MCDOT's Go Montgomery! Transportation Newsletter is Now Available! Oct. 7, 2021

 

THIS WEEKEND: MCDOT Announces Ride On Bus Schedule Changes to Increase Service and Improve Efficiency Ride On regularly assesses the need for service improvements and adjustments and makes changes when needed.  This includes 64 routes and extra trips will be added to 25 higher ridership routes, and service after midnight will be reinstated, for all routes which operated those hours prior to the COVID-19 health crisis.  Learn more here.  MCDOT and Partners Celebrate Walktober This Month to Promote Walking and Pedestrian Safety MCDOT has partnered with State and local governments across Maryland to celebrate the Seventh Annual “Walktober” program, a month-long series of activities in October to promote the State’s official exercise: walking. Maryland named walking as the official State exercise in October 2008.  MCDOT will host a series of outreach events throughout the County designed to highlight the importance of walking and to promote the pedestrian safety projects being done under the Vision Zero program to make walking in Montgomery County safe for people of all ages and abilities. See the calendar of planned events here. MCDOT Hosted Annual  Bus Roadeo for Ride On Bus Operators On Sept. 25, 19 bus operators competed for first, second and third place trophies at the Safety Training Academy in Gaithersburg. Guillermo Vasquez Diaz from the Gaithersburg depot won first place and will represent MCDOT at the American Public Transportation Association’s 2021 International Bus Roadeo Conference in Orlando, Florida next year. Gillermo has been a driver for Ride On for ten years. MCDOT is Hiring Bus Operators  Join the fun! We are currently hiring full time and substitute bus operators. The position offers paid training, a positive atmosphere and a full benefits package. Anyone 21 and over with a valid license is encouraged to apply. Learn more here. MCDOT Seeks Public Input by Nov. 1 for the Ride On Reimagined Bus Network Study Scope of Work The study will determine guiding principles for a comprehensive assessment of the bus network in the County. The study’s goal is to provide significant recommended changes to better serve transit users. As the County changes in population, demographics, employment centers and housing, a comprehensive evaluation of the system is needed. Learn more and share your feedback here. MCDOT Offers Free Taxi Service for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities  Select taxicab companies that operate in Montgomery County provide free roundtrip transportation for older adults and members of the disability community to COVID-19 vaccination and testing locations.  To schedule a free trip: Call Connect-A-Ride at 301-738-3252 and provide your name, address, phone number and age to receive a “Free COVID Taxi Code.” Then, call one of the Taxicab companies listed below to arrange your roundtrip transportation. You will be asked for the "Free COVID Taxi Code". At the end of your trip, the taxi driver will have you sign a voucher so MCDOT can reimburse them for the transportation. Drivers and riders must wear face coverings for the duration of the trip. Participating taxicab companies include: Action Taxi: 301-840-1000 Anytime Taxi 301-637-9292 Regency/Barwood Taxi: 301-990-9000 or 301-984-1900 MCDOT Offers Free COVID-19 Vaccination Ride On Shuttle Service to Pop-Up Vaccination Site in Gaithersburg MCDOT will provide a free Ride On shuttle service to support a pop-up vaccination site located at the Washington Square Apartments at 8343 Fairhaven Drive in Gaithersburg. On Wednesday, Oct. 27 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. A Ride On vaccination shuttle bus will provide a pick-up and drop-off service loop along Washington Grove Lane, from Towne Crest Drive to Mineral Springs Drive at the following bus stops:  Towne Crest Drive: Bus Stops 26962 and 26982 Fairhaven Court: Bus Stop 26980 Fairhaven Drive: Bus Stop 26964 Amity Drive: Bus Stops 26966 and 26978 Morning View Drive: Bus Stop 269684 Emory Grove Road: Bus Stop 26976 Shady Spring Drive: Bus Stop 26970 Mineral Springs Drive: Bus Stops 26972 and 26974 Walk-ups to the clinic are welcome and preregistration is available here. Riders can get trip planning information and real-time County bus information by downloading the free Ride On Real Time app on their mobile phone or visiting the website here. MCDOT Awarded $85,000 ‘Transit Within Reach’ Award to Increase Germantown MARC Station Accessibility This competitive award is for the preliminary engineering of the Walter Johnson Road Shared-Use Path Connection to the Germantown MARC Station. The award comes from the Transportation Planning Board's “Transit Within Reach” program. The project will complete the preliminary design for a new shared-use path to give people access from nearby residential and commercial areas a consistent, comfortable and direct connection to the Germantown MARC station. Learn more here. MCDOT's Wheaton Revitalization Project Wins ‘Best Sustainable Award’ from the Commercial Real Estate Development Association The Wheaton Revitalization Project, whose construction was overseen by MCDOT has been recognized with the “Best Sustainable Award” in the 19th Annual Awards of Excellence of the DC/MD Chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. The award recognizes the project for exemplifying environmentally responsible design. Learn more here. MCDOT Invites the Public to Oct. 14 Public Hearing on Proposed Abandonment on Holdridge Road in Silver Spring Learn more here. MCDOT Closes Portion of Clarksburg Road to All Traffic for Culvert Work Due to heavy rain, MCDOT has closed Clarksburg between Barnes Road and Prices Distillery Road in Clarksburg due to accelerating deterioration of a culvert spanning a branch of Bennett Creek.  The road will remain closed for an extended period while permanent repairs are made. Learn more here. Use Park Mobile App to Pay for Parking in Downtown Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton Scan this QR code to download the app. METRO WMATA and Capital Bikeshare Offer Free Bike Rides to Eligible Metro Customers Sign up for a mobile SmarTrip® card or transfer your physical card to Mobilepay by the end of the year and earn ten free 30-minute classic bike rides on any one of Capital Bikeshare's 5,000+ bikes across over 600 docking stations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Existing SmarTrip® mobile pay users can also get in on the deal. Learn more at wmata.com/CapitalBikeshareOffer. MCDOT has set up 90 stations throughout Montgomery County, view locations here. Metro Hits Highest Weekday Rail Ridership Mark Since Start of Pandemic The agency said numbers were influenced by strong midday and evening traveling. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, weekday Metrorail ridership surpassed 200,000 trips on Sept. 24, according to Metro. On July 4 — a Sunday — Metro reported that rail ridership topped 210,000 trips, the highest number since pre-pandemic levels. Learn more here. For department updates, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit the department website at montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot or sign up to receive the latest MCDOT news releases. October 7, 2021 THIS FRIDAY: MCDOT Asks Residents to Donate Unused Bikes During Oct. 8 Bike Drive in Rockville A bicycle donation event sponsored by MCDOT on Friday, Oct. 8, will provide bicycles for kids and adults in need. Bikes will be collected from 7 a.m.-2 p.m., outside of the Council Office Building parking garage at the corner of East Jefferson Street and Monroe Street in Rockville. Donated child and adult bikes will be accepted. The drive will not accept bike parts or bike helmets. Learn more here. MCDOT Celebrates Walk to School Day at Summit Hall Elementary School in Gaithersburg Despite the rain, MCDOT’s Director, Chris Conklin and Safe Routes to School staff celebrated “National Walk to School Day" with students and faculty from Summit Hall Elementary School. This national event takes place on the first Wednesday of every October to promote health and safer routes for students to walk and bike to school. View a video of the event here. MCDOT Hosts Adult Learn to Ride Bike Classes in November These popular classes are designed for adults aged 18 or older who have never ridden a bike before or who have not ridden for some time. Bicycles and bike helmets will be provided. Sign up now as the classes fill quickly. Classes: Nov. 6 - Cabin John Regional Park, Bethesda Nov. 13 - Upper County Rec Center, Gaithersburg Learn more here. MCDOT Continues to Sponsor Free E-Scooter Safety Training Classes for Individuals 18+ Participants can take a test ride, learn safety tips and get details on basic scooter laws. Drop by anytime during the two-hour class. No registration is required to attend. Participants must have a valid driver’s license.  Oct. 15 in Silver Spring Oct. 16 in Rockville Learn more here. Montgomery County Extends Free Bus Fare Until Jan. 1, 2022 Learn more here. Ride On Will Operate a Weekday Schedule on Oct. 11 for Indigenous  Peoples Day  Holiday View routes here. Many Thanks to the Residents Who Participated in Car Free Day MCDOT Commuter Services staff distributed registration cards for raffle prizes and giveaways to 400 residents who stopped by tables set up outside five transit centers. Have You Seen the New Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (Also Known as a HAWK Signal) at Spring Street and First Avenue in Silver Spring? MCDOT recently installed the hybrid beacons to make it safer to cross Spring Street by Woodside Park. The signal turns red for vehicles when a pedestrian pushes the button. MCDOT has also installed new pedestrian beacons on Bel Pre Road at Tynewick Drive, Weeping Willow Drive and at North Gate/ Astrodome Drive. Learn about how Hawk signals work here. Artist Chosen for the "Paint the Town" Mural  The Bethesda Urban Partnership and MCDOT have selected Megan Lewis as the artist to complete the mural on the front and right-hand side of the garage located at 8216 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The mural is to be completed by Nov. 15. Learn more here. MCDOT Sponsors Annual Walk & Ride Challenge Oct. 4-22 The Challenge is open to Transportation Management District employees working remotely or in-person.  Nearly 100 employer-based teams have registered and will compete against each other to log the most steps for weekly prizes and a grand prize at the end of the competition. Learn more here. Capital Bikeshare Celebrates 11th Birthday Capital Bikeshare celebrated it's birthday last month, hitting a milestone of 30 million rides. Learn how Bikeshare works here and view riding tips here. To report down tree limbs, potholes, storm drain issues, sidewalk damage and more, contact the MC311 Customer Service Center, dial 3-1-1, or visit montgomerycountymd.gov/ 311.

Go Montgomery is distributed by Montgomery County Government Department of Transportation.