Timeline - Ride On Reimagined Study
Stakeholder and Public Engagement: Ongoing Throughout the Study
Various local agencies, businesses, government officials, and transit providers and municipalities constitute the stakeholders that will help shape the structure of the study and provide guidance at various stages throughout the process.
A comprehensive public engagement plan that emphasizes transparency and open communication will be drafted and implemented. Project team members will share information and engage the public using the MCDOT website, social media platforms, pop-up events, at open houses, and in small group discussions.
In this section
Goals and Outcomes: March-July 2022
This task establishes the goals of the study with stakeholder input. Goals will be measurable and quantifiable, and based on the MCDOT priority areas: Safety and Vision Zero, Environment and Climate Resiliency, Economic Development, and Equitable Access.
Existing Conditions Analysis: March-June 2022
This task will be a comprehensive analysis of Montgomery County’s bus network (both Ride On and Metrobus) to include: current and pre-pandemic conditions, ridership and travel patterns, performance and scheduling adherence, and a classification of routes.
Service Standards, Policies, and Guidelines: May-June 2022
These tasks set service standards for bus service, that is, what defines high-quality bus service in the County. It will include a classification of routes, and consider how frequently and when service should operate, and establish fare collection policies.
Bus Network Assessment: February 2022-December 2022
A market and infrastructure analysis and peer transit system analysis serves as the foundation for this assessment. Peer transit systems include those that largely meet the goals identified for the Montgomery County bus network and are comparable in terms of the size of the operation and geographic service area.
Service Concepts and Recommendations: December 2022-September 2023
Service concept development is the planning of the reimagined Montgomery County bus network. Work done to this point will serve as the foundation for new service designs and concepts. These concepts will detail how they meet study goals, impact riders, improve the system’s performance, and impact the County financially, culminating in a detailed list of recommendations of preferred concepts based on an overall evaluation of the network’s strengths and weaknesses.
Service and Implementation Plan: October 2023-April 2024
The service concepts and (resulting) recommendations will guide the Service and Implementation Plan. The implementation proposal will consider making network changes simultaneously, or in phases. The plan will emphasize key components of the previously recommended concepts and include a marketing plan to launch the service.