What
amenities can passengers expect to find at Ride On bus shelters?
A
typical bus shelter is internally lit, has seating for up to 4 persons and has
a significantly larger waiting area than a typical bus stop. Shelters also have
larger trash cans. A select few shelters also have Realtime information screens
with some having on-call audio announcements of routes and arrival information
via a push button.
How
does Ride On select locations for bus shelters, and what factors are considered
in the process?
Locations
are typically selected based on average daily boardings (>50), and the needs
of vulnerable community members such as schools and senior residences. However,
location selections are dependent on the availability of sufficient public
right of way to allow for the larger footprint of a bus shelter and its related
amenities.
Can
you explain the process of creating new bus stops and shelters for areas that
currently lack them?
New
bus stops are usually driven by community activity and the availability of
sufficient public right of way to construct ADA-compliant access and waiting
areas for transit users. Typically rural areas may have greater distances
between bus stops, followed by suburbs, with urban areas likely to have bus
stops at each block to minimize the conflict between users and traffic. Ideally, bus stops are placed at intersections, before or after depending on turning
movements, close to street lighting and accessible by sidewalk. The primary
difference between siting of a regular bus stop verses a shelter is the space
available.
Are
there plans to expand the number of bus shelters in the area?
Since
the end of the County’s franchise agreement in 2019, the County has lost 24 bus
shelters which would be our first priority for replacement once funding became
available. The next plan would be to provide shelters across the educational
institutions that are currently without, followed by other locations on a
case-by-case basis. The current 490 shelters are approximately 11-15 years old
and will need to be replaced on a phased basis as many are beyond their useful
life and would exceed the cost of a new shelter to repair.
What’s
the significance of knee walls in bus shelter design, and how do they benefit
passengers?
Knee
walls are a creative solution to inadequate funding for bus stop furniture.
They serve the purpose of delineating the bus stop, protects users from a
change in grade behind the bus stop, and also provide an solid surface for
seating.
How does Ride On ensure the maintenance and cleanliness of bus shelters?
Ride On currently
has a maintenance contract for repairs and cleaning of the bus shelters on a
weekly basis, with monthly power washing, quarterly sanitization as well as
landscaping as needed. In addition, we also leverage another contractor to provide
trash collection at all the county-maintained bus shelters and numerous bus
stops.
Ride
On bus fare is only $1 and monthly passes
are $22.50 using SmarTrip, cash, or tokens. Seniors age 65 or older, persons with disabilities and youth ages 18 and under all ride free
using specialized SmartTrip cards.
Riders
can plan trips online using the free Ride On Trip Planner App.
For
the most up-to-date service information, riders should follow @RideOnMCT on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,
and YouTube. In addition, information is
available at rideonbus.com, by subscribing to receive email alerts, or
by texting MONTGOMERY RIDEON to 468311 to receive text alerts.
For
information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow
on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!”
newsletter.
