Watch MCDOT's New Flash BRT Video
Click the image above to watch the video to learn how Flash BRT will transform Montgomery County.
Click the map below for a larger version.
What is Flash BRT?
Nationally, there is a movement towards upgraded bus systems that focus on faster, more convenient, and reliable bus services, known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. Corridors typically have dedicated bus lanes, as are planned along portions of each of Montgomery County’s routes. BRTs are known to have stations that are spread out more widely than typical bus routes and are implemented along heavily traveled roadways in metropolitan areas across the US and worldwide.
Flash is Montgomery County’s branded Bus Rapid Transit network. With more than 100 stops along a total of eight routes, Flash BRT will offer high frequency service to get people to their destination faster, and less expensively, than by car. The first Flash corridor opened in 2020 and currently operates on US 29 (Colesville Road/Old Columbia Pike). The US 29 Flash has 12 stops and operates between Downtown Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney and extends to Burtonsville during weekday rush hours. The US 29 Flash has been a popular option, ranking as one of the County's highest ridership routes.
Flash is easy to use since it travels up and down a single main street. It is designed to arrive every few minutes, has upgraded amenities, pre-boarding payment, priority traffic light signaling, and travels along dedicated bus lanes where possible. Flash also offers amenities such as level boarding for wheelchairs, strollers and bikes, easy-to-use bike racks, and free Wi-Fi and USB charging. Much like light rail, Flash buses stop at each of the state-of-the-art stations so there is no need to pull a chord.
Public transportation plays an important role in the daily lives of Montgomery County residents and visitors, providing access to work, schools, shopping, healthcare and more. Flash service fosters equitable communities by providing reliable mobility. It also boosts the local economy, provides sustainable transportation options, and supports a healthier, hassle-free lifestyle.
The County has a vision to expand the Flash network throughout the community with seven additional corridors and an extension of the US 29 Flash to Howard County next year, 2026. The Veirs Mill Flash project will be the next full corridor to be built out with construction starting later this year. 355 (Rockville Pike) and North Bethesda corridors will follow soon after. Please see the detailed updates on upcoming Flash BRT corridors below and keep an eye out for Flash project engagement opportunities.
Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Routes
Project Updates
 |
|
The Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT will be a 7.6-mile, limited-stop, branded bus service with twelve stations planned along Veirs Mill Road. The high-frequency service will operate between Rockville Pike (MD 355) at the Montgomery College Rockville Campus, with access to the Rockville Metrorail Station, and will extend along the full length of Veirs Mill Road (MD 586) to the Wheaton Metrorail station with stops in between.
The Veirs Mill Road corridor has some of the highest existing bus ridership volumes in Montgomery County and for that reason has long been considered for upgraded transit. This new service will improve transit travel time and increase opportunities for users, including a significant number of minority and low-income riders living along a highly congested corridor. The project will connect to high density housing and employment centers and both branches of the Metrorail Red Line.
Where possible, Veirs Mill Flash will run in its own lanes to bypass the existing traffic. Veirs Mill Flash will use queue jumps and traffic signal priority to avoid congestion at select intersections to provide faster and more reliable service.
The project is now in final design and will move into the construction phase this year.
The County has submitted a request for federal funding to support this project.
Sign up to receive Veirs Mill Flash updates here.
|
 |
|
The MD 355 Flash BRT (Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike/Frederick Road) will be a 24-mile transitway that will include approximately 11 miles of fully dedicated BRT lanes. The service, identified in the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan, will provide upgraded bus service along MD 355, bringing fast and reliable transit service in dedicated lanes, where feasible, to this busy corridor.
Once complete, the project will support growth and redevelopment at key activity centers along the corridor including in downtown Bethesda, North Bethesda, Rockville, and Gaithersburg.
The project team has issued the Progressive Design Build (PDB) Request for Proposal (RFP) and conducted a pre-bid meeting with interested PDB teams. Drafting of the PDB contract has been completed.
The PDB will be responsible for completing the design for the corridor and constructing the initial 11-mile Central Phase of the project between Montgomery College - Rockville Campus and the Germantown Transit Center using currently available funding. The Central Phase was accepted into Project Development under the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants New Starts Program.
In addition, the conceptual design for a Montgomery College, Rockville Campus Transit Center has been advanced, and a consultant has been selected to initiate design for a Lake Forest Transit Center to support the zero-emission buses needed for the Flash network.
Sign up to receive 355 Flash updates here.
|
 |
|
The North Bethesda Flash BRT was identified in the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan. At its eastern end, the North Bethesda Flash BRT will terminate at or near the North Bethesda Metrorail Station. At its western end, it will terminate at the transit center at Westfield Montgomery Mall.
The 1992 North Bethesda/Garrett Park Master Plan first recommended the creation of a high capacity and high-quality transit connection from the Westfield Montgomery Mall Transit Center through the Rock Spring office park to the Metrorail Red Line.
The project is in the build alternatives analysis (planning study) phase which is working to refine the Master Plan recommendation and determine station locations and corridor configuration.
Sign up to receive North Bethesda Flash updates here.
|
 |
|
The New Hampshire Avenue Flash BRT will be an 8.25-mile transitway, identified in the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan. This project will create a Flash BRT corridor along New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) between the Fort Totten Metrorail Station in the District of Columbia and the Colesville Park and Ride lot in Silver Spring.
New Hampshire Flash is currently in the planning phase where the major elements of the project will be defined.
The project is currently conducting a corridor study to select a locally preferred alternative. The study will refine the Master Plan recommendation and determine station locations, BRT lane configurations, stops, and ADA-accessibility features. An initial transit ridership analysis was completed using the STOPS model.
A hybrid alternative was identified that provides a combination of mixed traffic with additional exclusive transit lanes. MCDOT anticipates recommending a preferred alternative to the County Executive and County Council in Spring 2025.
Sign up to receive New Hampshire Flash updates here.
|
 |
|
The US 29 Flash BRT is currently operating along Colesville Road/Columbia Pike between Downtown Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney, with service to Burtonsville during weekday rush hours. MCDOT is in the process of completing preliminary engineering for US 29 Flash BRT Phase 2 improvements between Sligo Creek Parkway and Tech Road.
The Phase 2 project will add median bus lanes and relocate some existing Flash stations to improve travel time, reliability and enhance pedestrian and bicycle access.
Separate from the Phase 2 project, an extension of the north end of the US 29 Flash corridor into Howard County is in the final design stage and is expected to open in 2026. The extension will provide access to and from three of Howard County's existing employment centers along the US 29 corridor, the Maple Lawn Commercial District, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU APL) and Downtown Columbia.
Sign up to receive US 29 Flash Phase 2 improvement updates here.
|
Follow Us on Social Media
Follow @MCDOTNow on X, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram.
Look for Decorated Flash BRT Buses Around the Holidays
Spread the Love this February
Snap a picture of one of five decorated Flash buses and tag @MCDOTNow on X, Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram from Feb. 3 - 28 to be entered into a weekly drawing for a $25 gift card. Participants will be notified by direct message on Mondays for submissions posted by Friday at 5 p.m. the previous week. Be sure to follow @MCDOTNow so we can get in touch.
Flash Campaigns
US 29 Flash buses celebrate multiple holiday seasons including Monster Flash for Halloween, a decorated bus for the Thanksgiving parade and Flash Lights for the winter holiday season.
 |
