| Ride On | |
| Former Name: | Ride-On |
| Parent: | Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) |
| Founded: | March 31, 1975 |
| Headquarters: | 101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor Rockville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Service Area: | Montgomery County, MD |
| Service Type: | fixed-route bus service, paratransit, demand responsive transport, and bus rapid transit |
| Routes: | 82 |
| Depots: | Nicholson, Gaithersburg, and Silver Spring |
| Fleet: | 400 |
| Ridership: | |
| Annual Ridership: | |
| Fuel Type: | CNG, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, and battery electric |
| Operator: | Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Route 301 and FLEX operated by external contractors. |
| Leader: | Christopher Conklin[1] |
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.[2] In, the system had a ridership of, or about per weekday as of, making it one of the most heavily ridden suburban bus systems in the United States.[3]
Ride On has a fleet of about 400 buses and operates on 82 routes throughout Montgomery County.
Ride On began service on March 31, 1975, as Ride-On, in response to WMATA asking Montgomery County to pay for the operation of MetroBus routes within the county. 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. Ride-On was the first major local bus operator to emerge in the DC Region following the formation of MetroBus in 1973.
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.
In 2000, Ride On buses were painted in a special livery to commemorate Ride On's 25th anniversary.[4]
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.[5] [6]
In 2006, Ride On began accepting SmarTrip cards and in August of that year, all the Ride On buses started getting equipped with fareboxes.[7]
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.[8] [9] [10]
Ride On celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015 with three buses wrapped in the transit agency's 40th anniversary ad.[11]
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.[12]
In 2017, Ride-On Extra Route 101, a new Peak-Hour limited stop service, was launched with service between Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg and Medical Center Metro in Bethesda. The new route provided a faster alternative to the existing Routes 46 and 55, stopping at 13 stops and running every 10-15 minutes.
In 2019, Ride-On introduced their first fleet of Electric Buses, those being Proterra Catalyst BE-35s. Four Buses were ordered, all operating out of the Silver Spring garage.
In March 2020, Ride On significantly altered bus service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] Many routes were completely suspended with other routes having significantly reduced service.[14] Fare collection was also suspended until July 2022.[15]
Also in 2020, the first two lines of the FLASH BRT were launched along U.S. 29 between Briggs Chaney and Silver Spring, with peak hour service continuing to Burtonsville. FLASH is the second BRT system to be launched in the DC Region, after WMATA's MetroWay in Virginia.
In July 2023, Ride On launched their official mobile app, Ride On Trip Planner, created in partnership with Moovit. The app provides trip planning tools and realtime arrival information for Ride On buses.[16]
Also in 2023, Ride On debuted the Gillig Low-Floor Plus EV, with 10 units entering service in Silver Spring. More units would be ordered in subsequent years to begin Ride-On's Transition to fully Zero-Emissions by 2035 and replace older buses, including the Gillig Hybrids numbered in the 5300-Range.
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.
In September 2024, the first phase of the Great Seneca Transit Network (GSTN) was launched, with 2 new Ride-On Extra Routes being added to serve the Life-Sciences region and the Universities at Shady Grove. The Pink and Lime Routes run frequent service all-day and also provide weekend service.
Ride On celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025 with three buses featuring a commemorative 50th anniversary wrap.[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. Route 10 was eliminated and replaced by MetroBus, Route 40 replaced MetroBus service along Veirs Mill Road, and several other routes saw routing or operational changes. Ride On also eliminated all fares on all of its transit services beginning the same day, becoming the 4th operator in the DC Region to go fare-free, after DASH, CUE and TheBus.[21] Fare-boxes have been progressively removed from the bus fleet as a result of the fare-free service.
On February 2, 2026 Ride On launched its second Flex Zone route the 918, which serves areas like White Oak, Sandy Spring, New Hampshire Avenue in part of a zone expansion. [22] the Ride On Flex Zone 918 also restored transit access for most neighborhoods previously served by the MetroBus Z2, Colesville–Ashton Line prior to lanuch of the BetterBus Network on June 29, 2025.
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.[23] The following table contains the full list of local and supplemental routes currently in operation.
| Route | Unofficial Name | First Terminal | Second Terminal | Service | Notes | Assigned Garage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East-West/Conn. | Daily |
| Silver Spring | |||
| 2 | Lyttonsville (Ops Center) | Daily | Select Peak via Fort Detrick (AM to Lyttonsville, PM to Silver Spring) | Silver Spring | |||
| 4 | Kensington/Wheaton | Weekday Peak | Silver Spring | ||||
| 5 | Daily |
| Silver Spring | ||||
| 6 | Grosvenor Lane | Parkside Condos | Mon-Fri | Nicholson | |||
| 7 | Inwood Drive | Weekday Peak | Peak direction service (AM to Forest Glen, PM to Wheaton) | Nicholson | |||
| 8 | Forest Glen Road | Daily | Silver Spring | ||||
| 9 | Arcola/Colesville | via Arcola Avenue | Silver Spring | ||||
| 11 | East-West Suppl. | Weekday Peak |
| Silver Spring | |||
| 12 | Flower Avenue | Daily |
| Silver Spring | |||
| 13 | Weekday Peak | Silver Spring | |||||
| 14 | Franklin Avenue | Mon-Sat | Serves Eastern Middle School (Select Takoma-Bound Trips on Weekdays Only) | Silver Spring | |||
| 15 | Manchester Rd | Daily | via Manchester Rd. Serves Langley Park. | Silver Spring | |||
| 16 | Langley Park/Takoma | Silver Spring | |||||
| 17 | Philadelphia Ave | via Philadelphia Avenue | Silver Spring | ||||
| 18 | Carroll/Fenton |
| Silver Spring | ||||
| 19 | Northwood | Forest Glen Rd/Burnett | Weekday Peak |
| Silver Spring | ||
| 20 | Piney Branch/NH | Daily | Silver Spring | ||||
| 21 | Fairland/White Oak | Weekday Peak |
| Silver Spring | |||
| 22 | Weekday Peak | Silver Spring | |||||
| 23 | MacArthur Blvd | Mon-Sat | Nicholson | ||||
| 24 | Piney Branch Suppl. | Weekday Peak | Peak direction service (AM to Takoma, PM to Hillandale Center) | Silver Spring | |||
| 25 | Maple Avenue | Weekday Peak | via Maple Avenue | Silver Spring | |||
| 26 | Daily | Silver Spring | |||||
| 27 | Powder Mill Road | Tech Rd / US-29 | Daily | Silver Spring | |||
| 28 | Mon-Sat | Free Silver Spring Circulator | Silver Spring | ||||
| 29 | Glen Echo | Daily | Nicholson | ||||
| 30 | Pooks Hill Road | Mon-Fri |
| Silver Spring | |||
| 31 | Weekday Peak | Nicholson | |||||
| 32 | Cabin John | Naval Ship R&D Center | Weekday Peak | via MacArthur BlvdPermission Tree Road served in the Peak direction (AM to Bethesda, PM to Cabin John) | Nicholson | ||
| 33 | Weekday Peak | Nicholson | |||||
| 34 | Daily | Silver Spring | |||||
| 36 | Bethesda Loop | Mon-Fri |
| Silver Spring | |||
| 37 | Tuckerman/Potomac | Weekday Peak | Nicholson | ||||
| 38 | Daily |
| Nicholson | ||||
| 39 | Good Hope Road | Weekday Peak | via Good Hope Road | Silver Spring | |||
| 40 | Daily |
| Silver Spring | ||||
| 41 | Grande Pre / Bel Pre | Daily | Extended to Wheaton (2025) | Silver Spring | |||
| 42 | Montrose/Potomac | Mon-Sat | via Montrose Road | Nicholson | |||
| 43 | Shady Grove Rd | Daily |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 44 | Edmonston Drive | Weekday Peak | via Edmonston Drive | Nicholson | |||
| 45 | Fallsgrove/Rockville | Fallsgrove Center | Mon-Sat |
| Nicholson | ||
| 46 | Daily | Gaithersburg | |||||
| 47 | Seven Locks | Daily | via Montgomery Mall and Park Potomac | Silver Spring | |||
| 48 | Rock Creek Village | Daily | via Bauer Drive | Gaithersburg | |||
| 49 | Bel Pre Road | Daily | via Bel Pre Road | Gaithersburg | |||
| 51 | Norbeck Rd/Layhill | Georgia Ave/ICC P&R | Weekday Peak | via Layhill Road | Silver Spring | ||
| 52 | Norbeck Rd/Olney | Weekday Peak |
| Nicholson | |||
| 53 | Shady Grove/Olney | Weekday Peak | via ICC/MD-200 and Olney | Nicholson | |||
| 54 | Muddy Branch/Rio | Daily |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 55 | Frederick Avenue | Daily |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 56 | Darnestown/Quince | Daily |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 57 | Flower Hill | Daily | Gaithersburg | ||||
| 58 | Snouffer School | Daily |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 59 | Montgomery Village/Club House | Daily |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 60 | Centerway Road | Montgomery Village/Club House | Weekday Peak | via Centerway RoadPeak direction service (AM to Shady Grove, PM to Montgomery Village) | Gaithersburg | ||
| 61 | Watkins Mill Road | Daily | via Watkins Mill Road | Gaithersburg | |||
| 63 | Piccard Drive | Mon-Fri | via Piccard Drive | Gaithersburg | |||
| 64 | Emory Grove Road | Montgomery Village/Club House | Daily | via Emory Grove Road | Gaithersburg | ||
| 65 | Mid-County Hwy | Montgomery Village/Club House | Weekday Peak |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 66 | King Farm | Weekday Peak |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 67 | Dufief Mill Road | Weekday Peak |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 70 | Milestone Express | Weekday Peak |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 71 | Kingsview/Dawson | Kingsview P&R | Weekday Peak |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 73 | Cabin Branch | Weekday Peak | Gaithersburg | ||||
| 74 | Great Seneca Hwy | Mon-Sat | via Great Seneca Highway | Gaithersburg | |||
| 75 | Clarksburg Correctional Facility | Daily |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 76 | Darnestown/Poolesv. | Mon-Sat |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 78 | Richter Farm Road | Kingsview P&R | Mon-Sat |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 79 | Clarksburg/Shady G | Weekday Peak | via Clarksburg Peak direction service (AM to Shady Grove, PM to Clarksburg) | Gaithersburg | |||
| 81 | Tower Oaks | Weekday Peak | via Tower Oaks Blvd | Nicholson | |||
| 83 | Germantown/Milestone | Mon-Sat |
| Nicholson | |||
| 90 | Damascus/Milestone Center | Mon-Fri |
| Gaithersburg | |||
| 96 | Rock Spring/Grosv. | Weekday Peak | Montgomery Mall served midday only | Nicholson | |||
| 97 | Germantown Loop | Daily |
| Nicholson | |||
| 98 | Kingsview/Germant. | Kingsview P&R | Mon-Sat |
| Nicholson | ||
| 100 | Shady G. Express | Daily | Non-stop via I-270 | Gaithersburg | |||
| 301 | Tobytown | Tobytown Drive | Daily | via Glenstone Museum | JCA | ||
These high-frequency corridors utilize dedicated lanes and "Transit Signal Priority" to bypass congestion.
| Route | Unofficial Name | First Terminal | Second Terminal | Service | Notes | Assigned Garage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLASH Blue | FLASH U.S. 29 BRT | Silver Spring Transit Center | Burtonsville Park and Ride | Weekday Peak | bypasses White Oak | Gaithersburg |
| FLASH Orange | FLASH U.S. 29 BRT | Silver Spring Transit Center | Briggs Chaney Park and Ride | Daily | via White Oak; Serves White Oak FDA during Peak Hours (AM to Briggs Chaney, PM to Silver Spring) | Gaithersburg |
| ExtRa 101 | MD-355 Limited | Medical Center Metro | Lakeforest Transit Center | Weekday Peak | Operates to 13 stops every 10 minutes. | Gaithersburg |
| ExtRa Pink | Shady Grove Road Limited | Shady Grove Metro | Traville Gateway TC/USG | Daily | High-frequency medical and life sciences corridor. | Gaithersburg |
| ExtRa Lime | Downtown Crown Limited | Serves RIO / Washingtonian Center and Crown. | Gaithersburg |
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.
| Route | Terminus (Western/Southern) | Terminus (Eastern/Northern) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2A | 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.[24] | |||
| 2B | 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. | ||
| 3 | Peak Hours Only, AM from Takoma Station, PM from Silver Spring Station. Discontinued on September 17, 2017 due to low ridership.[25] | |||
| 10 (first use) | Northwood | Discontinued on June 28, 1992. Replaced by realigned route 8 and extended route 19. | ||
| 10 (second use) | New Hampshire Ave & Powder Mill Rd |
| ||
| 11 (first use) | Discontinued in the early 1980s; replaced by extended route 3. | |||
| 21 (first use) | Parkside Plaza | |||
| 21 (second use) | Brookville (Ride On Operations Center) | Replaced by Ride On route 2 | ||
| 21 (third use) | 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.[27] | |
| 22 (first use) | Paddington Square | |||
| 26 (first use) | Operated via Plyers Mill Road and Strathmore/Knowles Avenues. Discontinued on June 28, 1992; replaced by extended route 7. | |||
| 27 (first use) | Discontinued on September 7, 2003, due to low ridership. Alternative service available on extended Route 33 and realigned Route 36.[28] | |||
| 31 (first use) | Replaced by Route 29 in early 1996. | |||
| 35 | Montgomery Mall Transit Center | Discontinued on September 1, 2002; replaced by extended route 47 and realigned Route 34.[29] [30] | ||
| 38 (first use) | Montgomery Mall Transit Center | 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 Station | Operated as a midday and weekend shuttle between Wheaton Station and Westfield Wheaton. Discontinued on July 25, 1998. | ||
| 40 (Second Use) | Discontinued in early 2001; replaced by extended WMATA Metrobus route C8.[31] [32] | |||
| 41 (first use) | Rockshire Shopping Center | Gaithersburg (Ride On Operations Center) | Operated as a lunch-hour shuttle. | |
| 41 (second use) | 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) | Via Old Farm and Tilden Woods | |||
| 42 (second use) | Combined with Route 34 on May 4, 2008.[33] | |||
| 46 (first use) | Via Arctic Avenue and Bel Pre Road | |||
| 49 (first use) | ||||
| 50 | 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 Station | Dorsey Mill Rd & Waters Hollow Rd | ||
| 61 (first use) | Montgomery College Germantown Campus | |||
| 62 | Montgomery College Germantown Campus | Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[34] [35] | ||
| 63X | 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) | Discontinued in 1998. | |||
| 67 (first use) | Discontinued in 1998. | |||
| 68 | Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005. | |||
| 69 | Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005. | |||
| 71 (first use) | Germantown Transit Center | |||
| 72 | Germantown Commons | AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005. | ||
| 73 (first use) | Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd | AM from Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005. | ||
| 75 (first use) | Urbana P&R | Discontinued in 2006 | ||
| 77 | Germantown Commons | AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005. | ||
| 78 (first use) | Germantown Transit Center | via Mateny Rd, Great Seneca Hwy, Sam Eig Hwy. Replaced by Route 74 | ||
| 80 | Gaither Road & Redland Road | Discontinued; last run was on May 3, 2002. | ||
| 82 | Clarksburg Gateway Center | Peak Hours Only, AM from Clarksburg; PM from Department of Energy. Combined with Route 79 on April 5, 2009. | ||
| 91 | Rockville Pike & Edson Lane | Operated from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Discontinued on September 3, 2001.[36] | ||
| 92 | Became operated by the Bethesda Urban Partnership on September 3, 2006.[37] | |||
| 93 | DHHS Parklawn Shuttle (Fishers Lane) | Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership. | ||
| 94 (first use) | Kingsview P&R |
| ||
| 94 (second use) | Clarksburg Gateway Center |
| ||
| 98 (first use) | 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 | MD 117 P&RMD 124 P&R | Shady Grove Station | Operated through I-270. Discontinued on March 14, 2008. | |
| 127 | Discontinued on May 16, 2008. | |||
| 129 | Burtonsville P&R |
| ||
| VAX | Montgomery College Germantown Campus |
| ||
See main article: List of Metrobus routes in Maryland. 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.[39]
| 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) |
| |
| T2 | Rockville – Friendship Heights |
| |||
| Z2 | Colesville – Silver Spring | Olney (Spartan Rd & Georgia Ave) |
Montgomery County’s bus network is anchored by several "Super Hubs" that serve as multi-modal gateways. The ongoing construction of the Purple Line, a 16-mile light rail line scheduled to open in late 2027, is the primary driver of infrastructure updates at these locations. Ride On serves 13 Metrorail stations and numerous transit centers that facilitate these regional connections.
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center (Silver Spring)
The county's largest hub, connecting Ride On, Metrobus, MARC, and the Metrorail Red Line. In early 2026, the station saw temporary closures to finalize the Purple Line platform on the third level (north side), which will allow seamless transfers between bus levels and light rail.
Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center
Located at the intersection of University Blvd and New Hampshire Ave, this $35 million facility serves as the primary "East County" anchor. It is currently being integrated with a major Purple Line stop to link Langley Park residents to both Bethesda and New Carrollton.
A massive engineering project is nearing completion to connect the deep-level Red Line station to the new Purple Line terminus. As of February 2026, construction on the South Entrance is advancing to link the two systems, and the Capital Crescent Trail tunnel is slated to reopen by late 2026 or early 2027.
Shady Grove & Rockville: These remain the primary hubs for the MD-355 corridor. While not directly on the Purple Line, they are being upgraded with enhanced Flash BRT docking stations to feed passengers into the county's growing high-capacity transit spine.[41] [42]
The following table lists the county's primary transit facilities, including Metrorail stations, transit centers, and major Park and Ride lots, along with their associated routes and multi-modal connections.
| Location | Facility Name | Ride On / Flash Routes | Other Transit Routes | Rail Connections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Spring | Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center | 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, Flash Blue/Orange | Metrobus: C87, D40, D4X, D60, D6X, M20, M52, M54, M70, P30 | Red Line, MARC Brunswick | |
| Langley Park | Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center | 15, 16, 17, 18, 25 | Metrobus: M12, M60, M6X, P31; TheBus: P43 | Purple Line (2027) | |
| Bethesda | Bethesda Metro Station | 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 47, 70 | Metrobus: D96, M22, M70; Fairfax Connector: 798 | Red Line, Purple Line (2027) | |
| Rockville | Rockville Station | 40, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 54, 55, 56, 59, 63, 81, 301, ExtRa 101 | Metrobus: M82 | Red Line, MARC, Amtrak | |
| Derwood | Shady Grove Metro Station | 43, 53, 55, 57-61, 63-67, 71, 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 90, 100, ExtRa 101/Lime/Pink | None | Red Line | |
| Wheaton | Wheaton Metro Station | 4, 7, 8, 9, 31, 34, 37, 38, 40, 41, 48 | Metrobus: M12, M20, M22 | Red Line | |
| Glenmont | Glenmont Metro Station | 26, 31, 33, 39, 41, 49, 51, 53 | Metrobus: M20, M22, M42, M44 | Red Line | |
| Gaithersburg | Lakeforest Transit Center | 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, ExtRa 101 | None | None | |
| Germantown | Germantown Transit Center | 55, 61, 74, 75, 83, 97, 98, 100 | None | None | |
| White Oak | Tech Road Park and Ride | 27, Flash Orange/Blue | Metrobus: M42, M44, M54, M60; Ride On Flex: 918 | None | |
| Fairland | Briggs Chaney Park & Ride | 21, 39, Flash Orange | Metrobus: M52 | None | |
| Burtonsville | Burtonsville Park & Ride | Flash Blue | Metrobus: M52 | None | |
| North Bethesda | North Bethesda Metro Station | 5, 26, 42, 46, 81, ExtRa 101 | Metrobus: M42, M44 | Red Line | |
| Rockville | Traville Gateway TC/USG | 43, 66, 67, ExtRa Pink/Lime | None | None | |
| Friendship Heights | Friendship Heights Metro | 1, 11, 23, 29 | Metrobus: C83, D80, D82, D96, M82 | Red Line | |
| Hillandale | Hillandale Center | 20, 22, 24, 27 | Metrobus: M60, M6X | None | |
| Takoma | Takoma Metro Station | 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 24, 25 | Metrobus: C75, C77, D50, D5X, P42 | Red Line | |
| Olney | Montgomery Medical Center | 52, 53 | Metrobus: M22 | None | |
| Aspen Hill | Georgia Avenue/ICC Park & Ride | 51, 53 | Metrobus: M20 | None | |
| Montgomery Village | Montgomery Village/Club House Road | 59, 60, 64, 65 | None | None |
Along with standard bus service, Ride On operates three additional services, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, and Flash BRT.
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.[43] 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.[44]
The Great Seneca Transit BRT 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.[45] 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 is an on-demand bus service that began serving Montgomery County on June 26, 2019, and runs in and around Rockville, Glenmont, Wheaton, and also White Oak, Sandy Spring as of February 2026. using 11-passenger cutaway buses.[46] [47] 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.[48] The buses used for this service are the 2019 Ford cutaway Starlite Transit buses manufactured by Starcraft (41000D-41006D).
See main article: Flash BRT.
Flash is a bus rapid transit network that began service on October 14, 2020.[49] [50] [51] [52] The first route operates between Silver Spring Metro station and Burtonsville Park & Ride along U.S. Route 29[53] (route is planned to get extended to the mall at Columbia Transit Center). 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.[54] [55]
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.[56] 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.
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[57] ; at all other times, a reduced fare of $1.00 was charged., 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.[58] Ride On used to offer a 50¢ discount for bus fares that transferred from the Washington Metro.
, 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.[59]
In 2025, the Montgomery County Council elected to make all the buses free, eliminating all the fares starting on June 29, 2025.[60]
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.[61] [62]
| Image | Year Built | Vehicle Model | Fuel | Engine | Transmission | Fleet Numbers | Notes | Assignments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL EPA 2007 | Allison World B400R6 | 5726-5746(21 Buses)(16 Still in Service) |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 2009 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL EPA 2007 | Allison World B400R6 | 5747-5757(11 Buses)(9 Still in Service) |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 2009 | Gillig Low-Floor 29ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL EPA 2007 | Allison World B400R6 | 5007-5031(25 Buses)(1 Still in Service) |
| Silver Spring | ||
| 2012 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft Hybrid | Hybrid | Cummins ISB6.7 EPA 2010 | Allison EP40 Hybrid System | 5361-5367(7 Buses)(4 Still in Service) | Last order of Hybrid buses for Ride-On.
| Silver Spring | ||
| 2013 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 | Allison World B400R6 | 5759-5770(12 Buses) | Gaithersburg (5762-5768), Silver Spring (5759-5761,5769-5770) | |||
| 2013 | Gillig Low-Floor 29ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 | Allison World B400R6 | 5032-5059(28 Buses) | All units have been repainted into the 2019-Present 4th Gen Livery. | Nicholson | ||
| 2014 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG | CNG | Cummins-Westport ISL-G EPA 2013 | Allison World B400R6 | 5837-5855(19 Buses)(18 Still in Service) |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 2014 | Gillig Low-Floor 29ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 | Allison World B400R6 | 5060-5091(32 Buses)(30 Still in Service) |
| Nicholson (5060-5068), Silver Spring (5069-5090) | ||
| 2016 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 | Allison World B400R6 | 44000D-44039D(40 Buses) | Silver Spring (44000D-44024D), Gaithersburg (44025D-44039D) | |||
| 2016 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG | CNG | Cummins-Westport ISL-G EPA 2013 | Allison World B400R6 | 44040C-44056C(17 Buses) | Gaithersburg | |||
| 2016 | Gillig Low-Floor 29ft | Diesel | Cummins ISL9 EPA 2013 | Allison World B400R6 | 42000D(1 Bus) | Silver Spring | |||
| 2017 | Gillig BRT Plus 40ft | Diesel | Cummins L9 EPA 2017 | Allison World B400R6 | 44057D-44072D(16 Buses) |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 2017 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft | Diesel | Cummins L9 EPA 2017 | Allison World B400R6 | 44073D-44080D(8 Buses) | Gaithersburg | |||
| 2017-2018 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG | CNG | Cummins-Westport L9N EPA 2017 | Allison World B400R6 | 44081C-44118C(38 Buses) |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 2019 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft CNG | CNG | Cummins-Westport L9N EPA 2017 | Allison World B400R6 | 44119C-44141C(23 Buses) |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 2019 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft | Diesel | Cummins L9 EPA 2017 | Allison World B400R6 | 44142D-44144D(3 Buses) | Gaithersburg | |||
| 2019 | Proterra Catalyst BE-35 | Electric | UQM?? | Direct-Drive | 43000E-43003E(4 Buses)(2 Still in Service) |
| Silver Spring | ||
| 2020 | Gillig Low-Floor 40ft | Diesel | Cummins L9 EPA 2020 | Allison World B400R6 | 44145D-44153D(9 Buses) | Silver Spring | |||
| 2020-2021 | Gillig Low-Floor 29ft | Diesel | Cummins L9 EPA 2020/2021 | Allison World B400R6 | 42001D-42039D(39 Buses) |
| Nicholson (42001D-42022D), Silver Spring (42023D-42025D, 42037D-42039D), Gaithersburg (42026D-42036D) | ||
| 2019-2020 | NovaBus LFS (A) Articulated | Diesel | Cummins L9 330HP EPA 2020 | Allison World B500R6 | 46000D-46015D(16 Buses) |
| Gaithersburg | ||
| 2022 | Gillig Low-Floor Plus 40ft EV | Electric | Cummins BES | Direct-Drive | 44154E-44163E(10 Buses) |
| Silver Spring | ||
| 2024 | Gillig Low-Floor Plus 40ft EV | Electric | Cummins BES | Direct-Drive | 44164E-44175E(12 Buses) |
| Gaithersburg (44165E),Silver Spring (44164E, 44166E-44175E) | ||
| 2025 | Gillig Low-Floor Plus 40ft EV | Electric | Cummins BES | Direct-Drive | 44176E-44235E(60 Buses) |
| Silver Spring (44176E-44224E),Gaithersburg (44225E-44235E) |
| 2016 | Ford E-450/Starcraft Allstar | Gasoline | Ford Triton V10 6.8L | Ford 6-Speed Automatic | 59-61(3 Buses)(2 Still in Service) |
| ||
| 2019 | Ford Transit 350HD/Starcraft Starlite | Gasoline | Ford Powerstroke I-5 3.2L | Ford 6-Speed Automatic | 1000D-1006D(7 Buses) |
|
| Manufacturer | Model | Length | Year built | Fleet Numbers (quantity) | Fuel | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Flyer | Xcelsior Charge FC | TBA | TBA (13 buses) | Hydrogen cell | 13 hydrogen cell buses to be housed at the Gaithersburg garage by 2028[69] | ||
| 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.[70] | |||
| 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 |
| ||
| 1984 | Bus Industries of America | Orion I (01.502) | 5257-5297 | Detroit Diesel 6V71N | Allison MT-643 | 2002 |
| ||
| 1990–1992 | 5500-5545 | Detroit Diesel 6V92TA | Allison HTB-748 | 2010 |
| ||||
| 1988–1989 | Gillig | Phantom 30ft(3096TB3208) | 5300-5356 | Cummins C8.3 | Allison MT-647 | 2004-2006 |
| ||
| 1993 | Flxible | Metro D | 5700-5703 | Cummins C8.3G | Allison?? | 2008 |
| ||
| 1994–1997 | Gillig | Phantom 35ft | 5360-5409 | Detroit Diesel Series 50 | Voith DIWA D863.3 | 2013 | First Ride-On buses to use Voith Transmission. | ||
| 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 |
| ||
| 1996 | Orion V CNG (05.503) | 5997-5999 | Cummins L10G EPA 1995 | ZF Ecomat HP590 | 2009 |
| |||
| Orion V (05.503) | 5550-5566 | Cummins M11 EPA 1995 | Voith DIWA D863.3 | 2011 | |||||
| 1998 | 5572-5579 | Cummins M11E EPA 1998 | Voith DIWA D863.3 | 2012 |
| ||||
| 1999 | Orion V (05.501) | 5705-5725 | Detroit Diesel Series 50 | Voith DIWA D864.3 | 2014–2016 |
| |||
| 1999–2000 | Orion V CNG (05.501) | 5803-5821 | Detroit Diesel Series 50G | Voith DIWA D864.3 | 2014 | ||||
| 1999 | Orion V (05.505) | 5100-5129 | Detroit Diesel Series 50 | Allison World B400R5 | 2014 |
| |||
| 2001–2002 | Orion V (05.504) | 5580-5623 | Detroit Diesel Series 50 | Voith DIWA D864.3 | 2016–2017 |
| |||
| 2003 | DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses | Orion VII CNG (07.502) (semi-low floor) | 5900-5917 | Detroit Diesel Series 50G | Voith DIWA D864.3E | 2017 | |||
| 2004 | 5918-5932 | Cummins-Westport C-Gas Plus EPA 2004 | Voith DIWA D864.3E | 2017–2019 | Last Ride-On order to use Voith Transmission. | ||||
| 2005 | 5933-5957 | Cummins-Westport C-Gas Plus EPA 2004 | ZF Ecomat 5HP592C | 2019 |
| ||||
| New Flyer Industries | C40LF | 5822–5836 | Cummins-Westport C-Gas Plus EPA 2004 | Allison World B400R6 | 2020 |
| |||
| 2006–2007 | Gillig | Low Floor | 5300–5313 | Cummins ISB EPA 2004 | Allison EP40 Hybrid System |
| |||
| 2008 | 5001-5006 | Cummins ISL EPA 2007 | Allison World B400R6 | 2020–2021 |
| ||||
| 2009 | 5314-5348 | Cummins ISB EPA 2007 | Allison EP40 Hybrid System | 2024–2025 |
| ||||
| 2011 | 5349-5360 | Cummins ISB6.7 EPA 2010 | Allison EP40 Hybrid System | 2025-2026 |
| ||||
| 5758(1 Bus) | Cummins ISL9 EPA 2010 | Allison World B400R6 | 2026 |
| |||||
| 2001–2002 | ElDorado National | Aero Elites | 5101-5181 | TBA | TBA | 2009 |
| ||
| 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 40feet hybrid buses (5300-5313) | ||
| 2007 | GMC/Champion | C5500/Defender 35ft | 5182–5231, 5285-5296 | GMC 8.1L | Allison 2000 | 2012 |
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 |
|
| |
| 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 | Regular Routes:
Ride-On Extra:
FLASH BRT:
|
| |
| 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 |
|
| |
| Shady Grove (Unofficial) | 16651 Crabbs Branch Way, Derwood, MD | Any Open Space | None (Storage for Retired Buses) |
|
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