The good news if you take the bus in Montgomery County, Maryland: You might not have to wait as long for your next ride.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation said changes on the county’s Ride On bus service go into effect Sunday, Jan. 29, that will result in more frequent service on several routes.
A total of 31 bus routes will see increased frequency based on recent ridership, according to a news release. However, four routes — the 45, 46, 75 and 96 — will see decreased service due to ridership levels.
Several other routes will see changes to their hours of operation.
You can see the complete list of changes by specific route on the MCDOT website.
“Public transit that is reliable and on time is critical to the people who count on it,” said County Executive Marc Elrich in a statement. “It is a best practice to regularly evaluate and adjust bus service to ensure needs are being met. Dependable and reliable bus service leads to increased ridership which supports our sustainability efforts, reduces congestion and increases the quality of life for our residents.”
The Ride On bus service temporarily suspended fares for much of the COVID-19 pandemic but brought back a reduced $1 fare last August — down from $2 before the pandemic.
Annual ridership on the bus system’s 81 routes was about 10 million last year — about half what it was before the pandemic.