Duncan Announces 'Kids Ride Free' Initiative To Launch Start of Ride On's 25th Anniversary Celebration

Header--Montgomery County, Maryland. Press Releases

eb/rideon25.pr 00-145

Contact: Carolyn Biggins, 240-777-5800
Esther Bowring, 240-777-6530
esther.bowring@montgomerycountymd.gov

For Immediate Release: April 10, 2000

DUNCAN ANNOUNCES 'KIDS RIDE FREE' INITIATIVE
TO LAUNCH START OF RIDE-ON'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today, at a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the County's Ride On bus system, announced a new policy that will allow elementary, middle and high school students to travel free on Ride On buses every weekday from 2 to 7 p.m. Duncan also introduced two specially painted 25th anniversary commemorative Ride-On buses that will offer riders $.25 daily fares and $1.50 regional passes for the rest of the year.

"The 'Kids Ride Free' program is good for parents, kids, the environment, public safety, and traffic congestion relief," said Duncan. "The new program will help parents worried about transporting their children after school, improve safety by getting teens out of their cars, reduce air pollution by reducing vehicles on the road, reduce traffic congestion as more students rely on Ride On for their transportation needs, and introduce a whole new generation of citizens to the advantages of transit."

The program will begin on May 8. To help bus operators identify older public, private, and parochial students, schools will distribute a free student pass to middle and high school students who do not currently have school identification cards. Students who are clearly younger than 18 years of age, particularly elementary students, will not need to show any identification.

To further reward current Ride On passengers and attract new ones, Duncan also introduced two specially painted commemorative buses that will offer $.25 daily fares and $1.50 regional passes to riders for the remainder of 2000. The buses will be randomly assigned to different routes, one operating Upcounty and the other Downcounty, so passengers will not know where or when they will have the opportunity to take advantage of the reduced commemorative fare.

"Ride On is an integral part of the region's transportation network," said Albert J. Genetti, Jr., director of the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation. "If Ride On was not available to our residents, each day there would be 350,000 additional vehicle miles of car traffic on Montgomery County roads."

To commemorate the 25th anniversary, Ride On is today offering $.25 daily fares and $1.50 regional passes on all buses. The $.25 fare is the same rate charged when Ride On first began operations in 1975.

"We are appreciative of the strong community support Ride On has enjoyed these past 25 years and we look forward to many more," said Carolyn Biggins, general manager for Ride On. "This special $.25 fare and our youth initiative help us thank our riders and commemorate this special occasion."

Last year, Ride On reduced the fare for the monthly Youth Cruiser Pass from $20 to $10. In the last six months, monthly pass sales increased over 100 percent, with 4,200 passes sold compared to 1,900 passes for the previous year's sales in the same time period.

The 25th anniversary celebration included presentations of special awards to past and current County employees who have been instrumental in Ride On's development. Honored were David Bone, Jane Brown, Minh Cade, Edward Daniel, William Hussmann, James Lynch, and Kenneth Taylor.

On behalf of Governor Parris Glendening, Maryland Department of Transportation Director of Washington Area Transit Programs Len Foxwell presented a proclamation to Ride On that recognized its outstanding service and the role Ride On plays in achieving Maryland's goal of doubling transit ridership by 2020.

For more information on Ride On fares and schedules, see the Ride On website at www.dpwt.com/rideon or call 240-777-RIDE.

# # #

News Releases | News