Bus Industries
Orion V (05.501) 		5705-5725 (21 buses) 2014–2016
  • 5708 and 5711 were the last buses to be in service until 2016.
  • 5715 was brought back from retirement in 2016 to operate on the Red Line Shuttle between Silver Spring and Fort Totten.
  • 5714 was a training unit.
  • Most units retired in 2014 with the Orion V CNG buses.
1999–2000 Orion Bus Industries
Orion V CNG (05.501) 		5803-5821 (19 buses) 2013–2014 The 2014 40 feet Gillig Advantage CNG buses (5837-5855) replaced these buses.
1999 Orion Bus Industries
Orion V (05.505) 		5100-5129 (30 buses) 2014
  • Ex-WMATA buses, acquired in 2012.
  • Replaced the 2007 champion cutaway buses
  • The 2014 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5060-5091) replaced these buses.
2001–2002 Orion Bus Industries
Orion V (05.504) 		5580-5623 (44 buses) 2016–2017
  • These buses were at the Gaithersburg bus depot, but then they transferred to the Silver Spring bus depot in the mid-2000s due to the Gaithersburg bus depot getting the Orion VII CNG buses (5900-5957).
  • The 2016 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (44000D-44039D) replaced these buses.
  • These buses transferred back to the Gaithersburg bus depot in 2016.
  • The last high floor buses for Ride On!
  • 5593 was wearing the yellow 40th anniversary wrap in 2015.
2003 DaimlerChrysler
Commercial Buses
Orion VII CNG (07.502)
(semi-low floor) 		5900-5917 (18 buses) 2017 Ride On Orion VII CNG.JPG
  • Replaced by the 2016-2018 Gillig Advantage CNGs and 2017 Diesels (44040C-44055C,44073D-44080D,44081C-44118C)
2004 5918-5932 (15 buses) 2017–2019
  • Most units retired in 2017.
  • 5923 and 5928 retired in May 2019 with the 2005 Orion VII CNG buses.
  • Replaced by the 2017-18 Gillig CNGS, and the 2019 Gillig CNGS
2005 5933-5957 (25 buses) 2019
  • The 2019 40 feet Gillig Advantage CNG buses (44119C-44141C) replaced these buses.
  • Last RideOn buses made by Orion Bus Industries
New Flyer Industries
C40LF 		5822–5836 (15 buses) 2020
  • The last buses in the CNG green/yellow/white paint scheme!
  • The first and only New Flyer buses for Ride On!
  • These buses retired due to rear door issues.
  • Eventually replaced with the 2021 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (42022D-42039D)
2006–2007 Gillig
Low Floor Advantage 		5300–5313 (14 buses)
  • The first Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses for Ride On!
  • Renumbered from 5750-5763!
  • Replaced by the 2019 Proterras (43000E-43003E), and the 2020 Gillig Diesels (44145D-44153D)
2008 5001-5006 (6 buses) 2020–2021
  • The first Gillig Advantage Diesel buses for RideOn!
  • 5001 is a training vehicle.
2001–2002 ElDorado National
Aero Elites 		5101-5181 (81 buses) 2009
2004 IC Corp
 5232–5234, 5238–5241, 5243-5246 (11 buses) 2013
2001 Ford/StarTrans Bus
Cutaways 		5201-5212 (12 buses) 2007
2007 Champion
Cutaways 		5182–5231, 5285-5296 (62 buses) 2012
  • Seven different fires occurred on all of these buses between 2009 and 2012, but all of the fires caused no injuries.[28][29]
  • All of these buses retired on July 18, 2012, due to fire damage.[30][31]

Divisions

[edit]

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

Division name Location Capacity Routes Buses
Silver Spring 8710 Brookville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910 		147 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34, 36, 39, 41, 47, 51
Weekends: 23, 29, 38, 42, L8, T2
  • Diesel: 42000D, 44000D-44038D, 44145D-44153D, 5008, 5011, 5017, 5025, 5027, 5069–5090, 5758-5761
  • Electric: 43000E-43003E, 44154E-44163E
  • Hybrid: 5314-5367
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, 75, 76, 78, 79, 90, 100, 101, Flash BRT
Weekends: 45, 83, 97, 98
  • CNG: 44040c-44055c, 44081C-44118C, 44119C-44141C, 5837-5855
  • Diesel: 42026D-42039D, 44039D, 44056D-44072D, 44073D-44080D, 44142D-44144D,5726,5728,5730,5732-5739,5742-5746,5747–5750, 5755-5756, 5762–5770, 46000D-46015D
Nicholson 4700 Nicholson Court
Kensington, MD 20895 		68 Weekdays: 6, 7, 23, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 81, 83, 96, 97, 98
  • Midday: 47, 75
  • Late night: 30,75
  • Diesel: 41000D-41006D, 42001D-42025D, 5032-5068

Routes

[edit]

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.[32]

Route Name Terminus (Western/Southern) Terminus (Eastern/Northern) Service Notes
1 Silver Spring – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Silver Spring station
  • Certain trips operate via Leland St
  • Certain rush hour trips operate via Ross/Spencer Rds
2 Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Silver Spring station Brookville
(Ride On Operations Center)
  • Certain rush hour trips serve Fort Detrick (AM trips towards Lyttonsville, PM trips towards Silver Spring)
4 Silver Spring – Kensington — Wheaton Wheaton station Silver Spring station Weekday Peak Hour service only
  • All Route 4 service was extended to Wheaton station on May 8, 2022.[33]
5 Silver Spring – Twinbrook Twinbrook station Silver Spring station Certain trips serve Victory Forest Apartments
6 Parkside Condominium – Westfield Montgomery Mall Westfield Montgomery Mall Transit Center Parkside Condominium Weekday service only
7 Wheaton – Forest Glen Forest Glen station Wheaton station Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Wheaton, PM from Forest Glen)
8 Silver Spring – Wheaton Silver Spring station Wheaton station via Forest Glen Rd & Holy Cross Hospital
9 Silver Spring – Wheaton Silver Spring station Wheaton station
10 Hillandale – Twinbrook Twinbrook station New Hampshire Ave & Powder Mill Rd Replaced WMATA Metrobus Route C6 in 1998.
11 Silver Spring – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Silver Spring station Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Silver Spring, PM from Friendship Heights) Service started in 1997
12 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring station Takoma station via Carroll Ave
13 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring station Takoma station Weekday Peak Hour service only via Sligo Creek Pkwy
14 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring station Takoma station No Sunday service via Colesville Rd
15 Silver Spring – Langley Park Silver Spring station Takoma Langley Transit Center Second-highest ridership in system, avg. 4,500 per day
16 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring station Takoma station via New Hampshire Ave
17 Silver Spring – Langley Park Silver Spring station Takoma Langley Transit Center via Montgomery College in Takoma Park
18 Silver Spring – Langley Park Silver Spring station Takoma Langley Transit Center Sunday service between Langley Park and Takoma station only via Takoma station
19 Silver Spring – Northwood Silver Spring station Forest Glen Rd & Burnett Ave Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Forest Glen Rd, PM from Silver Spring)
20 Silver Spring – Hillandale Silver Spring station New Hampshire Ave & Powder Mill Rd Operates via Piney Branch Rd & New Hampshire Ave
21 Silver Spring – Briggs Chaney Silver Spring station Briggs Chaney Park & Ride Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Briggs Chaney, PM from Silver Spring) Service started on June 25, 2007.[34]
22 Silver Spring – Hillandale Silver Spring station Hillandale Center (Powder Mill Rd) Weekday Peak Hour service only Operates via Columbia Pike & Colesville Rd
23 Friendship Heights – Sibley Hospital Sibley Hospital Friendship Heights station No Sunday service
24 Hillandale – Takoma Takoma station Powder Mill Rd & New Hampshire Ave Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Hillandale, PM from Takoma)
25 Takoma – Langley Park Takoma station Takoma Langley Transit Center Weekday Peak Hour service via Maple Ave
26 Montgomery Mall – Glenmont Montgomery Mall Glenmont Station
27 Hillandale - Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center - Tech Road Park & Ride Hillandale Center (Powder Mill Rd & New Hampshire Ave) Tech Rd Park & Ride
28 VANGO Free Circulator – Silver Spring Silver Spring station No Sunday service Free service, VanGO Shuttle Loop around Downtown Silver Spring.
29 Bethesda – Glen Echo/Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Bethesda station Weekend service was extended from Glen Echo to Bethesda on October 10, 2021
30 Bethesda – Medical Center Bethesda station Medical Center Weekday service only
31 Wheaton – Glenmont Wheaton station Glenmont station Weekday peak hour service only via Poplar Run
32 Bethesda – Naval Ship R&D Center Naval Ship Research & Development Center Bethesda station Weekday peak hour service only via Cabin John
33 Glenmont – Medical Center Medical Center station Glenmont station Weekday peak hour service only
34 Aspen Hill – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Aspen Hill (Weekday rush only)
Wheaton station		 Weekday peak hour service is extended to Aspen Hill (AM service to Friendship Heights, PM service to Aspen Hill) Originally went from Aspen Hill to Medical Center until extended to Friendship Heights Station on May 4, 2008, replacing original Ride On Route 42.
36 Bethesda Loop Bethesda station Weekday service only
  • via Bradley Blvd
  • Service to Connelly School was eliminated on February 28, 2021.[35]
37 Potomac – Wheaton Potomac Community Center Wheaton Station Weekday Peak Hour service only Serves Grosvenor-Strathmore station
38 Wheaton – North Bethesda (White Flint) North Bethesda station Wheaton station
39 Glenmont – Briggs Chaney Glenmont station Briggs Chaney Park & Ride Weekday Peak Hour service only
41 Aspen Hill – Glenmont Glenmont station Grand Pre Rd & Bel Pre Rd (Aspen Hill)
42 North Bethesda (White Flint) – Montgomery Mall Montgomery Mall Transit Center North Bethesda station No Sunday Service Created on January 13, 2013, to replace the 38 portion between Montgomery Mall and White Flint.[36]
43 Shady Grove – Traville TC Traville Transit Center Shady Grove station
44 Twinbrook – Rockville Twinbrook station Rockville station Weekday Peak Hour service only
45 Rockville Regional TC (Fallsgrove) – Twinbrook Twinbrook station Rockville Regional Transit Center (Fallsgrove Center) No Sunday service Select trips operates via Rockville Senior Center
46 Montgomery College – Medical Center Medical Center station Montgomery College Rockville Campus
47 Rockville – Montgomery Mall – Bethesda Bethesda station Rockville station
48 Wheaton – Rockville Wheaton station Rockville station
  • via Norbeck road, Rock Creek Village, Bauer Dr, Parkland Dr, and MD 586 (Veirs Mill Road)
49 Rockville – Glenmont Rockville station Glenmont station
  • via Norbeck Rd, Bel Pre Road, and Layhill Road
  • Replaced Route 46
51 Glenmont – ICC (Georgia Ave at MD 200) Glenmont station ICC Park & Ride Weekday Peak Hour service only
  • Service started in late 1998
  • Route extended to ICC Park & Ride January 29, 2023
52 Rockville – Medstar Montgomery Medical Center (Olney) - Good Counsel High School Rockville station MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Weekday Peak Hour service only
53 Shady Grove – Glenmont Shady Grove station Glenmont station Weekday Peak Hour service only
54 Rockville – Lakeforest Rockville station Lakeforest Transit Center
55 Rockville – Germantown TC Rockville station Germantown Transit Center
56 Rockville – Lakeforest Rockville station Lakeforest Transit Center
57 Shady Grove – Lakeforest Shady Grove station Lakeforest Transit Center
58 Shady Grove – Lakeforest Shady Grove station Lakeforest Transit Center
  • via Snouffer School Road and East Village
  • Weekday service to Kaiser Permanente (Frederick Avenue) was eliminated on February 28, 2021.[35]
59 Rockville – Montgomery Village Rockville station Montgomery Village Center (Clubhouse Rd)
60 Shady Grove – Montgomery Village Shady Grove station Montgomery Village Center (Stedwick Rd) Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove) via Shady Grove Rd, Midcounty Hwy, Washington Grove Ln, Flower Hill Way, and Centerway Rd.
61 Shady Grove – Germantown TC Shady Grove station Germantown Transit Center
63 Rockville – Shady Grove Rockville Station Shady Grove station Weekday service only via Gaither Rd and Piccard Dr
64 Shady Grove – Montgomery Village Shady Grove station Montgomery Village Center (Clubhouse Rd) via Centerway Rd and Emory Grove Rd
65 Shady Grove – Montgomery Village Shady Grove station Montgomery Village Center (Stedwick Rd)
  • Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove)
  • Limited Stops via Midcounty Hwy
    AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove
66 Shady Grove – Traville TC Traville Transit Center Shady Grove station Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Shady Grove, PM from Traville) via Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
67 Shady Grove – Traville TC Traville Transit Center Shady Grove station Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Traville, PM from Shady Grove) via Frederick Ave and Dufief Mill Rd
70 Germantown – Bethesda (Express) Bethesda station Milestone P&R
  • Weekday Peak Hour service only
  • via I-270
  • Serves Medical Center station in the morning (to Bethesda) and in the afternoon (to Milestone P&R in Germantown)
71 Shady Grove – Kingsview Shady Grove station Kingsview P&R Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Kingsview, PM from Shady Grove) via I-370, I-270, Clopper Rd, Mateny Rd, Dawson Farm Rd, and Steeple Rd
73 Shady Grove – Clarksburg (Cabin Branch) Shady Grove station Cabin Branch (Clarksburg) Weekday Peak Hour service only
74 Shady Grove – Germantown TC Shady Grove station Germantown Transit Center No Sunday service
75 Clarksburg MCCF – Germantown TC - Germantown MARC Germantown Transit Center Montgomery County Correctional Facility
  • via Frederick Road and Snowden Farm Pkwy
  • Serves Milestone Center and Clarksburg Premium Outlets
  • Serves Germantown MARC station during weekday peak
  • Serves Clarksburg HS during peak hours in the morning and afternoon
76 Shady Grove – Poolesville Poolesville (W Willard Rd & Wooton Ave) Shady Grove station No Sunday service
  • via I-370, Muddy Branch Rd, Great Seneca Hwy, and Darnestown Rd
  • Serves Kentlands and Quince Orchard High School.
  • Saturday service was added September 22, 2018 between Shady Grove and QOHS only.
  • Service extended to The Crossvines at Poolesville on January 14, 2024
  • Weekday/Saturday Service to Quince Orchard HS bus stop moved to Darnestown Rd & Quince Orchard Rd
  • Service to the Crossvines in Poolesville eliminated on Sunday May 5,2024
78 Shady Grove – Kingsview Shady Grove station Kingsview P&R No Sunday Service
  • via I-370, I-270, Clopper Rd, Mateny Rd, and Richter Farm Rd
  • Service was added to serve Metropolitan Grove station and Maryland MVA on February 28, 2021.[35]
  • Midday service was added on February 28, 2021,[35] and Saturday service was added October 10, 2021
  • Serves Northwest High School
  • Buses headed to Kingsview bypass stops on Clopper Road after Firstfield Road from 6am-3pm on Weekdays, then all day on Saturdays
79 Shady Grove – Clarksburg Shady Grove station Clarksburg Gateway Center Weekday Peak Hour service only (AM from Clarksburg, PM from Shady Grove)
  • via I-370, I-270, Middlebrook Rd, and Ridge Rd.
  • Replaced Route 82 on April 9, 2009
81 Rockville – North Bethesda (White Flint) North Bethesda station Rockville station Weekday Peak Hour service only
  • via Tower Oaks Blvd
83 Holy Cross Germantown – Germantown TC - Germantown MARC Germantown Transit Center Holy Cross Hospital Germantown No Sunday service
  • via Century Blvd, Waters Landing Dr, Father Hurley Blvd, Ridge Rd, and Seneca Meadows Pkwy
  • Serves Milestone Center and extends to Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours
  • Route was rerouted to serve the Black Hill Development on February 28, 2021.[35]
90 Shady Grove – Damascus - Milestone Shady Grove station Woodfield (Woodfield Road) (peak)
Milestone P&R (Damascus) (off-peak)		 Weekday Service only
96 Grosvenor – Rock Spring – Montgomery Mall Montgomery Mall Transit Center Grosvenor-Strathmore station Weekday Service only
  • via Tuckerman Ln, Old Georgetown Rd, Rockledge Dr, and Fernwood Rd
  • Serves Rock Spring Park
97 Germantown TC – Gunners Lake Germantown Transit Center A circular loop route (AM: Clockwise loop, PM: Counterclockwise loop)
  • via Middlebrook Rd, Father Hurley Blvd, Wisteria Dr, and Waring Station Rd
  • Serves Germantown Town Center and the Germantown MARC station during weekday peak
98 Germantown TC – Kingsview Kingsview P&R Germantown Transit Center No Sunday service Serves Germantown Community Center during weekday off-peak and Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturdays
100 Shady Grove – Germantown TC (Express) Shady Grove station Germantown Transit Center Express via I-370 and I-270
101 Lakeforest – Medical Center (Ride On extRa) Medical Center station Lakeforest Transit Center Weekday Peak Hour service only
  • 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 routes J7/J9
301 Rockville – Tobytown Tobytown Drive Rockville station

Flash BRT routes

[edit]
Flash BRT routes
Name Terminus (Western/Southern) Terminus (Eastern/Northern) Service Notes
Flash Blue Silver Spring Station Burtonsville Park & Ride Weekday Peak Hour Service only
  • Bypasses White Oak
Flash Orange Silver Spring station Briggs Chaney Park & Ride
  • via White Oak
  • Peak hour trips operate to the White Oak FDA/FRC Building in the peak hour direction

Metrobus routes

[edit]

Additionally, Ride On operates two weekend routes that are served by WMATA Metrobus on weekdays.[38][39]

Metrobus Routes
Route Name Terminus (Western/Southern) Terminus (Eastern/Northern) Notes
L8 Aspen Hill – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill)
T2 Rockville – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Rockville station via Potomac

Former routes

[edit]

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 Terminus (Western/Southern) Terminus (Eastern/Northern) Notes
2A Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Silver Spring Station Temporary replacement for Route 2 during construction of the Lyttonsville Place bridge in 2018. Ran in a clockwise loop from Silver Spring to Lyttonsville Road & Claridge House, and back. Discontinued on January 11, 2019, after construction was completed.[40]
2B Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Silver Spring Station Brookville (Ride On Operations Center) Temporary replacement for Route 2 during construction of the Lyttonsville Place bridge in 2018. Ran from Silver Spring to the Ride On Operations Center via 16th Street, 2nd Ave and Brookville Road. Discontinued on January 11, 2019, after construction was completed.[40]
3 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Station Takoma Station AM from Takoma Station, PM from Silver Spring Station. Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership.[41]
10 (first use) Silver Spring – Northwood Silver Spring Station Northwood Discontinued on June 28, 1992. Replaced by realigned route 8 and extended route 19.
11 (first use) Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Station Takoma Station Discontinued in the early 1980s; replaced by extended route 3.
21 (first use) Silver Spring – Parkside Plaza Silver Spring Station Parkside Plaza
21 (second use) Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Brookville (Ride On Operations Center) Silver Spring Station
21 (third use) Burtonsville Shuttle Briggs Chaney Park & Ride Burtonsville Park & Ride Northbound operated on Columbia Pike via Greencastle Park & Ride. Southbound operated on Old Columbia Pike. Only ran midday on weekdays. Discontinued on January 4, 2002.[42]
22 (first use) Silver Spring – Paddington Square Paddington Square Silver Spring Station
26 (first use) Grosvenor – Wheaton Grosvenor-Strathmore station Wheaton Station Operated via Plyers Mill Road and Strathmore/Knowles Avenues. Discontinued on June 28, 1992; replaced by extended route 7.
27 (first use) Friendship Heights – Medical Center Friendship Heights Station Medical Center Station Discontinued on September 7, 2003, due to low ridership. Alternative service available on extended Route 33 and realigned Route 36.[43]
31 (first use) Glen Echo – Bethesda Glen Echo Bethesda Station Replaced by Route 29 in early 1996.
35 Wheaton – Montgomery Mall Montgomery Mall Transit Center Wheaton Station Discontinued on September 1, 2002; replaced by extended route 47 and realigned Route 34.[44][45]
40 (First Use) Wheaton Plaza Shuttle Wheaton Station Operated as a midday and weekend shuttle between Wheaton Station and Westfield Wheaton. Discontinued on July 25, 1998; replaced by route 9.
40 (Second Use) White Flint – Glenmont North Bethesda Station Glenmont Station Discontinued in early 2001; replaced by extended WMATA Metrobus route C8.[46][47]
41 (first use) Shady Grove Shopper Shuttle Rockshire Shopping Center Gaithersburg (Ride On Operations Center) Operated as a lunch-hour shuttle.
41 (second use) Wheaton – Aspen Hill Wheaton Station Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill) Originally replaced Metrobus Route Q3 in 1996. Discontinued on July 25, 1998; replaced by extended route 34.
42 (first use) White Flint – Rockville North Bethesda station Rockville Station Via Old Farm and Tilden Woods
42 (second use) Friendship Heights – Medical Center Friendship Heights Station Medical Center Station Combined with Route 34 on May 4, 2008.[48]
46 (first use) Twinbrook – Layhill Twinbrook Station Layhill Via Arctic Avenue and Bel Pre Road
49 (first use)
50
51 (first use)
55 (first use) Rockville - Dorsey Mill Rockville Station Dorsey Mill Rd & Waters Hollow Rd
61 (first use) Shady Grove Station - Germantown Shady Grove Station Montgomery College Germantown Campus
62 Shady Grove – Germantown Shady Grove Station Montgomery College Germantown Campus Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[49][50]
63X Shady Grove – Gaither Road Shady Grove Station Gaither Road & Gaither Drive 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 Discontinued by 1998.
67 (first use) Shady Grove – Shady Grove Hospital Shady Grove Station Discontinued by 1998.
68 Germantown MARC Shuttle Germantown MARC Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[49][50]
69 Germantown MARC Shuttle Germantown MARC Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[49][50]
71 (first use) Shady Grove - Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Transit Center
72 Shady Grove – Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Commons AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[49][50]
73 (first use) Shady Grove – Germantown – Goldenrod Lane Shady Grove Station Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd AM from Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[49][50]
75 (first use) Shady Grove - Urbana Shady Grove Station Urbana Park & Ride Discontinued in 2006
77 Shady Grove – Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Commons AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[49][50]
78 (first use) Shady Grove - Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Transit Center via Mateny Rd, Great Seneca Hwy, Sam Eig Hwy. Replaced by Route 74
80 Shady Grove – King Farm Loop Shady Grove Station Gaither Road & Redland Road Discontinued; last run was on May 3, 2002.[42]
82 Clarksburg Town Center – Germantown Transit Center Clarksburg Gateway Center Department of Energy in Germantown AM from Clarksburg; PM from Department of Energy. Combined with Route 79 on April 5, 2009.[48]
91 Rockville Pike Shuttle Rockville Town Center Rockville Pike & Edson Lane Operated from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Discontinued on September 3, 2001.[51]
92 Bethesda Shuttle Bethesda Station Became operated by the Bethesda Urban Partnership on September 3, 2006.[52]
93 US – HHS – Twinbrook Station Twinbrook Station DHHS Parklawn Shuttle (Fishers Lane) Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership.[41]
94 Clarksburg – Germantown MARC Germantown MARC Clarksburg Gateway Center Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership.[41] Replaced by peak hour trips to Germantown MARC on Route 75.
124 Shady Grove Express MD 117 Park & Ride

MD 124 Park & Ride

Shady Grove Station Operates through I-270. Discontinued on March 14, 2008.[48]
127 Campus Connector (Takoma – Silver Spring – Shady Grove UMS) Takoma Station University of Maryland Discontinued on May 16, 2008.[48]
129 Burtonsville – Silver Spring (Limited Stop) Silver Spring Station Burtonsville Park & Ride
  • Service started on May 14, 2018.
  • Limited Stop service on US 29 between Silver Spring & Burtonsville P&R
  • Only served 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
  • Discontinued on October 15, 2020, replaced by Ride On Flash.
VAX Montgomery College Vax Shuttle Shady Grove Station Montgomery College Germantown Campus
  • Shuttle bus for people with COVID-19 Vaccine appointments at Montgomery College Germantown.
  • Ran from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday thru Friday between March 31 and April 9, 2021. Ran 7 days a week between April 10 and July 2, 2021.[53]
  • Discontinued on July 2, 2021, due to the closure of the Montgomery College Germantown MassVax site.

Additionally, Ride On ran one weekend route that is served by WMATA Metrobus on weekdays. This route has 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) Notes
Z2 Colesville – Silver Spring Olney (Spartan Rd & Georgia Ave) Silver Spring station Saturday Service Discontinued on January 12, 2013, due to low ridership.[54] Weekday service is still operated by Metrobus, See Colesville–Ashton Line for history.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Transit Services - Ride on program". Montgomery County MD Government. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  4. ^ "Ride on routes and schedules".
  5. ^ "19790600 45 Ride-On bus Silver Spring, MD". June 1979.
  6. ^ "Ride on Gillig Phantom Buses". 7 August 2014.
  7. ^ 911NewsCoverage (4 July 2014). "ABC (WJLA) 9-11-2001 News Coverage 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM". Archived from the original on 2021-12-14 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "ABC World News Tonight, September 11, 2001". YouTube.
  9. ^ "Ride On to Add Dozens of New Buses to Fleet". Montgomery County Department Of Transportation. MCDOT. May 16, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  10. ^ "Grant Allows Montgomery County To Buy Electric Buses for Its Fleet". Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda Magazine. September 15, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "Montgomery County rolls out first four electric Ride On buses". www.bethesdamagazine.com. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  15. ^ "MCDOT Unveils Ride On Flex at Microtransit Public Forum". dccommutetimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  16. ^ "Ride On Flex". www.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  17. ^ Lazo, Luz. "The D.C. region's most ambitious try at bus rapid transit is coming to Montgomery County". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  18. ^ Clabaugh, Jeff (23 March 2017). "Montgomery Co.'s new Bus Rapid Transit system to be called 'Flash'". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  19. ^ a b c "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.
  20. ^ Lyons, Jane. "MoCo advances two bus rapid transit projects on Route 355 and Veirs Mill Road". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ "Kids Ride Free".
  23. ^ Arnold, Tiffany (October 2016). "Ride On bus driver pinned in crash involving truck". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Montgomery County Maryland Capital Budget". apps.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  25. ^ Malouff, Dan. "DASH is running the first non-WMATA articulated buses in Washington area transit". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  26. ^ Schere, Dan (3 September 2020). "Montgomery County rolls out first four electric Ride On Buses". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ "Ride On bus fires in Montgomery prompts federal safety probe – The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  29. ^ "Crews Battle Fire on Ride On Bus". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  30. ^ "Some Ride On Buses Taken Out of Service Following Fire". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  31. ^ "The Schumin Web » I didn't want to have this I-told-you-so moment, but…". www.schuminweb.com. 18 July 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  32. ^ "MCDOT RIDE ON ROUTES AND SCHEDULES". www.montgomerycountymd.gov.
  33. ^ "Montgomery County Will Increase Ride On Bus Service Starting Sunday, May 8; Direct Service From Kensington to Wheaton Will be Added". www2.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  34. ^ www.montgomerycountymd.gov (June 21, 2007). "Dump the Pump June 21, 2007 Ride Transit". Archived from the original on 2007-08-04. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  35. ^ a b c d e f "Montgomery County Ride On Bus Schedule Changes Beginning Sunday, Feb. 28, Will Increase Overall Service and Improve Efficiency". www2.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  36. ^ "MCDOT Current Events". January 29, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  37. ^ "Schedule Change 4/17: Layout 1" (PDF). www.montgomerycountymd.gov. May 4, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  38. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-04-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  39. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-04-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  40. ^ a b "Ride On Route 2A / Route 2B". Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  41. ^ a b c "Schecule Change:Layout 1" (PDF). Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  42. ^ a b "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (April 4, 2002)". April 4, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-04-04. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  43. ^ "Ride On Service Changes Effective Sunday, September 7, 2003". September 7, 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-10-14. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  44. ^ "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (June 2, 2002)". June 2, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-06-02. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  45. ^ "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (October 3, 2002)". October 3, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-10-03. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  46. ^ "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (April 13, 2001)". April 13, 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-04-13. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  47. ^ "Metrobus service changes effective January 13, 2001 Maryland". February 10, 2001. Archived from the original on February 10, 2001. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  48. ^ a b c d "Ride On Routes and Schedule (April 5, 2009)". April 5, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-04-09. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  49. ^ a b c d e f "Ride On Routes and Schedule (June 5, 2005)". June 5, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-06-05. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  50. ^ a b c d e f "Ride On Routes and Schedule (August 26, 2005)". August 26, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-08-26. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  51. ^ "RIDE ON Route Map-Information (October 5, 2001)". October 5, 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-10-05. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  52. ^ "Ride On Routes and Schedule (November 4, 2006)". November 4, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-11-04. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  53. ^ "Ride On to Offer Free Shuttle to Montgomery College Germantown Vaccination Site Beginning Today". mocoshow.com. March 31, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  54. ^ "Metro News Release | WMATA".
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