Montgomery County Launches Ambitious Bus Network Redesign Plan
Key Ideas
  • The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has initiated a comprehensive bus network redesign plan to enhance public transportation by optimizing bus routes and increasing frequency.
  • The Ride On Reimagined study, which collaborated with Metro’s Better Bus Initiative, gathered feedback from various stakeholders to understand and address transportation needs.
  • The long-term vision of the plan includes expanding express and on-demand bus services, introducing new rapid transit lines, and aiming for a zero-emission bus fleet to support sustainability goals.
  • The redesign is projected to significantly improve job accessibility, cover underserved areas, and enhance connectivity to Metro stations, all while accommodating projected population and employment growth by 2050.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has unveiled an ambitious bus network redesign plan based on the Ride On Reimagined study, aiming to enhance public transportation in Montgomery County, United States. The study, conducted over two years, assessed current bus networks and collaborated with Metro’s Better Bus Initiative to propose changes to improve services. The plan includes short, medium, and long-term recommendations focusing on rerouting existing bus routes, adding new services, and enhancing connectivity and efficiency. Notable features of the plan include the addition of eight new Flash bus rapid transit (BRT) lines, four Ride On extRa lines, and 19 Ride On Flex zones to cover underserved areas. The Montgomery County Executive, Marc Elrich, emphasized the commitment to address the evolving transportation needs of the diverse community, aiming for a sustainable and inclusive future. The plan aims to accommodate the projected population and employment growth by 2050, with a focus on enhancing operational efficiency and job accessibility. The redesign will result in increasing job accessibility by 74% compared to the existing network, promoting equitable access to jobs and encouraging public transit use. Furthermore, the plan includes measures to enhance sustainability by converting 400 MCDOT Ride On buses to zero-emission models and adding a hydrogen charging station—making MCDOT the first on the East Coast to operate hydrogen-fueled buses. The redesign is set to improve services through increased frequency, expanded coverage to underserved areas, improved connectivity to Metro stations, and sustainability efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The community looks forward to the positive impacts of this transformative initiative.
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