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
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
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
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 buses ordered by Ride On.
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
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[update], 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
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
Along with standard bus service, Ride On operates three additional services, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, and Ride On Flash.
Ride On extRa
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[update], 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
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
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
As of August 1, 2022[update], 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[update], 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[update], 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.
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!
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.
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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
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.
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.
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.