Dear Secretary Wiedefeld, GM Clarke, County Executive Elrich, Council President Stewart, and Director Conklin:
The undersigned organizations representing the Montgomery County Better Buses Coalition are writing regarding the MD-97 (Georgia Ave.) dedicated bus lane proposal. We are encouraged by the success of the pilot project and ask you to make the dedicated lanes permanent.
In addition to measures already in place, we ask that you consider the following measures to ensure transit alternatives are fully utilized and operate smoothly during the closure.
We are excited about plans for tactical bus lanes on Georgia Avenue in Montgomery County, and Silver Hill Road in Prince George’s County. These projects are collaborations between the State Highway Administration, WMATA, and each county’s Department of Transportation. They reflect a shared commitment to providing better transit service to those who depend on it, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by attracting new riders.
Join us for a webinar on November 8 to learn more about the Ride On Reimagined draft network, and how you can share your thoughts on proposed changes!
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!
The Montgomery Better Buses coalition members and other signatories are excited about the upcoming Ride On Reimagined Study and its potential to greatly improve bus service in Montgomery County.
“A lot of the job growth that we’ve seen is in the Great Seneca Science Corridor” is car-dependent, “so bringing better transit will help guide that growth in a direction that is more transit oriented.”
CSG won Montgomery County’s 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Plan, which envisioned a new Flash bus rapid transit (BRT) system along major roadways. We’ve advocated to implement the plan ever since, and this past month we won actual construction funding for BRT on Veirs Mill Road and MD-355 between Germantown and Rockville! These, along with other routes, are moving forward with planning, design, and construction.
BRT is a higher quality bus service that operates more frequently; has limited stops; runs in a dedicated bus-only median or curb lane; and offers features like all-door boarding, wi-fi, and off-board fare collection. Montgomery’s first Flash route opened along US-29, although it doesn’t have dedicated bus lanes (working on that!).
See below for many, many opportunity to get involved and provide input on the upcoming BRT projects! When providing input, we’d urge you to share the following:
MD-355 (Rockville Pike)
The MD-355 will connect Clarksburg, Gaithersburg, Rockville, North Bethesda, and Bethesda. The project is in the preliminary engineering phase and seeking feedback. Residents from anywhere in the county can take the feedback survey.
Visit the MD-355 BRT project website
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New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Avenue BRT would connect Colesville, White Oak, Adelphi, Silver Spring, and other communities along the corridor. This route is in the study stages, and they need community feedback on station locations and other features. Register for the online meeting, and/or arrive anytime during the open house hours!
Visit the New Hampshire Ave BRT project website
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North Bethesda Transitway
The North Bethesda Transitway will connect the Montgomery Mall Transit Center to either the White Flint or Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station. The county want your input on the termini point and stop locations. Register for the June 9 or June 21 online open house, or attend the June 13 in-person open house.
Visit the North Bethesda BRT project website
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Ride On bus fares in Montgomery County have been free since March 2020 and the Montgomery Better Buses coalition, organized by the Coalition for Smarter Growth, has won an extension of free fares four times. Right now, fares will stay free until June 2022. But we’d like to see free fares extended until at least October 2023, when the county’s study to redesign Ride On and Metrobus routes will be complete.
The Montgomery Better Buses coalition strongly urges you to support bus riders and transit workers in the FY23 operating budget, FY23 capital budget, and FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Our coalition consists of nearly 30 groups, including labor, climate and transit advocates, service providers, and community organizations.