Conrad Everton Johnson
Transit Professional
1967-2002

Ride-On is operated by the Montgomery County, MD Department of Public Works & Transportation. There are approximately 80 routes operating throughout the county. In addition, there is one route that enters Frederick County, MD (north of Mongtomery) and serves the Urbana Park and Ride and several routes enter the District of Columbia to serve the Takoma Station and one route goes to Sibley Hospital. Service started in 1975.

Since then, the system has grown and now has 243 county-owned buses and 90 contractor owned and operated buses on approximately 80 routes. Ride-On also operates the L8, T2, and Z2 MetroBus routes on weekends. Over 22 million trips are made per year. Service on most routes is half hourly with more frequent service on others. Many routes feed into MetroRail stations.

Ride-On's fleet is fairly diverse. The fleet currently consists of Orion Is, Orion Vs, Orion VIs, Orion VIIs, Gillig Phantoms, Gillig Advantages, Fords, and El Dorado Aero Elites. Buses are currently powered by either diesel or compressed natural gas.

Before going to the bus stop:

Complete Ride-On Roster

Who Operates What


Official Ride-On Web Site: http://www.rideonbus.com



TRANSFER POINT
This train does not continue past this station. In order to continue your journey, transfer to one of the trains continuing past this point, or click "BACK" to take the return trip back to Washington, DC.
1989 Gillig Phantoms
The oldest buses currently in operation
1994-1996 Gillig Phantoms
Waiting for a bus downcounty? Here is what is most likely to show up!
1997 Gillig Phantoms
A small order with one of the 25th Anniversary Silver Buses
1999 Gillig Phantoms
The last order of Phantoms, includes the other Silver Bus
2006 Gillig Advantage/HEVs
Ride-On's first hybrid buses entered service in May 2006, operating from the Silver Spring garage
2008 Gillig Advantages
Ride-On's first diesel Gillig Advantages were the first buses in 6 years to have the standard blue and white paint scheme
1984 Orion Is
All of these buses are retired
1991 Orion Is
The oldest Orions still in service but nearing retirement age
1993 Orion Vs
The first Orion Vs
1995 Orion VI/CNGs
The first low floor buses in the Ride-On fleet
1996 Orion V/CNGs
The first CNG buses to be originally owned by Ride-On
1996-1998 Orion Vs
Still going strong upcounty
1999 Orion Vs
The first 40 footers to originally be owned by Ride-On
2000 Orion V/CNGs
The first 40 foot, high floor CNG buses in the Ride-On fleet
2001-2002 Orion Vs
The largest order of buses currently in service
2003-2004 Orion VII/CNGs
This is the largest order of low floor buses to date and the first 35 foot Orion VIIs ever manufactured
2006 Orion VII/CNGs
Additional Orion VII/CNGs ordered to supplement the low floor, natural gas fleet at Gaithersburg Garage
2005 New Flyer C40LFs
The county's first order from New Flyer for 40 foot CNG buses to expand upcounty service
Flxible Metro-Ds
There are four Metro-D buses operating from the Gaithersburg Garage.
Cutaways
The cutaways are owned by Montgomery County but are operated by First Transit.
Orion VII/HEVs
Ride-On is currently looking in to purchasing new fuel technology buses for its Silver Spring garage to complement the CNG facility that is currently in place at the Gaithersburg garage. It is probable that the new fuel technology for the Silver Spring garage, which is currently a diesel only facility, will be hybrid electric. Ride-On tested the Orion VII/HEV demonstrator in April, 2003, the Gillig Advantage/HEV demonstrator in June, 2004, and the New Flyer DE40LF in June, 2005. Ride-On purchased 5 Gillig Advantage Hybrids that entered service in the spring of 2006.
New Flyer DE40LFs
Bethesda Circulator
Formerly the Bethesda 8 (Route 92), the Bethesda Circulator is operated by the Bethesda Urban Partnership and operates in the Bethesda CBD every eight minutes weekdays and Saturday nights.
Back to Washington, DC


This line has been in operation since