Politics & Government

Ride On Service Reduced to Address Budget Shortfall

Overcrowding could result from service reduction.

Ride On bus riders will experience more crowded busses and a reduction in service starting Sept. 5 to help address the Montgomery County's  $1 billion budget shortfall, according to Ride On Manager of Operations Planning Bill McLaughlin.

The original cuts were 7.5 percent and included full route eliminations, he said. But based on public input from a Feb. 1 public forum, the fiscal year 2011 county budget approved by the Montgomery County Council on May 27 avoided many of the initially proposed cuts. The result was a 2.3 percent reduction of all Ride On service with no full Ride On routes eliminations, McLaughlin said.

"Some people will choose not to ride," he said, addressing the crowding issue. "We aren't sure where that's going to occur, but we'll be monitoring closely. Still, we don't have a lot of leeway to make adjustments."

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This reduction comes the same weekend that Red Line Metro stops north of Fort Totten will be closed.

For Diron Offord, the reduction could cost him money.

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"I work in the city and have to take the bus," he said. "Because of this I might have to start taking cabs and my commute could be more expensive. There is a big difference in price between a bus and a cab."

But some residents aren't concerned.

"It's not a big deal for me," said Anthony Pickett. "I don't catch busses at rush hour."

Route segment eliminations will take effect on Routes 7, 22, 32, 33 and 43. Frequency reductions will take place on routes 1 (Saturday only), 15, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 34, 36, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 56, 57, 60, 61, 70, 83, 93, 97 and 100. Some shifts in trip times will occur on routes 31, 39, 41, 45, 51, 63 and T2.


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