MCDOT Receives Three National Association of Counties (NACo) Awards
MCDOT received three achievement awards for 2024 in the categories of Transportation, Community and Economic Development, and Personnel Management, Employment and Training.
NACo Awards are an annual recognition program that honors outstanding county government programs and services.
- Dedicated Bus Lanes Project:
The University Boulevard dedicated bus lane project added more than two miles of dedicated bus lanes along one of the area’s busiest and most congested corridors.
- Maximizing Underutilized Public Parking by Partnering with Long-Term Lease:
Changes in the economic landscape in the Bethesda Parking Lot District (PLD) resulted in underutilized parking facilities. MCDOT was able to enter into a long-term parking lease agreement that allowed the Woodmont Corner Public Parking Garage 11 to be available during business hours for lease customers while remaining publicly available after business hours.
- Problem Solving Committees:
MCDOT Transit Services' high staff turnover, particularly among bus operators, was attributed to low morale rather than wage disparities. To address this, Transit Services and the Innovation Team established problem-solving committees. These committees aimed to decentralize decision-making and empower staff by giving them a voice in leadership choices.
MCDOT Offers Relief This Summer
During Heat Emergency Alerts multiple Ride On buses provide water for passengers and offer a place to cool off when cooling centers are crowded or during outdoor events.
A Heat Emergency Alert is declared when the temperature or heat index is forecast to be 105 degrees or higher.
County facilities, including libraries, swimming pools, recreation centers and senior centers are places to cool off during normal operating hours. Public locations such as indoor malls and movie theaters can also be utilized, including riding a Ride On bus.
During the alert, MCDOT provides free bottled water on Ride On, extRa, Flex and Flash buses for passengers.
For more information on heat emergency and hot weather safety tips click here.
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Montgomery County's Ride On Flex Celebrates Five Years of Convenience,
Reliability and Ease of Use
MCDOT’s Ride On Flex on-demand transit service is celebrating five years of helping riders get around Rockville and Glenmont/Wheaton. The simple and convenient bus service is hailed for its ease of use and reliability. With just a tap on your phone, the Flex gets you where you need to go in the Wheaton and Rockville area quickly and comfortably.
MCDOT thanks riders for their support and look forward to many more years of service. Watch this video to learn how to use the Ride On Flex bus.
Download the Ride On Flex app for free from the Apple or Google app store.
Ride On staff wish Flex a Happy Anniversary online here.
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Did You See MCDOT’s ‘Ride with Pride' Bus Last Month?
MCDOT unveiled the “Ride with Pride” themed Ride On bus to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its allies during June, which is recognized as Pride Month. Wrapped with the Intersex Progress Pride Flag, adorned with “Ride with Pride” messaging and neon lights to stand out at night, the Ride On bus was dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQ+ voices, culture and civil rights.
In addition to the Pride Bus, each MCDOT Ride On bus had internal #RidewithPride poster displays with a QR code directing riders to a web page with information about the historical and cultural significance of Pride Month.
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It’s a Wrap – MCDOT’s Adult Bike and Scooter Spring Classes Were a
Success
MCDOT sponsored eight adult bike classes, and most sessions were sold out. With 157 registrants, most attendees were able to ride a bike by the end of the class. The classes offered residents an affordable way to include biking as another form of transportation.
Additionally, MCDOT hosted three e-scooter safety classes. Over 40 residents learned how to download the vendor apps to rent and operate an e-scooter and take a test ride. They also learned about local e-scooter laws and general safety information.
MCDOT has contracts with Bird, Lime, and Spin who operate within certain areas in Montgomery County and participated in one or more of the four training classes.
Additional e-scooter and bike classes will be offered later this year. For updates, check the website or follow @MCDOTNow on social media.
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MCDOT Educates County Residents About Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons
MCDOT is continuing its expansion of traffic signals and protected crossings by installing new pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB) to provide safer options for walking and biking. More than 50 PHBs have been installed since 2018, when the county’s first Vision Zero Action Plan was adopted.
PHBs are an attractive and cost-effective option to meet pedestrian safety needs at mid-block crossings or where the traffic volume is too low to warrant a continuously cycling traffic signal. These traffic safety devices are pedestrian activated and help protect bicyclists and pedestrians by stopping traffic.
The pedestrian safety team is conducting outreach at locations near PHBs, such as grocery stores, community centers, and residential communities, to educate people about how to use these devices to cross the road safely and alert drivers to slow down.
Watch this short video to learn more about how PHBs work. You can also view the PHB locations online here.
View photos from recent Giant Food outreach events:
TONIGHT: MCDOT
Invites Public to Newell Street Shared Street In-Person Community Meeting on Thursday, July 11
MCDOT will host an
in-person community meeting to present potential alternatives and get feedback on the future of Newell Street between Kennett Street and East-West Highway in Silver Spring. In 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the block of the street between Kennett Street and East-West Highway, adjacent to Acorn Park, was closed to vehicle traffic and used to create additional outdoor space to support safe social distancing. The street has since been reopened to vehicle traffic. MCDOT is conducting a facility planning study to examine the future of this portion of Newell Street.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring's Health Sciences Center, Room 122 located at 7977 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. Public feedback will help MCDOT determine which version of the street to consider for design. All information provided will become a matter of public record.
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Virtual Public Hearing on the
Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 2 in Bethesda to be Held on Tuesday, July 16
On Tuesday, July 16, starting at 6:30 p.m., MCDOT will present project details, costs, and schedules as well as obtain public testimony and answer questions.
This separated two-way bike lane along the northern side of Bethesda Avenue is between Woodmont Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue/MD 355. East of Wisconsin Avenue, the two-way separated bike lane will continue along the southern side of Willow Lane to 47th Street. A shared-use path is planned along the Elm Street Park’s 47th Street frontage.
Online registration is required to attend. The public is encouraged to visit the project website and provide feedback via the online comment form. All information provided will become a matter of public record.
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Public Can Provide Feedback on Proposed Changes to Ride On Bus Routes 43, 63, and 66 Through Friday, July 12
MCDOT is proposing to change Ride On bus routes 43, 63, and 66 to provide more efficient service for the new Ride On extRa Lime and Pink routes, a high-frequency service coming to the Great Seneca area on Sunday, Sept. 8.
The public has until 5 p.m. on Friday, July 12 to provide feedback either by mail to Division of Transit Services, Ride On Public Forum, 101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Rockville, Maryland 20850, by fax at 240-777-5801 or by email to mcdot.rideonpublicforums@
montgomerycountymd.gov. All information provided will become a matter of public record.
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MCDOT’s Shady Grove Road Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Improvement Feasibility Study Through Tuesday, July 23
Areas along this corridor have been identified in the Montgomery County Vision Zero plan as dangerous with multiple collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians. Vision Zero aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2030. The study will review existing conditions, such as traffic volumes, crash data, and review planned improvements to address pedestrian and cyclist safety along Shady Grove Road between Darnestown Road and Midcounty Highway in Rockville.
Learn more on the project website and more background and visuals regarding the project scope can be found online here.
The public can submit their feedback online here. Any information provided will become a matter of public record.
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MCDOT to Host Pop-Up Events to Promote New Great Seneca Transit
Network Bus Routes Coming This Fall
In September, MCDOT will introduce the Ride On extRa Lime and Pink Routes, a high-frequency service featuring two routes between the Shady Grove Metro Station and the Universities at Shady Grove. Both routes will stop at the Great Seneca Life Sciences Center. The service will continue with regular Ride On fares and benefit from traffic signal priority, ensuring that traffic lights stay green as buses approach for faster service. The new routes will connect to 30% of the transit network, including MTA buses, Metrobus, Metrorail, and 26 Ride On routes. This is phase 1 of a larger plan to expand public transit in the area
MCDOT has hosted pop up events the past few weeks where residents can stop by to learn more and receive giveaways.
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SAVE THE DATE: MCDOT Sponsors Annual Bike Drive on Friday, October 11
Do you have an extra
bicycle you no longer need? This bike collection drive, in honor of October's community service month, will provide bicycles for kids and adults in need.
MCDOT staff will collect donated child and adult bikes and parts (no bike helmets) between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. outside the Council Office Building parking garage, which is located at the corner of East Jefferson Street and Monroe Street in Rockville.
Donations will go to the Rockville Bike Hub, a non-profit organization whose volunteers refurbish the bikes and give them to low-income residents throughout the County, through Rockville's Terrific Kids, Bikes For The World and MCDOT's Bike Match MoCo programs.
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DID YOU KNOW?
MCDOT Offers Advertising in Select Public Garages in
Bethesda and Silver Spring
With the establishment of advertising opportunities in select Bethesda and Silver Spring parking garages, businesses have a new way of communicating with thousands of customers.
The following select parking facilities allow advertising space:
- Woodmont Corner Garage 11, 7730 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda
- Bethesda - Elm Garage 57, 4841 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda
- Cameron-Second Garage 7, 8700 Cameron Street, Silver Spring
- Wayne Avenue Garage 60, 920 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring
- Town Square Garage 61, 801 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring
View rates here. For questions or comments email ParkingGarageAds@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Tree Friends United Receives Award for Removing Vines Smothering Montgomery County Trees
Congratulations to Tree Friends United and Conservation Montgomery, who were honored with conservation awards from the Maryland General Assembly and Montgomery County Civic Federation for clearing invasive plants to save trees in Montgomery County.
Tree Friends United is a group of citizens concerned with the
accelerating spread of invasive species overwhelming our parklands, roads, and neighborhoods. They assist in removing vines, smothering trees, and other invasive species in Montgomery County. For questions and to join their mailing list, email avanti7700@verizon.net.
If see vines taking over a tree in the county right-of-way, contact MC311 for assistance with removal.
Did You Know? MCDOT arborists maintain over 250,000 trees in the dedicated county right of way and another 200,000 in rural areas. Any tree growing in a street right-of-way is a county-owned tree. Learn more here.
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Attention Residents 50+, Get Comfortable with Traveling on Public Transit with a Free Travel Training Workshop on Wednesday, July 17
Ride Smart Travel Training is a free half-day workshop from JCA Connect-A-Ride program designed to help Montgomery County residents aged 50+ gain confidence taking Metrorail and other public transportation.
Participants learn how to read the Metro map, understand digital schedule signs, load a fare card, and quickly find a station’s emergency and accessibility features. Travel Training includes classroom training; a trip on a Ride On bus; a visit to a Metro station; and a roundtrip train ride.
The class will be held at the Rockville Senior Center located at 1150 Carnation Drive. Advance registration is required, and walk-ins are not allowed. Call 301-738-3252 or email connectaride@accessjca.org to learn more and register.
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Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)
Capital Crescent Trail is
Projected to Reopen a Year Early
The Capital Crescent Trail is
projected to reopen between
Bethesda and Silver Spring in spring 2026, a year earlier than expected.
The 11-mile trail, which runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring, has been partially closed since 2017 as part of the state’s Purple Line light-rail construction project.
The Purple Line website says the completed trail will include trail bridges over Connecticut Avenue and Colesville Road, and
underpasses at Jones Mill Road, 16th Street, and Spring Street; making a safer trail for the public. Learn more here.
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Pass a Stopped DC School Bus with Its Stop-Arm Activated? Prepare for $500 Fine
D.C.’s Department of
Transportation and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) said ticketing for the Stop-Arm Safety Program charges drivers $500 who don’t slow down when school buses are stopped.
This move follows a 45-day warning period, which launched April 29, when drivers who were caught illegally passing a stopped bus with its stop-arm activated received only a warning. D.C. placed stop-arm cameras on 25 school buses maintained by OSSE, with a fleet that includes over 600 buses. Read the WTOP article here.
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Service During Partial
Summer Red Line Closure
Metro has adjusted its free shuttle bus service to improve travel times and reduce bus
congestion at the Silver Spring Transit Center. On Monday, July 1, the Red Line Limited 2 shuttle loop was replaced by two more efficient express shuttle loops:
-The Forest Glen Express will operate between Forest Glen and Fort Totten.
-The Silver Spring Express will operate between Silver Spring and Fort Totten.
Show Your SmarTrip® Card or App at These Downtown Silver Spring Shops & Eateries for Summer Shutdown Deals
View stores here.
Metro Rolls Out Fare Charts in Spanish at All Stations
The signs feature the fare rates for all Metro stations, advertise adding SmarTrip® cards to riders’ mobile wallets and explain who might be eligible for reduced fare rates. Learn more here.
Metro Asking Bicyclists to Weigh in on New Bike Parking Options Before Installation Later This Year
Bicyclists can try out and provide in-person feedback on the options from multiple vendors that include standard and oversized bike lockers and different types of self-locking bicycle racks. New bicycle parking upgrades will start later this year and are expected to take several years to complete. Learn more here.
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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.
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