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Program Description

  Transit Services

Public transit plays a vital role in maintaining the livability of Montgomery County's growing communities, easing commutes for 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 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 the County. Ride On bus service coverage extends to many residents and employers in the 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 the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

Transit Services is committed to transitioning its fleet of over 375 buses to zero emissions. Ride On currently has fourteen zero-emission electric buses in service and a procurement is underway for additional zero emission buses.

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Program Contacts

Contact Ken Sloate of the Division of Transit Services at 240-777-5808 or Gary Nalven of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2779 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

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Program Performance Measures

Program Performance MeasuresActual FY23Actual FY24Estimated FY25Target FY26Target FY27
Passengers transported (millions)14.35918.42219.04019.42119.810
Scheduled Ride On roundtrip circuits missed, in whole or in part, per 1,000 roundtrip circuits5.84.95.04.84.5
On time performance for Ride On buses69.6%70.3%70.7%71.0%71.5%
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Program Budget Changes

FY26 Recommended ChangesExpendituresFTEs
FY25 Approved175303260869.53
Increase Cost: Overtime Adjustment24000000.00
Increase Cost: Bus Shelter Maintenance16000000.00
Add: Howard County Flash Expansion (Offset by Revenue from Howard County)111941317.00
Increase Cost: Juneteenth Holiday Pay 4874760.00
Increase Cost: Contract Escalations3920580.00
Add: Zero Fare Transit Ambassadors2500000.00
Increase Cost: Utilities2158890.00
Add: Automated Bus Lane Enforcement Pilot1600000.00
Increase Cost: Transit Asset Management Plan1500000.00
Increase Cost: Nicholson Court Lease480950.00
Increase Cost: Three Percent Inflationary Adjustment to Non-Profit Service Provider Contracts166540.00
Decrease Cost: FY25 Mid-Year Position Consolidation-65291-1.00
Decrease Cost: Elimination of Fare Collection-557113-2.50
Multi-program adjustments, including negotiated compensation changes, employee benefit changes, changes due to staff turnover, reorganizations, and other budget changes affecting multiple programs.127000472.55
FY26 Recommended194220488885.58