The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Ride On Trip Planner is celebrating its first anniversary and has already enabled over one million public transit trips. Launching in summer 2023, the app is designed to make public transit planning easier and more convenient.
According to MCDOT: “Ride On Trip Planner enables trip planning using multiple modes of transportation, including Montgomery County Ride On buses, Metrorail and Metrobuses, electric scooters, and bikeshare. Additionally, the app provides live reports on wait times and ridership for Ride On buses via a crowdsourced information feature.
“We are building a transportation network that includes faster and more frequent bus service, including express bus routes. If we make our public transit system more manageable, we will increase ridership,” said County Executive Elrich. “Public transit is good for the environment and good for health. It eliminates the need to search for parking and sit in traffic. We have begun to implement dedicated lanes and traffic light priorities, which makes travel more efficient.”
The app allows residents to compare routes and compare estimated travel times and costs for suggested routes. It also offers features to guide riders on their chosen route, including “first mile” and “last mile” directions to a selected bus stop and push notifications to their mobile device when it is time to get off the bus.
The app was developed as a pilot project in collaboration with Moovit, a mobility and travel application provider. Passengers can download the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. A web-based version of the app is also available.
“We’ve seen a steady increase in ridership on Ride On buses and are currently at 89 percent of pre-pandemic ridership levels,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Last month, we saw a 27 percent increase year over year, carrying an average of 67,000 riders per day on weekdays. We’re working to revolutionize public transportation in Montgomery County with faster, more frequent bus service. If you haven’t taken the bus recently, I encourage you to download the Ride On trip planner app and give it a try. With Wi-Fi and bike racks, our buses provide a hassle-free way to get around.”
MCDOT recently completed a comprehensive reassessment of the Ride On transit network. Ride On Reimagined proposes updated routes and bus services to improve and upgrade the county’s transit system with more frequent and reliable service, better inter-county connections, and more flexible service. MCDOT has advanced a number of initiatives to support the program, including the Flash Bus Rapid Transit Network, the Ride On extRa fast-stop express line, and an expansion of Flex, an on-demand bus service. MCDOT has also taken steps to improve the speed and reliability of bus service through the Bus Priority Project by adding red bus lanes and prioritizing traffic signals at intersections.
Learn more about the Ride On Trip Planner or download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. A web-based version of the app is also available.
For the latest service information please follow @RideOnMCT on XFacebook, Instagram and YouTube. Additionally, information is available at rideonbus.com by signing up to receive email alerts or texting MONTGOMERY RIDEON to 468311 to receive SMS alerts.
For information about MCDOT programs and services, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot. Follow @MCDOTNow on XFacebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.”
