A majority of riders also specifically identified more frequent service as a higher priority for them than shorter distances to bus stops: "When given the choice, most prefer shorter waits between buses more than they want shorter walks to the bus stop." For this reason and according to Ride On Reimagined's own survey data we believe that frequent bus service should be a higher priority than on-demand (Flex) service. Plans for future bus service should reflect the fact that a majority of riders have identified frequency as their top priority.

"And this is something that we’ve been working with WMATA on.” Carrie Kisicki, Montgomery Advocacy Manager, at the Coalition for Smarter Growth, mentioned two important routes in the draft plan, 170a from Bethesda to Germantown, and 102a from Silver Spring to Germantown, with connections to White Oak and Aspen Hill. “The Express routes will be run 7 days a week at high enough frequencies to provide truly useful upcounty-downcounty connections,” she explained, providing service to areas with great need.

The Ride On Reimagined study is a comprehensive, forward-looking assessment of our county's bus network intended to guide the future development of our transit system.

Weigh in to tell Ride On that frequency must be a priority for high-quality bus service that gets people where they want to go, and share your thoughts on other proposed changes!

As a member of the statewide Transform Maryland Transportation Coalition (TMTC), we ask MDOT to flex 50% of the federal funds, as allowed by federal law, from the Surface Transportation Block Grant and National Highway Performance Program formulas towards needed investments in eligible transit, safer streets, bicycle, and pedestrian projects, and transit vehicle electrification.