'Ride On' Route Changes Topic Of Upcoming Public Forums

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Montgomery County residents will have the chance to comment on a series of proposed changes to the Ride On bus service at three public forums presented by Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Division of Transit Services in March.

The Division of Transit Services coordinates transit operations in Montgomery County to bring residents 343 Ride On buses and 79 current routes. Ride On provides almost 30 million trips per year and is designed to complement the service provided by the other transit providers in the County.

There will be three public forums regarding proposed service changes on six Ride On routes, according to a press release.

These changes will affect Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Clarksburg and Germantown the most.

Ride On is looking to bring changes to:

• Route 31: Proposal to divert current route to serve the Poplar Run community and terminate at Glenmont station (Silver Spring)
• Route 33: Proposal to divert current route to serve the Connecticut Avenue Estates community, with direct connection to local schools and Glenmont Station (Silver Spring)
• Route 58: Proposal to divert current route to serve the new Multi-Agency Service Park during morning and evening peak periods (Gaithersburg)
• Route 73: (new service) Proposal to serve new Cabin Branch communities near the Clarksburg Premium Outlets and the community along W. Old Baltimore Road. Gateway Center Business Park will also be served by Ride On Route 73 (currently served by Route 75) (Clarksburg)
• Route 75: Proposal to divert current route to serve Snowden Farm Parkway and Little Seneca Parkway with weekday trips to and from Clarksburg High School, avoiding duplication of service while connecting the most developed area of Clarksburg to Germantown and Clarksburg Premium Outlets (Germantown)
• Route 79: Proposal to shift the routing to Snowden Farm Parkway, New Cut Road, and Little Seneca Parkway to better serve the densest areas of Clarksburg (Clarksburg)

More information about proposed route changes is available here.

The forums will be held at the following dates, times and locations:

• Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 7 p.m. (Connecticut Avenue Estates Community) Highland Elementary School (All-Purpose Room - Cafeteria), 3100 Medway Street, Silver Spring
• Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. (Cabin Branch/Clarksburg Communities) Clarksburg at Rocky Hill Middle School, 22401 Brick Haven Way, Clarksburg
• Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. (Poplar Run Community)

Each resident will have three minutes to speak if they have submitted a request to speak at the forum in advance. The forums will end after the last registered speaker.

Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to speak at the public forum are requested to provide in writing their name, home address, telephone number, email address and organization to the Division of Transit Services, Ride On Public Forum, 101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850 or to mcdot.rideonpublicforums@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Those wishing to speak must provide such information no later than three days before the forum. Those who have signed up to speak must bring two printed copies of their testimony for the record.

Sign and non-English language translation services will be provided upon request by emailing mcdot.rideonpublicforums@montgomerycountymd.gov no later than three days before the forum.

Additionally, comments may be submitted in writing, by email, or by fax by March 16, 2017 to:

• Division of Transit Services, Ride On Public Forum, 101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850 (Phone: 240-777-5800)
• rideonpublicforums@montgomerycountymd.gov
• Fax: 240-777-5801

Photo: Ride On Bus/Twitter