Montgomery County Maryland Operating Budget

Budget Year / Version:

Program Description

Transit Services

Public transit plays a vital role in maintaining the livability of Montgomery County's growing communities, easing commutes for Montgomery County residents, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The Transit Services program provides Ride On fixed route bus service, the Flash limited stop transit service, and the Flex on demand zone-based service in the County. The program plans and schedules all transit service, evaluates and develops routes and zones, and adjusts bus schedules three times a year.

Ride On bus service provides critical mobility options for Montgomery County residents. Ride On operates fixed route service primarily in neighborhoods and provides a collector and distributor service to the major transfer points and transit centers in Montgomery County. Ride On bus service coverage extends to many residents and employers in Montgomery County and provides vital service to low-income households and households without cars.

The Flex bus provides on demand service in several community zones. The Flash transit service operates on U.S. Route 29 from Briggs Chaney and Burtonsville to the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center in the Silver Spring business district. Transit Services supplements and coordinates the County's mass transit services with Metrobus and Metrorail service, which are provided by WMATA.

Transit Services is committed to transitioning our entire fleet of over 375 buses to zero emissions. It is anticipated that Ride On will have over 100 zero emission buses providing service in FY27, including battery electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.

Explore

Visualize

Transit Services

Program Contacts

Contact Carrie Webster of the Division of Transit Services at 240-777-5887 or Gary Nalven of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2779 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

Program Performance Measures

Program Performance Measures	Actual FY24	Actual FY25	Estimated FY26	Target FY27	Target FY28
Passengers transported (millions)	18.42	19.17	19.55	19.95	20.34
On time performance for Ride On buses	70.3%	65.4%	75.5%	77.0%	78.5%
Scheduled Ride On roundtrip circuits missed, in whole or in part, per 1,000 roundtrip circuits ¹	4.9	8.1	6.8	6.7	6.4

¹ The ongoing Purple Line construction contributed to Ride On performance during the year.

Program Budget Changes

FY27 Recommended Changes	Expenditures	FTEs
FY26 Approved	193970488	885.58
Add: Flex Service Expansion to Poolesville and Damascus - Assumes January 2027 Start	913796	10.00
Enhance: All Day Burtonsville Flash Service - Assumes January 2027 Start	243775	2.00
Increase Cost: Reconcile Access to Jobs Grant Fund Expenditures with Revenues	127891	0.00
Increase Cost: Automated Bus Lane Enforcement	109000	0.00
Increase Cost: Trip Planner App	70000	0.00
Increase Cost: Nicholson Court Depot Lease	50018	0.00
Increase Cost: Washington Suburban Transit Commission Montgomery County Contribution	23312	0.00
Increase Cost: Two and a Half Percent Inflationary Adjustment to Non-Profit Service Provider Contracts	14295	0.00
Increase Cost: Parking Contractual Escalations	14125	0.00
Decrease Cost: Position Consolidations	-920246	-13.50
Multi-program adjustments, including negotiated compensation changes, employee benefit changes, changes due to staff turnover, reorganizations, and other budget changes affecting multiple programs.	7079974	0.50
FY27 Recommended	201696428	884.58