Ride On's 47th Anniversary To Be Celebrated With Rider Gifts

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Ride On Bus service is celebrating 47 years in Montgomery County, with the earliest routes running 20 buses through Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Gaithersburg starting in 1975.

The system now has 400 buses that run across the county and service 45,000 people daily, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation said in a statement.

“Ride On is a vital system for our residents,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “For many riders, this is the only accessible form of transportation to get to work and make other essential trips. Ride On will also be an important part of our transit system as we expand our transit options going forward. I am committed to ensuring that our residents can count on a reliable and affordable transit system, which is why I’ve proposed a long-term $1 fare. As a part of our efforts to address climate change, we need to encourage more people to use transit, and Ride On is an important part of that effort.”

MCDOT will have teams set up at four Metro stations and three transit centers from 6 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday to hand out "free special items" and talk to riders to celebrate the anniversary.

“We have really come a long way,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Our bus service is continually expanding and getting better. Equity and environment are priorities. We are looking to grow our Flash Bus Rapid Transit corridors in Equity Emphasis Areas, where people depend on public transit the most. We’ve also committed to a zero-emissions fleet by 2035. We’re consistently improving our system to meet community needs and are engaging community members to find out what those needs are.”

MCDOT outreach stations will be set up at:

• Germantown Transit Center
• Silver Spring Transit Center
• Takoma Langley Transit Center
• Friendship Heights Metro Station
• Glenmont Metro Station
• Rockville Metro Station
• Shady Grove Metro Station