 ‘Heads Up, Phones Down’ Montgomery County Teen Video Contest Winners AnnouncedHigh school students across Montgomery County have a message for their peers: “Put those phones away when driving or walking.” That theme was emphasized as MCDOT announced the winners of its 2024 “Heads Up, Phones Down” video contest. Anjolaoluwa Adeleke of Walter Johnson High School was the grand prize individual winner. Erol Kalayoglu, Zachary Carter and Ian Ha of Montgomery Blair High School took the grand prize in the team category. The MCDOT Pedestrian Safety team visited the schools of the grand prize winners on Friday to surprise the creators of the top entries with prizes, balloons and fanfare. The contest asked students to produce videos encouraging peers to not allow cell phones to distract them while driving and walking. The contest received 200 video entries. The County contest was open to Montgomery public and private high school students. Entries were submitted either individually or as a group of up to four in English or Spanish. |
 Congressman Jamie Raskin County recognizes the Heads Up, Phones Down contest winners as Local Heros on Friday, April 5. Click the photo above to watch and see the winning videos.  MCDOT Wants Your Input On Expanding Microtransit Service in the CountyRide On Flex service, currently operating in Wheaton/Glenmont and Downtown Rockville, allows users to request a vehicle to pick them up and drop them off within a specified zone. Expected wait times range between 10 to 20 minutes. Riders with disabilities are picked up at their homes and others at the nearest intersection. Flex connects to regional transit hubs and provides local connectivity for short trips. Fare is $1, as are all County buses. MCDOT is seeking to expand the Ride On Flex on-demand bus service to Germantown, Poolesville, Aspen Hill, and other areas. The County is asking residents to fill out this survey to provide feedback on the Ride On Flex service and expansion. The survey will be available until Friday, April 12.  Ride On Bus Schedule Changes Coming, Sunday, May 5MCDOT will adjust seven Ride On bus route schedules on Sunday, May 5, to improve efficiency and on-time performance. Although service levels are staying relatively the same, the changes reflect a shift of resources to allow for more reliable service where there is higher demand. The new schedules are available online at rideonbus.com and in print. |
 Montgomery County to Sponsor Eight Pit Stops During ‘Bike to Work Day’ on Friday, May 17MCDOT will sponsor eight pit stops throughout the County as part of the Washington region’s participation in “National Bike to Work Day” on Friday, May 17. This year’s pit stops will include a new stop in Germantown at the BlackRock Center for the Arts. The free pit stop events offer refreshments, music and local vendor displays at varying times throughout the morning of May 17. There will be free raffle prizes and a grand prize raffle of at least one new bike at each of the MCDOT-sponsored pit stops. Residents biking to work, as well as leisure riders, are encouraged to participate. Registration is encouraged. The first 15,000 bicyclists to register and participate will get a free t-shirt and will be automatically entered into a raffle for a chance to win a new bike. Bike to Work Day is held annually across the nation on the third Friday of May to celebrate bicycling as a fun, healthy and climate-friendly way to get to work. In addition to the eight pit stops sponsored by MCDOT, there will be an additional eight Bike to Work Day pit stops at additional locations in the County operated by other organizations. Participants should visit the Find Your Pit Stop Map to check pitstop locations and times and plan a route in advance. MCDOT-sponsored pit stops will be at the following locations: - Downtown Bethesda at Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues, Bethesda. 6:30-8:30 a.m.
- Friendship Heights at the Shops at Wisconsin and Western Avenues, Chevy Chase. 6:30-9 a.m.
- Germantown, BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown. 7:30-9:30 a.m.
- North Bethesda at Pike and Rose, west of 935 Prose St. (next to Bark Social), North Bethesda. 6:30-8:30 a.m.
- Rockville, Fallsgrove at Thomas Farm Community Center, 700 Falls Grove Dr., Rockville. 6:30-9 a.m.
- Rockville Town Square at Dawson’s Market, 225 N. Washington St., Rockville. 6:30-9 a.m.
- Silver Spring Downtown at Veterans Plaza, Ellsworth Dr. and Fenton St., Silver Spring. 6:30-9 a.m.
- Downtown Wheaton at Marian Fryer Town Plaza (next to the Wheaton Metro), Wheaton. 7-9 a.m.
Other pitstops within Montgomery County will include: - Gaithersburg-Kentlands, Main Street Pavilion, 301 Main St., Gaithersburg. 7-9 a.m.
- Gaithersburg Olde Towne Plaza (afternoon), 1 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg. 4-6 p.m.
- National Institutes of Health, Building 1, 1 Center Dr., Bethesda. 7-9:30 a.m.
- Rockville at Twinbrook, 5625 Fishers Ln., Rockville. 7-9 a.m.
- Takoma Park – Downtown/Old Takoma, 7216 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park. 6:30-9 a.m.
- Takoma Park – Langley Crossroads, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Takoma Park. 6:30-9 a.m.
- Takoma Park – Sligo Creek Trail, at New Hampshire Ave., Takoma Park. 7-9:30 a.m.
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 MCDOT Congratulates Employee Henry Bata, Recognized as Soldier of the YearMCDOT congratulates employee, Henry Bata. Bata is a member of the Maryland Defense Force and was recognized as Soldier of the Year and received a Challenge Coin for excellence in leadership. He currently works for MCDOT's Parking Division and was a former bus operator for Ride On. "I am who I am today because of my past supervisors and mentors at Ride On," said Bata. "I am so grateful. I know the County well from driving for Ride On and I'm committed to taking care of the people of Montgomery County". Bata has worked at MCDOT for nine years and joined the Maryland Defense Force last year. He will be officially recognized in a ceremony this month. “Mr. Bata’s accomplishments really speak to the hardworking and dynamic workforce we employ,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “This honor is well deserved. We are grateful for Mr. Bata’s service to Maryland and the residents of Montgomery County.” |
 MCDOT Wins ‘Excellence in Paving Award’ from Maryland Asphalt AssociationMCDOT’s Highway Services Division employee Nicholas Boone has received the Maryland Asphalt Association “Excellence in Paving Award” at the 60th Annual Paving Conference. The award, which was presented on March 13, recognized Mr. Boone as the project manager for Montgomery County’s Rock Creek Terrace Subdivision project. MCDOT manages the County’s paving program, maintaining 5,200 miles of roadway. Mr. Boone has worked as an MCDOT Highway Services project manager and inspector for 18 years, supervising about 10 projects annually. He was recognized for ensuring staff followed best practices for asphalt construction on roadways. Boone’s project, the Rock Creek Terrace Subdivision, was recognized for its example of paving staff practicing high standards of safety and workmanship. |
 Montgomery County Celebrates April as ‘Earth Month’ with Countywide Activities and EventsThe Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is celebrating April as “Earth Month” with activities and events aimed at taking action and fostering environmental awareness and stewardship across our community.  MCDOT Offers Adult Bike and E-Scooter Classes in April, May and JuneThe classes will include Learn to Ride and Basic Skills classes. MCDOT also will offer four free, walk-up electric scooter classes following select bike classes. Advance registration is required to participate in the bicycle classes, with a cost of $10 for Montgomery County residents. There is no charge for Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) or Capital Bikeshare For All members. However, registration is still required. Bicycles and helmets will be provided at no charge for the adult Learn to Ride class participants and can be rented from WABA, if needed, for the Basic Skills class participants. E-scooter classes are free of charge. The classes are open to residents 18 and over, are limited to 25 people and fill up quickly. Learn more and view class information online here. |
 MCDOT Begins Spring Cleaning of Montgomery County Public Parking Garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and WheatonOn Monday, April 8, MCDOT began its semi-annual interior washdown to degrease and clean 21 County-owned parking garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton on nights and weekends. The cleanings started in the Bethesda garages and are scheduled to conclude in Silver Spring on Saturday, June 1. The full schedule of garage cleanings can be viewed here. |
 An In-Person Public Information Meeting Will be Held on the Norwood Road Shared Use Path Project in Silver Spring on Tuesday, April 16On Tuesday, April 16, starting at 6:30 p.m., MCDOT will hold an in-person public information meeting to discuss the project details of the Norwood Road Shared Use Path Project in Silver Spring. The meeting will be held in the Cafeteria of the James Hubert Blake High School located at 300 Norwood Road in Silver Spring. The public is encouraged to visit the project website and provide feedback via the online comment. All information provided, including questions and comments, will become a matter of public record. |
 Metro Red Line to Shut Down from June Through AugustThe Red Line will be closed between Glenmont and Takoma from Saturday, June 1, through Saturday, August 31, 2024. The closure will extend to Fort Totten through Saturday, June 29. Learn more on WMATA’s website here. |
 For more information on MCDOT programs and services, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot and subscribe to receive the latest MCDOT news to your mobile phone or email inbox. |
