Ride On (bus)

Ride On
The current logo for Ride On
Ride On bus at the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center
FormerlyRide-On
ParentMontgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT)
FoundedMarch 31, 1975
Headquarters101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Service areaMontgomery County, MD
Service typefixed-route bus service, paratransit, demand responsive transport, and bus rapid transit
Routes82
DepotsNicholson, Gaithersburg, and Silver Spring
Fleet400
Daily ridership64,700 (weekdays, Q3 2025)[1]
Annual ridership19,097,700 (2024)[2]
Fuel typeCNG, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, and battery electric
OperatorMontgomery County Department of Transportation, Route 301 and FLEX operated by external contractors.
ManagerChristopher Conklin[3]
Websitewww.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/

Ride On, formerly Ride-On, is a local bus transportation system in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Managed by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Ride On primarily serves Montgomery County, with short segments of service crossing borders into Prince George's County and Washington, D.C. It is a separate entity from WMATA, which also provides a bus service in Montgomery County, along with a rail service.

In fiscal year 2018, it operated with a US$112.3 million budget.[4] In 2024, the system had a ridership of 19,097,700, or about 64,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2025, making it one of the most heavily ridden suburban bus systems in the United States.[5]

Ride On has a fleet of about 400 buses and operates on 82 routes throughout Montgomery County.

History

Ride On's former logo, used in the 1970s and 1980s
Ride On's former logo, used from the mid-1990s to late 2008

1970s–1990s

Ride On began service on March 31, 1975, as Ride-On. Serving Silver Spring and Takoma Park, two routes were in operation with 20 buses: the Blue and the Green. Within a few weeks, Ride-On was carrying twice the number of passengers projected: about 2,000 riders per day. The buses were nineteen passenger Grummans.

Starting from 1979 to 1981, single front door TMC T-30 City Cruisers (5101-5256) entered service. These were part of a joint order with Frederick City TransIT, and shared the same paint livery. In the fall of 1984, as the Washington Metro's Red Line extension to Shady Grove station was complete, Ride On saw its largest route expansion to date. Numerous routes were added to accommodate passengers who would utilize the eight new Metrorail stations along the western portion of Montgomery County.

2000s

In 2000, Ride On buses were painted in a special livery to commemorate Ride On's 25th anniversary.[6]

On September 11, 2001, Ride On buses were used to transport Montgomery County firefighters to The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia to assist in search and rescue operations following the terrorist attacks that occurred on that day.[7][8]

In 2006, Ride On began accepting SmarTrip cards and in August of that year, all the Ride On buses started getting equipped with fareboxes.

2010s

On May 20, 2011, a Ride On bus crashed into a KFC restaurant in Glenmont around 7:30 AM. Authorities believed the driver passed out while making a left turn onto Georgia Avenue and lost control of the bus due to having a heart attack. There were three passengers on the bus; the driver and one of the passengers were taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The only occupant in the building of the crash was not injured, and the building suffered with minor damage.[9][10][11]

Ride On celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015 with three buses wrapped in the transit agency's 40th anniversary ad.[12]

MCDOT Ride On received a $4.365 million grant from the federal transit administration to replace diesel buses with 10 new battery electric buses on October 1, 2018.[13]

2020s

In March 2020, Ride On significantly altered bus service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] Many routes were completely suspended with other routes having significantly reduced service.[15] Fare collection was also suspended until July 2022.[16]

On December 27, 2023, a Ride On bus crashed into a house in Silver Spring around 7:30 PM. The driver reportedly lost control of the bus while entering a roundabout, hit a parked car, and collided with the side of the house. There were no passengers on the bus, and the house was not occupied at the time. The exact cause is still unknown, but there were no reported injuries, and no charges were filed against the bus driver.[17][18] It was later discovered that the same bus had previously been involved in a major crash on May 20, 2011.[19] The bus was removed from service following the second incident.

Ride On celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025 with three buses wrapped in the transit agency’s 50th anniversary ad.[20]

On June 29, 2025, Ride On launched its first phase of "Ride On Reimagined", a transit master plan. Most of the changes in this phase were made to complement WMATA's systemwide Better Bus Network Redesign which took effect on the same day. Ride On also eliminated all fares on all of its transit services beginning the same day.[21]

Additional services

Along with standard bus service, Ride On operates with three additional services, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, and Flash BRT.

Ride On extRa

Ride On extRa is a limited stop bus service to complement major local bus routes by following similar routing but making fewer stops to help speed up travel time.[22] These routes may also run more frequent service than local routes in the same corridor, but may only run at certain times of the day. The service began on October 2, 2017 on route 101. As of November 2025, the service consists of three routes servicing two transit corridors. Ride On extRa utilizes a dedicated fleet of diesel and battery electric buses with upgraded passenger amenities such as digital interior signage and USB-A charging ports.

Route 101 began service on October 2, 2017, complementing routes 55 and 46 along Maryland Route 355, serving 13 stops from Medical Center Station in Bethesda to Lakeforest Transit Center in Gaithersburg. The route operates every 10-20 minutes in both directions with service during weekday peak hours only.

The Great Seneca Transit Network began service on September 8, 2024 with the first phase consisting of two routes, Pink and Lime, with another two routes planned for the second phase. The Pink and Lime routes both start at Shady Grove station and end outside The Universities at Shady Grove campus, but follow different routing to provide service to the Great Seneca Life Sciences Complex and various neighborhoods and business districts in Gaithersburg.[23] Both routes operate 7 days a week with service running every 10-15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends.

Ride On Flex

Ride On Flex is an on-demand bus service that began serving Montgomery County on June 26, 2019, and runs in and around Rockville, Glenmont, and Wheaton using new, 11-passenger cutaway buses.[24][25] More major metropolitan areas are under development. Passengers are able to request a bus using an app. The new service never charged a higher fare, and accepted the same payment methods as standard Ride On buses with no onboard fare loading allowed.[26] The buses used for this service are the 2019 Ford cutaway Starlite Transit buses manufactured by Starcraft (41000D-41006D).

Flash BRT

Main article: Flash BRT

Flash is a bus rapid transit network that began service on October 14, 2020.[27][28][29][30] The first route operates between Silver Spring Metro station and Burtonsville Park and Ride along U.S. Route 29[31] (route is planned to get extended to the mall at Columbia Transit Center[32]). The second route operates between Silver Spring Metro station and Briggs Chaney Park and Ride along U.S. Route 29. Future routes are in development throughout Montgomery County.[32][31][33]

Flash has dedicated bus stops with prepayment machines and operates in a mix of traffic and dedicated lanes using articulated buses equipped with level boarding, onboard bike racks, an automatic wheelchair securement system, digital interior signage, a pedestrian sensor, a free Wi-Fi hotspot, and USB-A charging ports.[34] Flash utilizes a dedicated fleet of mostly articulated buses as well as some standard buses. Hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric buses are under consideration.

Fares

On August 1, 2022, Ride On started a one-way fare that was $1.00 regardless of payment method. Children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities were allowed to ride for free. Fares were suspended from March 2020 to July 2022 in response to COVID-19. Prior to that, Ride On's one-way fare was $2.00 regardless of payment method. Senior citizens and people with disabilities were able to ride free on weekdays between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM and on Saturdays between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM while children were able to ride free on weekdays from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM[35]; at all other times, a reduced fare of $1.00 was charged. As of July 1, 2019, children ages 5 and up can enter Ride On, as well as Metrobuses originating in Montgomery County, for free at all times until they graduate from high school by using a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card.[36] Ride On used to offer a 50¢ discount for bus fares that transferred from the Washington Metro.

On January 4, 2009, Ride On stopped the issue or acceptance of paper transfers, requiring all riders to use a SmarTrip card in order to get discounted or free transfers.[37]

In 2025, the Montgomery County Council elected to make all the buses free, eliminating all the fares starting on June 29, 2025.[38]

Fleet

Ride On has a fleet consisting of diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, CNG, and battery electric buses produced by Gillig Corporation, Nova Bus, Proterra, and Starcraft. Ride On has a climate action plan to transition to a completely zero-emissions fleet by 2035.[39][40]

Active fleet

Image Year Built Vehicle Model Fuel Engine Transmission Fleet Numbers Notes
2008 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins ISL EPA 2007 Allison World B400R6 5726-5746
  • Feature Bonded Side Glazing
  • All units originally withdrawn in 2022, however 5737, 5744 and 5746 were wrapped in the FLASH livery and re-entered service in 2023.
  • 5729 and 5731 Retired due to accident damage.[41][42]
  • Remaining Units (5726-5728, 5730, 5732-5736, 5738-5743 and 5745) originally re-entered service in 2024 due to 44129C-44139C being converted for Extra use, but are now used as FLASH reserve units, with bike racks removed and FLASH side logos applied.
  • 5728 and 5732 were previously used to train bus operators.
  • 5732 wore a special livery in 2015 to commemorate Ride-On's 40th Anniversary.
  • Last buses to be delivered in the 2nd-Gen Blue and White Livery.
2009 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins ISL EPA 2007 Allison World B400R6 5747-5757
  • First Buses to be delivered in the 3rd Gren Blue, Green and Yellow livery.
  • 5751 and 5753 are used to train bus operators.
  • 5752 and 5757 were retired in 2021 and were used as spare parts donors.
2009 Gillig Low-Floor 29ft Diesel Cummins ISL EPA 2007 Allison World B400R6 5007-5031
  • All units originally withdrawn in 2020, however 5 units (5008, 5011, 5017, 5025 and 5027) were returned to service in 2022 due to Route 27 being launched.
  • 5008 has been retired after crashing into a house in Silver Spring in 2023. It was previously involved in another accident in 2011 where it crashed into a KFC in Glenmont. [43] [17][18]
2011 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins ISL9 EPA 2010 Allison World B400R6 5758
2011 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Hybrid Hybrid Cummins ISB6.7 EPA 2010 Allison EP40 Hybrid System 5349-5360
2012 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Hybrid Hybrid Cummins ISB6.7 EPA 2010 Allison EP40 Hybrid System 5361-5367 Last order of Hybrid buses for Ride-On.
2013 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 Allison World B400R6 5759-5770
2013 Gillig Low-Floor 29ft Diesel Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 Allison World B400R6 5032-5059 All units have been repainted into the 2019-Present 4th Gen Livery.
2014 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG CNG Cummins-Westport ISL-G EPA 2013 Allison World B400R6 5837-5855
  • 5840 was retired after colliding with a truck in 2016. [44]
  • 5855 is used to training bus.
  • First Gillig CNG buses to be delivered to Ride-On.
  • 5843 have a Cummins-Westport L9N EPA 2024 Engine.
2014 Gillig Low-Floor 29ft Diesel Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 Allison World B400R6 5060-5091
  • Some units have been repainted into the 2019-Present 4th Gen Livery.
  • 5091 has been retired due to sustaining damage from a fire.
2016 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 Allison World B400R6 44000D-44039D
2016 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG CNG Cummins-Westport ISL-G EPA 2013 Allison World B400R6 44040C-44056C
2016 Gillig Low-Floor 29ft Diesel Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 Allison World B400R6 42000D
2017 Gillig BRT Plus 40ft Diesel Cummins L9 EPA 2017 Allison World B400R6 44057D-44072D
  • Ordered for the Ride-On Extra Route 101, but are also used on the Pink and Lime Routes.
2017 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins L9 EPA 2017 Allison World B400R6 44073D-44080D
2017-2018 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG CNG Cummins-Westport L9N EPA 2017 Allison World B400R6 44081C-44118C
  • 44081C-44114C are 2017 models, 44115C-44118C are 2018 models.
  • 44118C is used as Training Bus.
2019 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG CNG Cummins-Westport L9N EPA 2017 Allison World B400R6 44119C-44141C
  • Last Order of CNG Buses for Ride-On, and the first buses to use the 4th Gen Livery.
  • 44129C-44139C repainted into the Ride-On Extra livery in 2024.
2019 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins L9 EPA 2017 Allison World B400R6 44142D-44144D
2019 Proterra Catalyst BE-35 Electric UQM?? Direct-Drive 43000E-43003E
  • First Electric buses for Ride-On.
  • Rarely used due to Proterra filing for bankruptcy and ceasing business, and the delivery of Gillig EVs.
2020 Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Diesel Cummins L9 EPA 2020 Allison World B400R6 44145D-44153D
2020-2021 Gillig Low-Floor 29ft Diesel Cummins L9 EPA 2020/2021 Allison World B400R6 42001D-42039D
  • Last Order of Clean-Diesel buses for Ride-On.
  • 42026D is often wrapped in special commemorative wraps for Veteran's Day and for Pride Month.
2019-2020 NovaBus LFS (A) Articulated Diesel Cummins L9 330HP EPA 2020 Allison World B500R6 46000D-46015D
  • Used for the FLASH BRT service.
  • Third Operator of Articulated buses in the DMV after WMATA and DASH.[45]
  • Only NovaBus vehicles delivered to Ride-On.
2022 Gillig Low-Floor Plus 40ft EV Electric Cummins BES Direct-Drive 44154E-44163E
2024 Gillig Low-Floor Plus 40ft EV Electric Cummins BES Direct-Drive 44164E-44175E
  • 44165E is painted in the Ride-On Extra livery.
  • Features updates from previous Ride-On orders, including USB-A and USB-C charing ports, Larger rear doors, and vynil seat upholstery. [46]
2025 Gillig Low-Floor Plus 40ft EV Electric Cummins BES Direct-Drive 44176E-44235E
  • Ordered to replace the 2009 Gillig Hybrids.
  • 44225E-44235E are painted in the Ride-On Extra livery.

Active Cutaway Buses

Image Year Vehicle Model Fuel Engine Transmission Fleet Numbers Notes
2016 Ford E-450/Starcraft Allstar Gasoline Ford Triton V10 6.8L Ford 6-Speed Automatic 59-61
  • Used for Route 301 only.
  • Operations contracted to the Jewish Council for Aging (JCA).
  • 60 has been retired. This bus had the 2019-Present 4th Gen Livery.
  • 59 is painted white with Ride-On logos applied, 61 has the 2009-2019 3rd Gen Livery.
2019 Ford Transit 350HD/Starcraft Starlite Gasoline Ford Powerstroke I-5 3.2L Ford 6-Speed Automatic 41000D-41006D
  • Used for the on-demand Flex Service.

On order

Manufacturer Model Length Year built Fleet Numbers

(quantity)

Fuel Notes
TBA TBA
(13 buses) 		Hydrogen cell 13 hydrogen cell buses to be housed at the Gaithersburg garage by 2028[47]
TBA 2026 TBA
(Unknown quantity) 		Battery electric There is a planned order based on a budget proposal to have 112 battery electric buses in service by mid-2026.[48]

Retired fleet

Year built Manufacturer Model Fleet Numbers Engine Transmission Year
retired 		Image Notes
1979–1981 Transportation Manufacturing Corporation T-30 CityCruiser 30ft 5101-5256 Caterpillar 3126 Allison MT-740 1996–1998
  • All of these buses originally had Detroit Diesel 6V53T engines.
  • Some of these buses got rebuilt by Midwest Bus and National Coach Works in 1990.
1984 Bus Industries
of America 		Orion I (01.502) 5257-5297 Detroit Diesel 6V71N Allison MT-643 2002
  • 5267 was used to transport Montgomery County firemen to the Pentagon in Virginia to assist in search and rescue operations after the attacks which were on September 11, 2001, and was renumbered to 27.
  • Replaced by the 2001/2002 35 foot Orion V diesel buses (5580-5623)
1990–1992 5500-5545 Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison HTB-748 2010
  • 5520 was retired due to damage from an accident.
  • Replaced by the 2009 Gillig 40 foot diesel and hybrid buses (5747-5757 and 5314-5348) in 2009.
1988–1989 Gillig Phantom 30ft(3096TB3208) 5300-5356 Cummins C8.3 Allison MT-647 2004-2006
  • Ride On's last buses without wheelchair lifts, resulting in an all-accessible fleet
  • The only order of transit style Gillig Phantoms with CAT 3208T engines.
  • Repowered from Caterpillar 3208T engines in 1995.
  • Replaced by the 2003-2005 35 foot Orion VII CNG buses (5900-5957)
1993 Flxible Metro D 5700-5703 Cummins C8.3G Allison?? 2008
  • Ex-Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) buses, acquired in 1995.
  • Originally numbered 9301-9304
  • Originally ran on LNG fuel.
  • Often operated on route 70
  • Assigned to the Gaithersburg garage
  • Had more seats than any other Ride On bus models
  • Replaced by some of the 2008 Gillig 40 foot diesel buses (5726-5730)
1994–1997 Gillig Phantom 35ft 5360-5409 Detroit Diesel Series 50 Voith DIWA D863.3 2013 Replaced by the 2013 Gillig 40 foot diesel buses (5759-5770)
1999 5410-5423 Cummins ISM EPA 1998 Allison World B400R5 2015
1993 Bus Industries
of America 		Orion V (05.504) 5546-5547 Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison HTB-748 2009

5547 was retired due to fire damage.

1995 Orion Bus Industries Orion VI CNG (06.501) 5801-5802 Cummins L10G EPA 1995 Allison World B400R4 2005
  • Ex-Orion demos, acquired circa 1997.
  • 5801 previously demoed for London Transit.
  • 5802 previously demoed for Toronto Transit Commission.
  • Built for an Ottawa Bus company but rejected the models
  • Often never in revenue service
  • Originally numbered 10 and 2000 as Orion demos
  • Originally numbered 5570-5571 when getting acquired
  • Replaced by the 2005 New Flyer C40LF buses (5822-5836)
1996 Orion V CNG (05.503) 5997-5999 Cummins L10G EPA 1995 ZF Ecomat HP590 2009 Originally numbered 5567–5569
Orion V (05.503) 5550-5566 Cummins M11 EPA 1995 Voith DIWA D863.3 2011 Replaced by the remaining 2008 Gillig 40 foot diesel buses (5731-5746)
1998 5572-5579 Cummins M11E EPA 1998 Voith DIWA D863.3 2012
  • 5574 was a training unit.
  • Replaced by the 2012 Gillig 40 foot hybrid buses (5361-5367)
1999 Orion V (05.501) 5705-5725 Detroit Diesel Series 50 Voith DIWA D864.3 2014–2016
  • 5707 was retired due to damage from an accident.
  • 5714 was a training unit.
  • Most units retired in 2014 with the 1999/2000 Orion V CNG buses (5803-5821).
  • The 2016 Gillig 40 foot CNG buses (44040c-44055c) eventually replaced most of these buses.
  • 5708 and 5711 remained in revenue service until December 2016.
  • 5715 was brought back from retirement in 2016 to operate on the Red Line Shuttle between Silver Spring and Fort Totten Metro stations.
1999–2000 Orion V CNG (05.501) 5803-5821 Detroit Diesel Series 50G Voith DIWA D864.3 2014 Replaced by the 2014 Gillig 40 foot CNG buses (5837-5855)
1999 Orion V (05.505) 5100-5129 Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison World B400R5 2014
  • Ex-WMATA buses, acquired in 2012 to replace the 2007 Champion Cutaways.
  • Originally numbered 3900-3929
  • Replaced by the 2014 Gillig 29 foot diesel buses (5060-5091)
2001–2002 Orion V (05.504) 5580-5623 Detroit Diesel Series 50 Voith DIWA D864.3 2016–2017
  • 5593 was wrapped in Ride On's 40th anniversary paint scheme in 2015.
  • 5589 retired on May 30, 2018.
  • 5612 was sold to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue as 727A.
  • 5613 is currently being used as a storage unit in Capitol Heights, Maryland.
  • Replaced by the 2016-2017 Gillig 40 foot diesel buses (44000D-44039D and 44073D-44080D) in 2016 and 2017.
2003 DaimlerChrysler
Commercial Buses 		Orion VII CNG (07.502)
(semi-low floor) 		5900-5917 Detroit Diesel Series 50G Voith DIWA D864.3E 2017 Replaced by most of the 2017 Gillig 40 foot CNG buses
2004 5918-5932 Cummins-Westport C-Gas Plus EPA 2004 Voith DIWA D864.3E 2017–2019
  • Most units retired in October 2017 and got replaced by the remaining 2017 Gillig 40 foot CNG buses.
  • 5919 retired in December 2017.
  • 5923 and 5928 retired in May 2019 with the 2005 Orion VII CNG buses (5933-5957) and got replaced by the 2019 Gillig 40 foot diesel buses (44142D-44144D).
2005 5933-5957 Cummins-Westport C-Gas Plus EPA 2004 ZF Ecomat 5HP592C 2019
  • 5933 and 5934 were training units.
  • 5944 and 5948 were retired due to damages from accidents.
  • Replaced by the 2019 Gillig 40 foot CNG buses (44119C-44141C)
New Flyer Industries C40LF 5822–5836 Cummins-Westport C-Gas Plus EPA 2004 Allison World B400R6 2020
  • 5822 was a training unit.
  • Originally sidelined in March 2020 due to rear door issues and later retired in September of the year due to service changes.
  • Replaced by the 2020 Gillig 30 foot diesel buses (42001D-42019D)
2006–2007 Gillig Low Floor 5300–5313 Cummins ISB EPA 2004 Allison EP40 Hybrid System
  • Renumbered from 5750-5763 due to the arrival of the 2009 Gillig 40 foot diesel and hybrid buses (5747-5757 and 5314-5348)
  • 5312 was retired due to fire damage.
  • 5301 and 5313 were training units.
  • Replaced by the 2019 proterra electric and 2020 Gillig 40 foot diesel buses (43000E-43003E and 44145D-44153D)
2008 5001-5006 Cummins ISL EPA 2007 Allison World B400R6 2020–2021
  • 5001 and 5003 were training vehicles.
  • Replaced by some of the 2020 Gillig 29 foot diesel buses
2009 5314-5348 Cummins ISB EPA 2007 Allison EP40 Hybrid Syste, 2024,2025
  • 5314 was originally numbered 5349.
  • 5329 and 5348 were retired due to damages from accidents.[49]
  • Replaced by the 2025 Gillig Low Floor Plus 40 foot Battery Electric buses (44176E-44235E)
2001–2002 ElDorado National Aero Elites 5101-5181 TBA TBA 2009
  • Originally contracted to outside firms until the late 2000s.
  • Replaced by the 2009 Gillig 29 foot diesel buses (5007-5031)
2003-2004 IC Corporation/Mid Bus 3200/Bodied Cutaway 5232-5246 International DT 466 Allison 2000 2013
2001 Ford/StarTrans Bus E450 Cutaway 23ft 5201-5212 ??? ??? 2006-2007 Replaced by the 2006-2007 Gillig 40 foot hybrid buses (5300-5313)
2007 GMC/Champion C5500/Defender 35ft 5182–5231, 5285-5296 GMC 8.1L Allison 2000 2012
  • Seven different fires occurred on all of these buses between 2009 and 2012.[50][51]
  • All of these buses retired on July 18, 2012, following the seventh fire.[52][53]
  • Replaced by the 1999 30-foot (9.1 m) Orion V diesel buses (5100-5129) and the 2003/2004 IC Corporation/Mid buses (5232–5246)

Divisions

The bus fleet, owned and operated by Ride On, is distributed among three garages that are Nicholson, Silver Spring and Gaithersburg.

Garage Address Capacity Routes Buses Notes
Silver Spring 8710 Brookville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910 		200 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34, 36, 39, 40, 41, 47, and 51
Weekends: 23, 29, 38, and 42
  • Diesel: 42000D, 42023D-42025D, 42037D-42039D, 44000D-44024D, 44145D-44153D, 5011, 5017, 5025, 5027, 5069–5090, 5758–5761, and 5769-5770
  • Battery electric: 43000E-43003E, 44154E-44164E, and 44166E-44224E
  • Hybrid: 5349-5367
Gaithersburg 16700 Crabbs Branch Way
Gaithersburg, MD 20855 		200 43, 46, 48, 49, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 90, 100, 101, Lime, Pink, FLASH Blue, and FLASH Orange
Weekends: 45, 83, 97, and 98
  • CNG: 44040c-44055c, 44081C-44117C, 44119C-44141C, 5837–5839, and 5841-5854
  • Diesel: 42026D-42036D, 44025D-44039D, 44056D-44072D, 44073D-44080D, 44142D-44144D, 5737, 5744, 5746, 5747-5750, 5754-5756, 5762–5768, and 46000D-46015D
  • FLASH reserve: 5726, 5728, 5730, 5732-5736, 5738/5739, 5742/5743, and 5745
  • Battery electric: 44165E and 44225E-44235E
 Keeps the ready reserve, training, and retired buses.
Nicholson 4700 Nicholson Court
Kensington, MD 20895 		68 Weekdays: 6, 7, 23, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 81, 83, 96, 97,98, and Ride On Flex
Midday: 47 and 75
Late night: 30 and 75
  • Diesel: 41000D-41006D, 42001D-42022D, and 5032-5068
  • Only houses 30-foot (9.1 m) buses
  • Weekdays only as of October 2021

Routes

Ride On offers 82 routes throughout Montgomery County. All the routes run through peak rush hour periods between 6 and 9 AM and between 3 and 7 PM on weekdays. Many routes offer services for off-peak hours and weekends as well.[55]

Route Destination Terminus (western/southern) Terminus (eastern/northern) Service Notes
1 Silver Spring – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights Silver Spring
  • Certain trips operate via Leland St
  • Certain rush hour trips operate via Ross/Spencer Rds
2 Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Silver Spring Brookville
(Ride On Operations Center)
  • Serves Ride On's bus garage in Silver Spring
  • Certain rush hour trips serve Fort Detrick (AM trips towards Lyttonsville, PM trips towards Silver Spring)
4 Silver Spring – Wheaton Wheaton Silver Spring Weekday peak hour service only
  • Rerouted to 2nd Avenue in the 1990s
  • All of the Route 4 service was extended from Kensington to Wheaton station on May 8, 2022.[56]
5 Silver Spring – Twinbrook Twinbrook Silver Spring
6 Parkside – Montgomery Mall Montgomery Mall Parkside Condominium Weekday service only
7 Wheaton – Forest Glen Forest Glen Wheaton Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Wheaton, PM from Forest Glen) Kensington service discontinued in 2010
8 Silver Spring – Wheaton Silver Spring Wheaton via Forest Glen Rd & Holy Cross Hospital
9 Silver Spring – Wheaton Silver Spring Wheaton via Amherst Ave
11 Silver Spring – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights Silver Spring Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Silver Spring, PM from Friendship Heights) Service started in 1997
12 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Takoma via Carroll Ave
13 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Takoma Weekday peak hour service only via Sligo Creek Pkwy
14 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Takoma Monday-Saturday service only
  • via Colesville Rd & University Blvd
  • Often serves Eastern Middle School
15 Silver Spring – Langley Park Silver Spring Takoma Langley Crossroads Second-highest ridership in system, avg. 4,500 per day
16 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Takoma
  • via New Hampshire Ave
  • Service extended to Takoma Park after 1997 annexation by Montgomery County
17 Silver Spring – Langley Park Silver Spring Takoma Langley Crossroads via Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
18 Silver Spring – Langley Park Silver Spring Takoma Langley Crossroads Sunday service between Langley Park and Takoma station only via Takoma Metro station and Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
19 Silver Spring – Northwood Silver Spring Forest Glen Rd & Brunett Ave Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Forest Glen Rd, PM from Silver Spring)
20 Silver Spring – Hillandale Silver Spring New Hampshire Ave & Powder Mill Rd Operates via Piney Branch Rd & New Hampshire Ave
21 Silver Spring – Briggs Chaney Silver Spring Briggs Chaney P&R Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Briggs Chaney, PM from Silver Spring) Service started on June 25, 2007.[57]
22 Silver Spring – Hillandale Silver Spring Hillandale Center
(Powder Mill Rd)		 Weekday peak hour service only Operates via Columbia Pike & Colesville Rd
23 Friendship Heights – Sibley Hospital Sibley Hospital Friendship Heights Monday-Saturday service only
24 Hillandale – Takoma Takoma Powder Mill Rd & New Hampshire Ave Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Hillandale, PM from Takoma)
25 Takoma – Langley Park Takoma Takoma Langley Crossroads Weekday peak hour service via Maple Ave
26 Montgomery Mall – Glenmont Montgomery Mall Glenmont
27 Hillandale – Tech Road P&R Hillandale Center
(Powder Mill Rd & New Hampshire Av)		 Tech Rd P&R
28 VANGO Free Circulator – Silver Spring Silver Spring Monday–Saturday service only Free service, VanGO Shuttle Loop around Downtown Silver Spring.
29 Bethesda – Glen Echo/Friendship Heights Friendship Heights Bethesda
  • Replaced WMATA Metrobus route N8 and Ride On's old route 31
  • Weekend service extended from Glen Echo to Bethesda on October 10, 2021.
30 Bethesda – Medical Center Bethesda Medical Center Weekday service only
31 Wheaton – Glenmont Wheaton Glenmont Weekday peak hour service only
  • via Poplar Run
  • Serves the Kemp Mill area
  • Replaced WMATA Metrobus route Y1 in the Glenmont area
32 Bethesda – Naval Ship R&D Center Naval Ship R&D Center Bethesda Weekday peak hour service only via Cabin John
33 Glenmont – Medical Center Medical Center Glenmont Weekday peak hour service only Previous service to Bethesda and Wheaton stations discontinued
34 Wheaton – Bethesda Bethesda Wheaton
  • Replaced routes 31 and 32 in the 1990s, peak hours service to Aspen Hill
  • Originally went from Aspen Hill to Medical Center until extended to Friendship Heights station on May 4, 2008, replacing Ride On's old route 42.
  • Service between Friendship Heights and Bethesda and between Aspen Hill and Wheaton station were discontinued on June 29, 2025.[58]
    • Discontinued portions of the route were replaced with routes 40, 41 (between Aspen Hill and Wheaton), and Metrobus route D96 (between Bethesda and Friendship Heights).
36 Bethesda Loop Bethesda Weekday service only
  • via Hillandale Road and Bradley Blvd
  • Replaced WMATA Metrobus route T1
  • Service to Connelly School was eliminated on February 28, 2021.[59]
37 Potomac – Wheaton Potomac Community Center Wheaton Weekday peak hour service only Serves Grosvenor–Strathmore station
38 Wheaton – North Bethesda North Bethesda Wheaton
39 Glenmont – Briggs Chaney Glenmont Briggs Chaney P&R Weekday peak hour service only
40 Montgomery College Rockville Campus – Wheaton Wheaton Monday–Saturday daytime service to Montgomery College; all other trips end at Rockville as route 40A
  • Began service on June 29, 2025.[58]
  • Replaced a portion of Ride On route 4 in the Wheaton area and WMATA Metrobus routes Q2, Q4, and Q6.
  • To be replaced with Flash BRT Veirs Mill Road (MD 586) route in 2028
41 Aspen Hill – Wheaton Aspen Hill
(Grand Pre Rd & Bel Pre Rd)		 Wheaton
  • Replaced WMATA Metrobus routes Q3 and Y6 in 1996.[60]
  • Route was extended from Glenmont station to Wheaton station on June 29, 2025.[58]
42 North Bethesda Station – Montgomery Mall Montgomery Mall North Bethesda No Sunday service
  • Created on January 13, 2013 to replace the route 38 portion between Montgomery Mall and North Bethesda station.[61]
  • On June 29, 2025, the route was adjusted to move its northern terminus to the Twinbrook Metro station and discontinue its service to Boiling Brook Parkway and the Bolger Center.
43 Shady Grove – Traville TC Traville Transit Center Shady Grove
44 Twinbrook – Rockville Twinbrook Rockville Weekday peak hour service only
45 Rockville Regional TC – Twinbrook Twinbrook Rockville Regional Transit Center
(Fallsgrove Center)		 No Sunday service Select trips operates via Rockville Senior Center
46 Montgomery College – Medical Center Medical Center Montgomery College Rockville Campus
47 Rockville – Bethesda Bethesda Rockville
48 Wheaton – Rockville Wheaton Rockville
  • Replaced original WMATA Metrobus Route Q4 in the mid 1990s
  • via Veirs Mill (MD 586) and Norbeck Roads and Bauer and Parkland Drs
  • Serves Rock Creek Village
49 Rockville – Glenmont Rockville Glenmont
  • via Norbeck, Bel Pre, and Layhill Roads
  • Replaced WMATA Metrobus route Y4 in 1998 and Ride On's old route 46
51 Glenmont – ICC P&R Glenmont ICC P&R
(Georgia Ave at MD 200)		 Weekday peak hour service only
  • Service started in late 1998
  • Replaced parts of WMATA Metrobus routes Y4, Y5, and Y6
  • Route extended to ICC P&R on January 29, 2023
52 Rockville – Medstar Montgomery Medical Center (Olney) Rockville Montgomery Medical Center Weekday peak hour service only Serves Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
53 Shady Grove – Glenmont Shady Grove Glenmont Weekday peak hour service only
  • Trips travel as a non-stop express along Georgia Ave between Norbeck Rd and Glenmont Metro station in the peak direction
  • via MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney
54 Rockville – Lakeforest Rockville Lakeforest Transit Center
  • via Muddy Branch Rd, Research Blvd, and West Montgomery Ave
  • Serves Washingtonian Rio
  • Limited bus stops to NIST Monday-Friday
55 Rockville – Germantown TC Rockville Germantown Transit Center
  • Highest ridership avg. 8,000 per day
  • via Frederick Rd
  • Serves Milestone Center, Montgomery College in Rockville (Monday-Sunday) Montgomery College in Germantown (Monday-Saturday), Lakeforest Transit Center, and Shady Grove Metro station
  • Replaced the Shady Grove Metro station nights and weekends service of Ride On route 46
  • Replaced a portion of WMATA Metrobus routes Q2, Q4, and Q6 north of Montgomery College's Rockville Campus to Shady Grove Metro station
  • To be replaced with Flash BRT's MD 355 corridor
56 Rockville – Lakeforest Rockville Lakeforest Transit Center
57 Shady Grove – Lakeforest Shady Grove Lakeforest Transit Center
58 Shady Grove – Lakeforest Shady Grove Lakeforest Transit Center
  • via Snouffer School Road and East Village
  • Weekday service to Kaiser Permanente (Frederick Avenue) was eliminated on February 28, 2021.[59]
59 Rockville – Montgomery Village Rockville Montgomery Village Center
(Clubhouse Rd)
60 Shady Grove – Montgomery Village Shady Grove Montgomery Village Center
(Stedwick Rd)		 Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove)
  • via Shady Grove Rd, Midcounty Hwy, Washington Grove Ln, Flower Hill Way, and Centerway Rd.
61 Shady Grove – Germantown TC Shady Grove Germantown Transit Center
  • via Girard St, Germantown, Clopper, Watkins Mill, and Frederick Rds
  • Serves Germantown MARC station, Kingsview P&R, Lakeforest Transit Center, and Washington Grove MARC station
  • Rerouted through the Waters Landing Community to replace parts of Ride On's Route 62 on Locbury, Rexmore, and Crystal Rock Drives. Service currently served by route 98
  • Used to serve Germantown Community Center. Service replaced by Route 98
  • Rerouted to serve Kaiser Permanente (Frederick Avenue) on February 28, 2021.[59]
  • Service to the MVA was replaced by Route 78
63 Rockville – Shady Grove Rockville Shady Grove Weekday service only
  • via Redland Blvd, Piccard Drive, Research Blvd, and W Montgomery Ave.
  • As of September 8, 2024, Route 63 does not serve any stops on Gaither Road.
64 Shady Grove – Montgomery Village Shady Grove Montgomery Village Center
(Clubhouse Rd)		 via Centerway Rd and Emory Grove Rd
65 Shady Grove – Montgomery Village Shady Grove Montgomery Village Center
(Stedwick Rd)
  • Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove)
  • Limited bus stops via Midcounty Hwy
    AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove
66 Shady Grove – Traville TC Traville Transit Center Shady Grove Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Shady Grove, PM from Traville) via Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
67 Shady Grove – Traville TC Traville Transit Center Shady Grove Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Traville, PM from Shady Grove)
  • via Frederick Ave and Dufief Mill Rd
  • Serves the universities at Shady Grove (USG)
70 Germantown – Bethesda (Express) Bethesda Milestone P&R
  • Weekday peak hour service only
  • via I-270
  • Serves Medical Center station in the morning (to Bethesda) and in the afternoon (to Milestone P&R in Germantown)
71 Shady Grove – Kingsview Shady Grove Kingsview P&R Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Kingsview, PM from Shady Grove) via I-370, I-270, Clopper, Mateny, Dawson Farm, and Steeple Rds
73 Shady Grove – Clarksburg (Cabin Branch) Shady Grove Cabin Branch (Clarksburg) Weekday peak hour service only
  • via I-370, I-270, Frederick, Clarksburg, and W Old Baltimore Rds
  • Service started on May 14, 2017.[62]
  • Express version of route 79 that connects commuters to Clarksburg Gateway and Shady Grove Station
  • Serves Clarksburg HS
  • Serves W Old Baltimore Rd in the morning (to Shady Grove) and in the afternoon (to Cabin Branch)
  • Serves Gateway Center Dr AM (to Clarksburg Gateway) and PM (to Shady Grove)
74 Shady Grove – Germantown TC Shady Grove Germantown Transit Center No Sunday service
75 Clarksburg MCCF – Germantown TC – Germantown MARC Germantown Transit Center Montgomery County Correctional Facility
  • via Frederick Road and Snowden Farm Pkwy
  • Serves Milestone Center and Clarksburg Premium Outlets
  • Serves Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours
  • Serves Clarksburg HS during peak hours in the morning and afternoon
  • To be replaced with Flash BRT's MD 355 corridor
76 Shady Grove – Poolesville Poolesville
(W Willard Rd & Wootton Ave)		 Shady Grove Monday-Saturday service only
78 Shady Grove – Kingsview Shady Grove Kingsview P&R Monday-Saturday only. Weekday peak hour service to MVA
  • via I-370, I-270, Clopper, Mateny, and Richter Farm Rds
  • Service was added to serve Metropolitan Grove station and Maryland MVA on February 28, 2021.[59]
  • Midday service was added on February 28, 2021,[59] and Saturday service was added on October 10, 2021.
  • Buses headed to Kingsview bypass stops on Clopper Road after Firstfield Road from 6am-3pm on Weekdays, then all day on Saturdays.
79 Shady Grove – Clarksburg Shady Grove Clarksburg Gateway Center Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Clarksburg, PM from Shady Grove)
  • via I-370, I-270, and Middlebrook and Ridge Rds.
  • Replaced Ride On route 82 on April 9, 2009
81 Rockville – North Bethesda (White Flint) North Bethesda Rockville Weekday peak hour service only
  • via Tower Oaks Blvd
  • Runs every 35 minutes during peak hours
83 Holy Cross Germantown – Germantown TC – Germantown MARC Holy Cross Hospital Germantown No Sunday service
  • via Century Blvd, Waters Landing Dr, Father Hurley Blvd, Ridge Rd, and Seneca Meadows Pkwy
  • Serves Milestone Center and extends to Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours
  • Rerouted to serve the Black Hill Development on February 28, 2021.[59]
90 Shady Grove – Damascus – Milestone Shady Grove Weekday service only
  • via Shady Grove and Woodfield Roads
  • Serves Montgomery County Airpark
  • Weekend service eliminated in 2009
  • Midday service terminates at Milestone P&R in Germantown beginning September 17, 2018
96 Grosvenor – Rock Spring – Montgomery Mall Grosvenor–Strathmore Weekday service only
  • via Tuckerman Ln, Old Georgetown Rd, Rock Spring/Rockledge Drs, and Fernwood Rd
  • Serves Rock Spring Parks 1 and 2
  • Montgomery Mall served during off-peak hours only
97 Germantown TC – Gunners Lake Germantown Transit Center Gunners Lake A circular loop route (AM: Clockwise loop, PM: Counterclockwise loop)
  • via Middlebrook Rd, Father Hurley Blvd, Wisteria Dr, and Waring Station Rd
  • Serves Germantown Town Center and the Germantown MARC station during weekday peak
98 Germantown TC – Kingsview Kingsview P&R Germantown Transit Center Monday-Saturday service only
  • via Father Hurley Blvd
  • Serves Germantown Community Center during weekday off-peak and Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturdays
    • Kingsview-bound buses serve Churchill Senior Living
    • Serves Germantown Park on weekdays to Germantown (AM) and Kingsview P&R (PM)
100 Shady Grove – Germantown TC (Express) Shady Grove Germantown Transit Center Express via I-370 and I-270
301 Rockville – Tobytown Tobytown Drive Rockville

Ride On extRa routes

Route Destination Terminus
(Western/Southern) 		Terminus
(Eastern/Northern) 		Service Notes
101 Lakeforest – Medical Center Medical Center Station Lakeforest Transit Center Weekday peak hour service only
  • Service began on October 2, 2017.
  • Replaced WMATA Metrobus routes J7 & J9
  • Route overlays Routes 46 and 55 on MD 355 and only serves 13 bus stops every 10–20 minutes.
  • Expected to be replaced with Flash BRT's MD 355 corridor
Pink Great Seneca Transit BRT Network – Pink Traville Transit Center Shady Grove Station 5:00 AM – 7:30 PM weekdays
6:30 AM - 7 PM weekends
  • Service began on September 8, 2024.
  • Operates every 10–15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends.
  • Operates as a limited version of route 43
  • via Shady Grove Rd, Medical Center Drive, and JHU
Lime Great Seneca Transit BRT Network – Lime Traville Transit Center Shady Grove Station 5:00 AM - 10 PM weekdays
6:15 AM - 10 PM weekends
  • Service began on September 8, 2024.
  • Operates every 10–15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends.
  • Serves Downtown Crown, JHU, and Medical Center Drive
  • Plans for this route to be extended are in the near future.

Flash BRT routes

Route Terminus (Western/Southern) Terminus (Eastern/Northern) Service Notes
Blue Silver Spring Station Burtonsville P&R Weekday peak hour service only
  • Bypasses White Oak
  • Operates every 15 minutes only from 5:30 AM to 8:30 AM and from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Orange Silver Spring station Briggs Chaney P&R
  • via White Oak
  • Peak hour trips operate to the White Oak FDA/FRC Building in the peak hour direction.
  • Operates every 15 minutes daily

Former routes

These routes have been served by Ride On at one point, but have since been discontinued due to either low ridership, duplication of another route, simplification to other routes, or combined into another route. However, some routes would be reincarnated into new routes for Ride On.

Former Ride On routes
Route Destination Terminus (Western/Southern) Terminus (Eastern/Northern) Notes
2A Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Silver Spring Station Temporary replacement for Route 2 during construction of the Lyttonsville Place bridge in 2018. Ran in a clockwise loop from Silver Spring to Lyttonsville Road & Claridge House, and back. Discontinued on January 11, 2019, after construction was completed.[63]
2B Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Silver Spring Station Brookville (Ride On Operations Center) Temporary replacement for Route 2 during construction of the Lyttonsville Place bridge in 2018. Ran from Silver Spring to the Ride On Operations Center via 16th Street, 2nd Ave and Brookville Road. Discontinued on January 11, 2019 after construction was completed.[63]
3 Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Station Takoma Station AM from Takoma Station, PM from Silver Spring Station. Discontinued on September 17, 2017 due to low ridership.[64]
10 (first use) Silver Spring – Northwood Silver Spring Station Northwood Discontinued on June 28, 1992. Replaced by realigned route 8 and extended route 19.
10 (second use) Hillandale – Twinbrook Twinbrook station New Hampshire Ave & Powder Mill Rd
  • Replaced WMATA Metrobus route C6 in 1998.
  • Discontinued on June 29, 2025 and replaced by WMATA Metrobus routes M12, M42, M44, and M60.[58]
11 (first use) Silver Spring – Takoma Silver Spring Station Takoma Station Discontinued in the early 1980s; replaced by extended route 3.
21 (first use) Silver Spring – Parkside Plaza Silver Spring Station Parkside Plaza
21 (second use) Silver Spring – Lyttonsville Brookville (Ride On Operations Center) Silver Spring Station Replaced by Ride On route 2
21 (third use) Burtonsville Shuttle Briggs Chaney P&R Burtonsville P&R Northbound operated on Columbia Pike via Greencastle P&R. Southbound operated on Old Columbia Pike. Only ran midday on weekdays. Discontinued on January 4, 2002.[65]
22 (first use) Silver Spring – Paddington Square Paddington Square Silver Spring Station
26 (first use) Grosvenor – Wheaton Grosvenor-Strathmore station Wheaton Station Operated via Plyers Mill Road and Strathmore/Knowles Avenues. Discontinued on June 28, 1992; replaced by extended route 7.
27 (first use) Friendship Heights – Medical Center Friendship Heights Station Medical Center Station Discontinued on September 7, 2003, due to low ridership. Alternative service available on extended Route 33 and realigned Route 36.[66]
31 (first use) Glen Echo – Bethesda Glen Echo Bethesda Station Replaced by Route 29 in early 1996.
35 Wheaton – Montgomery Mall Montgomery Mall Transit Center Wheaton Station Discontinued on September 1, 2002; replaced by extended route 47 and realigned Route 34.[67][68]
38 (first use) Wheaton - Montgomery Mall Montgomery Mall Transit Center Wheaton Station Service was truncated to serve only between Wheaton and North Bethesda (White Flint) in January 2013. The section between North Bethesda (White Flint) and Montgomery Mall was replaced by route 42.
40 (First Use) Wheaton Shuttle Wheaton Station Operated as a midday and weekend shuttle between Wheaton Station and Westfield Wheaton. Discontinued on July 25, 1998.
40 (Second Use) White Flint – Glenmont White Flint station Glenmont Station Discontinued in early 2001; replaced by extended WMATA Metrobus route C8.[69][70]
41 (first use) Shady Grove Shopper Shuttle Rockshire Shopping Center Gaithersburg (Ride On Operations Center) Operated as a lunch-hour shuttle.
41 (second use) Wheaton – Aspen Hill Wheaton Station Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill) Originally replaced Metrobus Route Q3 in 1996. Discontinued on July 25, 1998; replaced by extended route 34.
42 (first use) White Flint – Rockville North Bethesda station Rockville Station Via Old Farm and Tilden Woods
42 (second use) Friendship Heights – Medical Center Friendship Heights Station Medical Center Station Combined with Route 34 on May 4, 2008.[71]
46 (first use) Twinbrook – Layhill Twinbrook Station Layhill Via Arctic Avenue and Bel Pre Road
49 (first use)
50 Rockville - Gaithersburg Rockville Station Gaithersburg Provided connections between Shady Grove Metro station, Watkins Mill Road, Montgomery Village, and Lakeforest Mall
51 (first use)
55 (first use) Rockville - Dorsey Mill Rockville Station Dorsey Mill Rd & Waters Hollow Rd
61 (first use) Shady Grove Station - Germantown Shady Grove Station Montgomery College Germantown Campus
62 Shady Grove – Germantown Shady Grove Station Montgomery College Germantown Campus Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[72][73]
63X Shady Grove – Gaither Road Shady Grove Station Gaither Road & Gaither Drive Served as a supplement to Route 63, connecting passengers from the Gaither Road industrial area to Shady Grove Metro during the midday and late night. Started service on January 6, 2019. Combined with route 63 on May 12, 2019.
66 (first use) Shady Grove – Shady Grove Hospital Shady Grove Station Discontinued in 1998.
67 (first use) Shady Grove – Shady Grove Hospital Shady Grove Station Discontinued in 1998.
68 Germantown MARC Shuttle Germantown MARC Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[72][73]
69 Germantown MARC Shuttle Germantown MARC Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[72][73]
71 (first use) Shady Grove - Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Transit Center
72 Shady Grove – Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Commons AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[72][73]
73 (first use) Shady Grove – Germantown – Goldenrod Lane Shady Grove Station Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd AM from Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[72][73]
75 (first use) Shady Grove - Urbana Shady Grove Station Urbana P&R Discontinued in 2006
77 Shady Grove – Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Commons AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[72][73]
78 (first use) Shady Grove - Germantown Shady Grove Station Germantown Transit Center via Mateny Rd, Great Seneca Hwy, Sam Eig Hwy. Replaced by Route 74
80 Shady Grove – King Farm Loop Shady Grove Station Gaither Road & Redland Road Discontinued; last run was on May 3, 2002.[65]
82 Clarksburg Town Center – Germantown Transit Center Clarksburg Gateway Center Department of Energy in Germantown AM from Clarksburg; PM from Department of Energy. Combined with Route 79 on April 5, 2009.[71]
91 Rockville Pike Shuttle Rockville Town Center Rockville Pike & Edson Lane Operated from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Discontinued on September 3, 2001.[74]
92 Bethesda Shuttle Bethesda Station Became operated by the Bethesda Urban Partnership on September 3, 2006.[75]
93 US – HHS – Twinbrook Station Twinbrook Station DHHS Parklawn Shuttle (Fishers Lane) Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership.[64]
94 (first use) Kingsview P&R - Germantown MARC Germantown MARC Kingsview P&R
  • free shuttle to take P&R passengers to the Germantown MARC, due to insufficient parking at the station
  • Discontinued in 2013 and was reincarnated as the Meet the MARC between Clarksburg Gateway and Germantown MARC
94 (second use) Clarksburg – Germantown MARC Germantown MARC Clarksburg Gateway Center
  • service began in January 2013
  • advertised as "Meet the MARC", a free shuttle designed to encourage Clarksburg residents to take the MARC train to work. Trips were timed with MARC trains and buses would wait until the train arrived before departing
  • via Dawson Farm Rd, Father Hurley Blvd, Ridge Rd, Skylark Rd, Little Seneca Pkwy,Snowden Farm Pkwy, ND Clarksburg Rd
  • Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership.[64] Replaced by weekly peak hour trips to the Germantown MARC on Route 75.
98 (first use) Germantown Transit Center - Seabreeze Court Germantown Transit Center Served as a loop around Germantown. Service was realigned to extend to Kingsview P&R in January 2013 to replace route 94
124 Shady Grove Express MD 117 P&R

MD 124 P&R

Shady Grove Station Operated through I-270. Discontinued on March 14, 2008.[71]
127 Campus Connector (Takoma – Silver Spring – Shady Grove UMS) Takoma Station University of Maryland Discontinued on May 16, 2008.[71]
129 Burtonsville – Silver Spring (limited bus stop service) Silver Spring Station Burtonsville P&R
  • Service started on May 14, 2018.
  • Limited bus stop service on US 29 between Silver Spring & Burtonsville P&R
  • Only served 15 bus stops every 15 minutes.
  • AM times: 5:30 AM – 9:00 AM, PM times: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
  • via Colesville Road, Lockwood Drive, Stewart Lane, Tech Road P&R, Briggs Chaney P&R, and Castle Blvd
  • Discontinued on October 15, 2020 and replaced by Flash Route Blue
VAX Montgomery College Vax Shuttle Shady Grove Station Montgomery College Germantown Campus
  • Shuttle bus for people with COVID-19 vaccine appointments at Montgomery College Germantown
  • Ran from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday thru Friday between March 31 and April 9, 2021
  • Ran 7 days a week between April 10 and July 2, 2021[76]
  • Discontinued on July 2, 2021, due to the closure of the Montgomery College Germantown MassVax site

Metrobus routes

Additionally, Ride On ran three weekend-routes that were served by WMATA Metrobus on weekdays. All routes were discontinued due to WMATA's Better Bus Redesign network, unless noted.[77]

WMATA routes
Route Destination Termini (Western/Southern) Termini (Eastern/Northern) Notes
L8 Aspen Hill – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill)
  • Discontinued on June 29, 2025 and replaced with Metrobus route M22.[58]
T2 Rockville – Friendship Heights Friendship Heights station Rockville station
  • via Potomac
  • Discontinued on June 29, 2025 and replaced with Metrobus route M82 which will be operated by WMATA daily.[58]
Z2 Colesville – Silver Spring Olney (Spartan Rd & Georgia Ave) Silver Spring station
  • Saturday Service
  • Discontinued on January 12, 2013, due to low ridership.[78]
  • Weekday service was still operated by Metrobus until June 29, 2025

References

  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2025. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  3. ^ "MCDOT - About the Director".
  4. ^ "Transit Services - Ride on program". Montgomery County MD Government. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  5. ^ "APTA 2024 Q4 Ridership Report" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Ride On's 25th anniversary". 22 June 2005.
  7. ^ 911NewsCoverage (4 July 2014). "ABC (WJLA) 9-11-2001 News Coverage 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM". Archived from the original on 2021-12-14 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "ABC World News Tonight, September 11, 2001". YouTube. 9 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Bus Crashes Into KFC in Silver Spring". NBC4 Washington. 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  10. ^ "Bus Crashes Into KFC In Silver Spring". WAMU. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  11. ^ "Bus Dislodged from KFC in Silver Spring". Retrieved 2025-09-04.
  12. ^ "Ride On's 40th anniversary".
  13. ^ "MCDOT Receives $4.365 Million from U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration to Purchase 10 Electric Buses". Montgomery County MD Gov. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  14. ^ Queen, Michelle (2020-03-28). "Further Ride On Bus Service Reductions Begin Sunday, March 29". Montgomery Community Media. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
  15. ^ "Essential Service Plan - Transit Services - Montgomery County, Maryland". www.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
  16. ^ Canales, Veronica (2020-03-13). "Ride On Will Offer Temporary Free Bus Services". Montgomery Community Media. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
  17. ^ a b Tyler, Jeanne; Lockman, Moodee; Turco, Rebecca (2023-12-27). "SEE IT: Ride-On bus crashes into Calverton home, Montgomery Co. Fire official say". WJLA. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  18. ^ a b Hageman, Allison (2023-12-28). "Bus crashes into Silver Spring home". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  19. ^ Staff, M. C. S. (2023-12-28). "Ride On Bus Driven Into House On Wednesday Was Same Bus Driven Into Glenmont KFC in 2011". The MoCo Show. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
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  21. ^ Newton, Ash (2025-06-23). "Ride On Service Changes and Zero Fare Starts June 29". Montgomery Community Media. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
  22. ^ "Ride On extRa - MCDOT (montgomerycountymd.gov)".
  23. ^ "Great Seneca Transit Network". www.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  24. ^ "Ride On Flex - MCDOT (montgomerycountymd.gov)".
  25. ^ "MCDOT Unveils Ride On Flex at Microtransit Public Forum". dccommutetimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  26. ^ "Ride On Flex". www.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  27. ^ "Flash BRT - MCDOT (montgomerycountymd.gov)".
  28. ^ Lazo, Luz. "The D.C. region's most ambitious try at bus rapid transit is coming to Montgomery County". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  29. ^ Clabaugh, Jeff (23 March 2017). "Montgomery Co.'s new Bus Rapid Transit system to be called 'Flash'". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  30. ^ "Montgomery County Leaders Launch FLASH - Maryland's First Bus Rapid Transit Service". YouTube. October 14, 2020.
  31. ^ a b "FLASH is an easier, more reliable, and less stressful way to get you where you need to go quickly". ridetheflash.com. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  32. ^ a b "Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Map". Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). July 14, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  33. ^ Lyons, Jane. "MoCo advances two bus rapid transit projects on Route 355 and Veirs Mill Road". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  34. ^ "FLASH features a different kind of vehicle. It's like a train on rubber tires with features that keep you plugged in and moving". Ride the FLASH. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  35. ^ "'Kids Ride Free' Program to Continue Through Fiscal Year 2012". Patch. May 23, 2011.
  36. ^ "Kids Ride Free".
  37. ^ "Ride On Eliminates Paper Transfers". January 5, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  38. ^ Munro, Dana (28 June 2025). "Montgomery County makes bus rides free, an idea that is gaining traction". Washington Post. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  39. ^ MCDOT & DGS. (2024). Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan. Montgomery County, MD. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT/Resources/Files/ZEBTransitionPlan_textAlternative.pdf
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