Montgomery County Launches Great Seneca Transit
Network with ‘Pink’ and ‘Lime’ Bus Routes, Bringing Fast, Equitable Access to Medical Centers, Education and Life Sciences Facilities
On Monday, Sept. 9, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Andrew Friedson and other State and local officials and MCDOT celebrated the launch of Phase 1 of the Great Seneca Transit Network (GSTN) at the Traville Gateway Transit Center in Rockville.
The GSTN, which began service on Sept. 8, offers commuters and residents faster, more frequent transit through two new Ride On extRa bus lines, designated as “Pink” and “Lime.” The routes operate from 5 a.m.-7:45 p.m. on weekdays and from 6:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on weekends, with service every 10-15 minutes during peak periods on weekdays.
Prior to the event, local business owners and elected officials provided remarks about the impact of the new service in a series of videos available on the MCDOTNow YouTube channel.
The new bus lines run east-west connections between the Shady Grove Metro and the Traville Gateway Transit Center, adjacent to the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville. The Pink Line links the busy Shady Grove corridor with the Life Sciences Center via Medical Center Drive. The Lime Line uses I-370 to provide an express route to RIO, Crown Farm and the heart of the Life Sciences Center at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center.
Speakers participated in a ‘bus race” from Shady Grove metro to the Traville Transit Center/Universities at Shady Gove with the Lime bus arriving a couple minutes ahead. The bus race did not involve speeding but took advantage of the dedicated red bus lanes and signal priority along stretches of each of the routes. The Gaithersburg High School Pep Band was present and set the tone for a fun and exciting event.
View photos from the event here.
Free Bus Fare on All County Ride On Buses on Car-Free Day on Monday, Sept. 23
MCDOT will provide free bus fare for all Ride On buses in support of Car Free Day on Monday, Sept. 23. Ride On bus fare is typically $1.
Car-Free Day is an annual event celebrated across the globe that encourages traveling in ways that are greener than driving alone, such as walking, riding a bicycle, taking a public bus or teleworking.
Residents can also take the regional pledge online to participate in Car-Free Day and be entered into a raffle for prizes. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.
This year, those who live or work in Montgomery County can register for a County specific raffle for additional prizes including $25 gift cards and a $200 SmarTrip card. Registration closes on Friday, Oct. 11 and winners will be pulled on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and contacted by email or phone.
On the morning of Monday, Sept. 23, the MCDOT Commuter Services outreach teams will be distributing free giveaways and pledge registrations for the raffles at the following locations:
- Bethesda Metro Station. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- Friendship Heights Shops at Wisconsin Place. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- Germantown Transit Center. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- Shady Grove Metro Station. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- Silver Spring Metro Station. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- Wheaton Marian Fryer Plaza. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- White Oak Transit Center. 6:30 - 8:30 a.m.
- Lake Forest Transit Center. 1 - 3:30 p.m.
Montgomery County Back-to-School Safety Initiative Increased Enforcement Against Dangerous Driving Around Schools
As over 160,000 students headed back to 211 schools on Monday, Aug. 26, County Executive Marc Elrich announced increased law enforcement and outreach efforts focused on drivers who speed, run red lights and do not stop for pedestrians.
The MCPD Central Traffic Unit across the County is focusing on dangerous driving behaviors around school zones. The Automated Traffic Enforcement Unit placed speed cameras in and around schools and County school buses are equipped with cameras to catch and fine drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.
Drivers in Maryland must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus when the stop arm is extended, and the red lights are flashing. Drivers may not pass the bus from any direction until the stop signals are off and the bus is moving again. Motorists are not required to stop if the road is separated by a physical median such as dirt, grass or a barrier. Infractions captured by school bus cameras carry a penalty of $250 for each violation. Violators who are stopped by a police officer face a fine of up to $570 and three points on their driver’s license.
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MCDOT’s Ride On Trip Planner App Marks One Year, One Million Trips Planned
MCDOT’s Ride On Trip Planner marked one year, and more than one million public transit trips planned with the popular app this past August. The app launched in the summer of 2023 to make planning public transportation easier and more convenient.
The trip planner allows for trip planning across multiple modes including Montgomery County Ride On buses, Metrorail and Metrobuses, electric scooters and Bikeshare.
Through the app, residents can compare travel routes, estimated travel times and cost comparisons for suggested routes. It also provides “first mile, last mile” directions to a selected bus stop and sends push notifications to mobile devices when it is time to exit the bus.
Riders can download the app from the Google Play or Apple app store. A web-based version is also available.
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Save the Date for MCDOT's Annual Bike Drive on Friday, Oct. 11
MCDOT staff will collect donated child and adult bikes between 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Council Office Building parking garage, which is located on the corner of East Jefferson Street and Monroe Street in Rockville.
MCDOT’s Bike Match program distributes the donated bikes to local residents in need.
Montgomery County works with Rockville Bike Hub, a non-profit organization that refurbishes the bikes for the Bike Match program.
Tax receipts will be available for donation.
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Metro, Montgomery County, and Maryland Departments of Transportation Agree to Extend Georgia Avenue Bus Lane Pilot
Almost seven miles of bus-only lanes on state roads within Montgomery County will stay in place through at least December as part of an extended pilot project agreement among the Maryland and Montgomery County Departments of Transportation and Metro.
The bus-only lanes along Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road were installed this summer to help move shuttle bus customers along faster during the Red Line construction work. More than a million transit customer trips benefited from faster travel times or improved reliability since the bus lanes were implemented, which provided a viable alternative to driving during the Metro shutdown and offset Greenhouse Gas emissions.
Metro closed a section of the Red Line to allow construction crews to build connections with the Maryland Transit Administration’s Purple Line light rail project. Metro also performed maintenance and station upgrades at the Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma Metro stations. The stations reopened on time on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Metro, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration and MCDOT will collaboratively collect data and evaluate the success of the lanes.
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MCDOT Frontline Workers Doing
Amazing Things
On Thursday, Aug. 8, MCDOT Ride On bus operator Luis Reyes Flores was driving his bus when he was approached by one of his passengers, a woman who alerted him to another rider who was unresponsive.
Luis pulled the bus over immediately and contacted 911. Luis discovered the person in a critical state; they had overdosed and were no longer breathing. With help from the 911 operator, Luis administered CPR several times as the passenger came to and then slipped back into an unresponsive state and stopped breathing several times. Luis repeatedly administered CPR keeping the passenger alive until medics arrived.
“I knew I had to call 911 right away,” said Luis. “I just kept thinking, God, please don’t let this person die.”
Luis’ attentiveness, compassion, and quick action saved a life that day. MCDOT Ride On bus operators often step in to offer help and consistently strive to uplift and protect those around them. Luis’ display of heart and courage is what our world needs more of.
Thank you, Luis, for your exceptional service to your community. You are a hero. We are so proud to have you as a member of the MCDOT family.
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Hybrid Public Meeting on the Norwood Road Shared-Use Path
Project in Sandy Spring to be Held on Wednesday, Sept. 25
Starting at 6:30 p.m., MCDOT will hold a hybrid (in-person and online) public information meeting to discuss the proposed a shared-use path on Norwood Road from Olney-Sandy Spring Road/MD 108 to Ashton Forest Way in Sandy Spring. At the meeting, MCDOT will present project details, costs and schedules as well as obtain public comments and answer questions.
The in-person meeting will be held in the Olney Library, Meeting Room 2, located at 3500 Olney-Laytonsville Road in Sandy Spring.
Online registration is required to attend the virtual public meeting.
The public is encouraged to visit the project website and provide feedback via the online comment form or via email to the Project Manager, Hoang Nguyen at [email protected]. All information provided will become a matter of public record.
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Public Can Still Provide Feedback on MCDOT’s Martin Street Shared-Use Path Project in Silver Spring
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, MCDOT held a public information meeting to discuss the proposed Martin Street Shared Use Path project in Silver Spring.
The project provides a 1,150-foot-long, 10-foot-wide paved pathway through a mature wooded area, connecting Arcola Avenue to Henderson Avenue in Silver Spring. This path will include 2-foot-wide buffers on either side and two local street crossings. The landscape evaluation will determine stormwater improvements such as rain gardens, educational stations on native trees and plants and lighting. The connectivity, access to natural amenities and related improvements will provide quality-of-life enhancements for County residents.
The public is encouraged to visit the project website and provide feedback via the online comment form or by email to the Project Manager, Cameron McAllister at [email protected] by 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8. All information provided will become a matter of public record.
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MCDOT Wants Feedback on Safe Routes to School Walkability Survey
MCDOT is conducting walkability studies at 15 Montgomery County public schools and is requesting parents and guardians whose kids attend these schools to participate in this survey.
If your child walks, rolls, bikes or scooters to school, please fill out this online survey.
MCDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program works to encourage and enable children to walk and bicycle to school safely through education, outreach and building safe infrastructure around schools.
The SRTS program has a plan to review the school walk areas for each MCPS school. About 15 schools are reviewed for safety improvements each year. The studies make recommendations for improved crossings and filling sidewalk gaps. Visit the program website for more information and resources for schools and parents.
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Grant of $2.68 Million Awarded for EV Charging Infrastructure at County-Owned
Locations
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has announced that the County has been awarded a $2.68 million grant from the Maryland Department of Transportation to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
The funding, part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Carbon Reduction Program, will support the installation of EV charging stations at up to 17 County-owned locations, including parking garages, park-and-ride lots, libraries and community centers.
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COMMUTER INFORMATION
Red Line Riders
Benefit: MARC
Brunswick Line Keeps $3 Tickets Through
September
Metro’s Red Line has reopened after summer construction, but discounted fares on the MARC Brunswick Line will continue through the end of September.
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PURPLE LINE UPDATES
The Purple Line is a project of the state’s Maryland Department of Transportation. The Purple Line is a light rail line that will extend from New Carrollton in Prince George's County to Silver Spring and Bethesda in Montgomery County with a total of 21 stops.
View all Montgomery County construction updates online here. Sign up to receive project updates here.
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METRO UPDATES
METRO Weekend Trackwork: Red Line Operating in Two Segments With Bus Bridge
This weekend, the Red Line will operate in two segments as crews work on tracks between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Medical Center. Free shuttle buses will replace train service between Medical Center and Grosvenor on Saturday and Sunday.
Metro Adjusts Six D.C. and Maryland Bus Routes
Effective Sunday, Sept. 8, Metro made service adjustments on six Metrobus routes in D.C. and Maryland: the F6, F8, G14, R2, R12, and T14.
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Safety improvements Coming to Short Stretch of Little Falls Parkway Near Capital Crescent Trail
A short stretch of Little Falls Parkway — the site of a 2016 crash that killed a bicyclist on the Capital Crescent Trail, in Bethesda — will soon be permanently reconfigured to maximize safety.
Montgomery Parks has been given the go-ahead by the National Capital Planning Commission to reconfigure a four-tenths-of-a-mile segment of Little Falls Parkway — from Arlington Road to Dorset Avenue — from two lanes in each direction to one, while maintaining the grass median dividing the lanes.
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New Tysons to Bethesda Bus Route Provides Alternative to Legion Bridge Driving
American Legion Bridge commuters between Maryland and Virginia will soon have another alternative to driving.
For commuters frustrated with sitting in traffic on the American Legion Bridge, riding the bus will soon be a new alternative.
Starting on Monday, Sept. 16, Fairfax County's Fairfax Connector will launch its first express bus route to Bethesda. The Express Route 798 will connect Tysons West*Park and Tysons Metrorail Station in Virginia and the Westfield Montgomery Mall and Bethesda and Medical Center Metrorail stations in Maryland.
The route will go across the American Legion Bridge and connect to employment destinations in Tysons as well as Bethesda's National Institutes of Health, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and downtown. The bus schedule includes morning and evening pickups in Tysons and Bethesda.
Rockville Speed
Camera to Start
Issuing Citations on Monday, Sept. 30
The Rockville City Police Department has introduced a new speed monitoring system in its ongoing effort to curb speeding in local neighborhoods. The portable camera unit, installed in late August, is near the intersection of southbound Wootton Parkway and Wootton Oats Court and is fully operational.
Beginning on or about Monday, Sept. 30, citations will be issued for vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit by 12 mph or more.
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DC Fines Drivers Nearly $15M for Blocking Bus Lanes
For years, this offense went unenforced — but DC officials say blocking bus lanes leads to huge delays, and that’s why they’ve started cracking down now
The District has ticketed more than 147,000 vehicles for blocking bus lanes in the nine months since the city began enforcement. The tickets to drivers, at $100 a pop, add up to nearly $15 million for blocking red-painted bus lanes.
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DC's New Traffic Safety Efforts Focus on Drivers From
Maryland, Virginia
D.C. leaders are talking about new efforts they believe will have a greater impact on street safety, including targeting drivers from Virginia and Maryland.
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