Ride On Flex is Open for Business!
New On-Demand Public Transit Service Launches Today in Rockville and Glenmont Wheaton Zones
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Councilmembers Sidney Katz and Hans Riemer and Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director Al Roshdieh joined other stakeholders this morning at Rockville Town Square to launch “ Ride On Flex,” the Washington region’s first on-demand public transit service.
After almost a year in development, MCDOT’s Flex pilot program will test residents’ receptivity to an innovative, low-cost service that can be requested through a mobile phone app powered by Via, a developer of on-demand, public mobility solutions. During the pilot program, Flex will provide corner-to-corner service in defined zones in the Rockville and Glenmont/Wheaton areas.
“Our goal for Flex is to reshape the way residents think about getting around in the served Glenmont/Wheaton and Rockville zones,” said MCDOT Director Roshdieh. “In Glenmont/Wheaton, we hope to see residents using Flex to fill first mile/last mile gaps in their daily commute. In Rockville, the service lends itself more toward daytime errands and trips. Residents’ experiences, and the feedback they provide on the different spans of service in the two zones, will help us gather vital information about how they use this new service and point us toward the direction of future growth.”
Traveling in a Flex Zone? Lucky You!
Ride On Flex is a new on demand transit service to help you get around in Rockville and Glenmont/Wheaton zones. If your trip starts and ends within a single serviced zone, Flex is a convenient new option for you. The 11-passenger Flex buses are wheelchair accessible and offer free WiFi.
Ride On Flex has no fixed stops or fixed schedules – it comes when you book a ride during regular service hours. Best of all, you pay only standard Ride On fare to ride Flex—no more than $2!
Flex:
- connects riders in the zones to transit hubs, commercial centers, public services—and home.
- uses mobile app-based booking for all rides through the Ride On Flex app.
- features brand-new 11 passenger buses with wheelchair accessibility and free WiFi.
- accepts reservations only for same-day, on demand service—you are offered the next available time.
- accepts ride requests to and from any location within the serviced zone.
- takes only cash and SmarTrip® cards, passes and tokens.
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Where can you find Flex at the Metro?
Flex stops at three Metro stations in the served zones.
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Flex will operate Monday through Friday in the Rockville zone from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and in the Glenmont/Wheaton zone during peak periods (6-9 a.m. and 3:30-7 p.m.). The zones offer connections between households, transit hubs, commercial centers and public services.
- You must load cash or fare on your SmartTrip card beforeboarding.
- Standard Ride On fare policy applies to Flex.
- The bus operator will ask for your name on boarding.
- The bus operator will wait one minute after arrival at your pickup location.
- No fixed bus stops with bus shelters. Boarding will be at designated corners (curb to curb service for wheelchairs).
- No fixed schedule. Flex comes when you book a ride!
- No-show riders will have their registrations suspended after three no-shows.
- No advance reservations. Bookings can be made only for same-day, on demand service.
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