A depot for county buses in Silver Spring is irksome to some neighbors and may be violating the county's own rules.
The constant hum of Ride On buses idling—powered on, but not driving anywhere—is just plain annoying to some of the Silver Spring residents who live near the county's vehicle depot, a special report from WTOP claims. Furthermore, the buses may be idling too often and for too long, in violation of the county's own rules about minimizing bus idling that may emit noxious fumes. County rules say buses shouldn't be left on for more than three minutes. A reporter with WTOP took video and observed the buses routinely being left on for longer than the mandated time limit. (Watch the video, here.) Montgomery County officials responded to the report Thursday with a statement claiming that the buses have to be turned on for any number of …
Metro is aiming to give two hours advance warning should bus service be suspended.
Metro is operating on a normal weekday schedule Wednesday as the Washington region braces for a potentially major snowstorm. MetroAccess service and certain Metro commuter bus routes have been canceled, however, and Ride On buses are experiencing delays. Metrorail customers are advised to plan extra time for their commute. “You may encounter minor delays due to snow and ice clearing efforts, as equipment that removes snow and ice from the third rail operates between regularly scheduled trains,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a statement. Some Metrobus routes may be detoured and bus service may be reduced or suspended as conditions deteriorate, Metro said. Metro is aiming to notify Metrobus riders two hours in …
The T&E committee also will take up Leggett's $13.9 million request to replace 60 Champion buses taken off the roads following fire safety concerns.
Improved transportation for seniors and the county executive’s $13.9 million request to replace 60 Champion buses will be on the agenda for a Montgomery County Council committee Monday. The council’s Health and Human Services Committee and Transportation, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment Committee will hear recommendations on ways to improve mobility for Montgomery County seniors. “The work session will stress that even in a county that is considered to have very good public transportation options, those services, in many cases, are not adequate for some seniors,” reads a county news release. Recommendations include creating a county “mobility manager” administrative position to coordinate transportation services offered through the …
Up to 70 electronic screens could be installed at Metrobus shelters across the region, The Washington Examiner reports.
Update, 4:30 p.m.: Montgomery County spokeswoman Esther Bowring says Ride On is planning a similar electronic notification system at major transit centers. "Timing for implementation has not been set," Bowring wrote in an e-mail to Patch. Original post, 3 p.m.: Waiting in the cold and wondering when that next bus will arrive? Some Metrobus bus shelters will soon be equipped with flat screens that will display real-time bus arrival times, The Washington Examiner reports. Up to 70 screens, funded by a federal grant, could be installed at Metrobus stops on Metro property across the region, according to the report. Local jurisdictions will need to decide whether the screens will be installed at Merobus stops on streets they own, Metro …
No track work is planned for the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Metro will take a break from its weekend track work schedule for the Thanksgiving holiday. On Thanksgiving day, Metro trains will operate on a Sunday schedule. The Metrorail system will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day and parking will be free at Metro-operated parking facilities, according to Metro's website. Metrobuses also will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving day. Check bus timetables for details. MetroAccess will operate during the same hours as Metrorail and Metrobus. Subscription trips will be cancelled on Thanksgiving day, Metro added. Ride On buses will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving day. Regular weekday service for Metrorail and Metrobus will return on Friday…
Changes aim at expanding service to new areas and reducing service on less-used routes.
Montgomery County will host a public forum tonight in Rockville about proposed changes to the county’s Ride On bus service. The forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria on the terrace level of the Executive Office Building, at 101 Monroe St. Reservations for speaking spots closed Sept. 22, but written comments are being accepted through 5 p.m. on Monday. Mail or deliver comments to: Division of Transit Services, Ride On Public Forum, 101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850; email: mcdot.rideonpublicforums@montgomerycountymd.gov; or fax: 240-777-5801. Ride On has proposed changes to six Ride On routes and one Metrobus route operated on Saturday by Ride On. The proposed changes seek to better serve “areas that have been …
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Replacing 28 Champion-brand buses sooner than originally planned will cost the county an extra $150,000, WTOP reports.
The seven fires on Ride On buses in the past three years have spurred the county to replace 28 Champion-brand buses sooner than originally planned, WTOP reported. "[The] fires forced the county to speed up the replacement process and added a $150,000 cost to the process," WTOP added. But, the county shouldn't have to shoulder that unanticipated cost, Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner said. The costs should be recovered through litigation. Berliner said, "We ought to be all over these people," WTOP reported. The Champion buses have been replaced temporarily by older, Orion-brand buses purchased from WMATA, WTOP said. To permanently replace the Champion buses, the county has reportedly ordered 28 buses from the Gillig …
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9:38 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
That is a strange statement for the Council President to make ---Sounds like one of those law firms looking for business ---oh, I forgot, he is a lawyer --- more ›
After last week's Ride On bus fire, the fleet continues reduced service through Wednesday.
The Ride On bus service will continue to run on a modified holiday schedule on Monday and Tuesday, July 23 and 24, according to a Ride On statement. Normal weekday service will resume on Wednesday, July 25. "Passengers may encounter some minor delays on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, July 25 through 27. By Monday, July 30, operations are expected to be back to normal," the company said. For the modified holiday schedule on July 23 and 24, all routes have service, but buses will run less frequently. There are three changes to the posted holiday schedule on these days: The Montgomery County Department of General Services "has expedited preparing replacement buses for service, so that most will be available by July 30," according to a Ride …
11:01 am on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
They don't. Unless you're talking about the stopgap measure they're currently using to temporarily replace the buses taken out of service (which is obviously the exception, not the rule). more ›
Ride On will operate on a reduced service schedule Thursday and Friday.
After yet another Ride On bus fire, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett has ordered the 26 remaining Ride On "Champion" buses permanently removed from service. The most recent fire occurred Wednesday at Bonifant Street and Ramsey Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, NBC reported. It was the second this month and the seventh in three years. Ride On will operate on a reduced schedule Thursday and Friday, as it does on holidays. All routes will have service, but buses will run less frequently. There are three changes to the posted holiday schedule for Thursday and Friday: Will you be taking Ride On to and from work on Thursday and Friday? Tell us in the comments.
8:55 am on Friday, July 20, 2012
That schedule (the pdf pop-up) is exactly the same for the 33 as the normal schedule, so I seriously doubt that it is correct, since no bus showed yesterday or today. more ›
Union leader: County's plan to replace the buses comes "not soon enough."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the safety of the county’s Ride On bus fleet after six bus fires in the past three years, the federal agency said this week. The latest fire occurred March 20 on Georgia Avenue near the Glenmont Metro station, NBC4 reported. That fire, along with two others, occurred within the last four months. The county employees union has filed a grievance with the county to keep the buses out of service until the defects are identified and repaired. The union claimed the county violated its collective bargaining agreement by failing to enforce safety and health obligations, WAMU radio reported. The federal investigation involves the International 3200 model buses manufactured between …
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Nettie Harris
11:51 am on Friday, September 28, 2012
I welcome the forum,. I live in a senior citizen building where there is a bus stop up a incline, that would be dangerous in inclement weather and when you get to the bus stop, there is no shelter. Do you guys ever think about senior citizens? more ›