Ride On (bus)

Ride On, formerly Ride-On, is a local bus transportation system in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Managed by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Ride On primarily serves Montgomery County, with short segments of service crossing borders into Prince George's County and Washington, D.C. It is a separate entity from WMATA, which also provides bus service in Montgomery County, along with a rail service.

Ride On

Ride On bus at the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center
Formerly	Ride-On
Parent	Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT)
Founded	March 31, 1975
Headquarters	101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Service type	Local, express, limited stop bus service, paratransit, demand responsive transport, and bus rapid transit
Routes	82
Depots	Nicholson, Gaithersburg, and Silver Spring
Fleet	400
Daily ridership	63,900 (weekdays, Q2 2025)[1]
Annual ridership	19,097,700 (2024)[2]
Fuel type	CNG, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, gasoline, and battery electric
Operator	Emil Wolanin (deputy director), Phil McLaughlin (general manager of transit services), Sogand Seirafi (deputy general manager for the division of transit services), Ken Sloate (management and budget specialist III for the division of transit services). and Calvin Jones (division chief for division of fleet management services)
Manager	Christopher Conklin[3]
Website	www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/

In fiscal year 2018, it operated with a US$112.3 million budget.^[4] In 2024, the system had a ridership of 19,097,700, or about 63,900 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2025, making it one of the most heavily ridden suburban bus systems in the United States.^[5]

Ride On has a fleet of about 400 buses and operates on 82 routes throughout Montgomery County.

History

Ride On's former logo, used in the 1970s and 1980s

Ride On's former logo, used from the mid-1990s to late 2008

The horizontal version of Ride On's current logo since 2009

The vertical version of Ride On's current logo since 2009

1970s–1990s

Ride On began service on March 31, 1975, as Ride-On.^[6] Serving Silver Spring and Takoma Park, two routes were in operation: the Blue and the Green. Within a few weeks, it was carrying twice the number of passengers projected: about 2,000 riders per day. The buses were nineteen passenger Grummans. Starting from 1979 to 1981, single front door TMC T-30 City Cruisers (5101-5256) entered service. These were part of a joint order with Frederick City Transit, and shared the same paint livery. In the fall of 1984, as the Washington Metro's Red Line extension to Shady Grove Metro station was complete, Ride On saw its largest route expansion to date. Numerous routes were added to accommodate passengers who would utilize the eight new Metrorail stations along the western portion of Montgomery County. At that time, Ride On began to replace a few WMATA routes that operated in Montgomery County. BIA Orion I 30-foot (9.1 m) buses (5257-5297), the first Ride On buses made by Bus Industries of America and the first buses in the second-generation blue-and-white paint scheme, were introduced that same year to allow for the added service. In 1988 and 1989, 57 of the 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Phantom buses (5300-5356), the first Gillig Phantom buses for Ride On and Ride On's last buses without wheelchair lifts (resulting in an all-accessible fleet), went into service. From 1990 to 1992, 46 new Orion I 30-foot (9.1 m) buses (5500-5545), Ride On's last Orion Is, entered service.

In 1993, 2 of Ride On's BIA 40-foot (12 m) Orion V diesel buses (5546–5547), the last Ride On buses made by Bus Industries of America, went into service.

From 1994 to 1997, 50 of the 35-foot (11 m) Gillig Phantom buses (5360-5409) went into service.

In 1995, 4 of the 40-foot (12 m) Flxible Metro D buses (renumbered 5700-5703) went into service.

In 1996, 3 of the 35-foot (11 m) Orion V CNG buses (5997-5999, formerly 5567-5569), the first Ride On buses made by Orion Bus Industries and the first CNG buses for Ride On, and 17 of the 35-foot (11 m) Orion V diesel buses (5550-5566) went into service.

In 1997, Ride On's Orion VI CNG buses (renumbered 5801-5802) went into service.

In 1998, 8 of the 35-foot (11 m) Orion V diesel buses (5572-5579) went into service.

In 1999, 21 of the 40-foot (12 m) Orion V diesel buses (5705-5725) and 14 of the 35-foot (11 m) Gillig Phantom buses (5410-5423) went into service.

2000s

In early March 2000, 19 of the 40-foot (12 m) Orion V CNG buses (5803-5821) went into service.

In 2000, Ride On buses were painted in a special livery to commemorate Ride On's founding's 25th anniversary.^[7]

On September 11, 2001, Ride On buses were used to transport Montgomery County firemen to the Pentagon in Virginia to assist in search and rescue operations after the attacks.^[8][9][10]

In early 2002, the 2001/2002 35-foot (11 m) Orion V diesel buses (5580–5623), the last Ride On buses made by Orion Bus Industries, went into service. They replaced the 1984 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Phantom buses (5257-5297).

In summer 2004, Ride On's first low-floor buses, the 2003/2004 35-foot (11 m) Orion VII CNG buses (5900–5932) went into service. They replaced all of the remaining 1988–1989 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Phantom buses (5300–5356).

In late 2005, 15 New Flyer C40LF buses (5822–5836), the first New Flyer buses for Ride On and the last buses in the CNG green/yellow/white paint scheme, went into service.

In 2006, Ride On started accepting SmarTrip cards and in August of that year, all the Ride On buses started getting equipped with fareboxes.

Also in 2006, the 2005 35-foot (11 m) Orion VII CNG buses (5933-5957) went into service. Additionally, Ride On's first five hybrid-electric buses, the 2006 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor aka Gillig Advantage buses (5300–5304, formerly 5750–5754), the first buses in the second-generation blue/green/white paint scheme, went into service.

In 2007, nine of the 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5305–5313, formerly 5755–5763), the last buses in the second-generation blue/green/white paint scheme, went into service. They replaced the 2001 Ford/StarTrans E450 Cutaway buses (5201-5212). Also in 2007, 62 of the Navistar International and Chevrolet chassis Champion cutaway buses (5182–5231 and 5285–5296), the last high floor buses for Ride On until the 2016 and 2019 Starcraft buses (59-61 and 41000D-41006D), went into service. All of these buses had fire damage and they all were retired five years later, in July 2012.

In June 2008, Ride On's first five 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor diesel buses (5726-5730) went into service. They replaced Ride On's 40-foot (12 m) Flxible Metro D buses (5700-5703). In late 2008, Ride On's first 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5001–5006) and the remaining 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5731–5746) went into service. These were the last buses in the second-generation blue-and-white paint scheme.

On January 4, 2009, Ride On stopped the issue or acceptance of paper transfers.^[11]

Later in 2009, Ride On introduced a new logo and a new blue/yellow/green paint scheme. Also, the 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5007–5031), the 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5747–5757), and the 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5314–5348) went into service. 5314 was originally numbered 5349. These were the only buses to have a big yellow uppercase letter "R" on the back side.

2010s

On May 20, 2011, a Ride On bus crashed into a KFC restaurant in the 12400 block of Georgia Avenue (the Glenmont area) around 7:30 AM, leading to the permanent closure of that facility. Authorities believe the driver passed out while making a left turn onto Georgia Avenue after crossing multiple lanes of traffic and a median and lost control of the bus due to having a heart attack. There were three passengers onboard the bus at the time; the driver and one of the passengers were taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The only occupant in the building at the time of the crash was not injured, and the building suffered minor damage.^[12][13][14]

In late October 2011, 12 of Ride On's 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor hybrid buses (5349–5360) and one clean diesel bus (5758) went into service. All 13 of these buses were purchased with funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

In June 2012, 7 of Ride On's 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor hybrid buses (5361–5367), which were also purchased with stimulus funds from the ARRA, went into service. They replaced the 1998 35-foot (11 m) Orion V diesel buses (5572-5579).

In July 2012, all 62 of the 2007 Champion cutaway buses retired due to fires and got replaced with 15 of the 2003/2004 IC Corporation/Mid buses (renumbered 5232-5246), which were formerly operated by Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County, and 30 of the 1999 30-foot (9.1 m) Orion V diesel buses (renumbered 5100–5129), which were formerly operated by Washington's WMATA.

In September 2013, 12 new 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5759–5770) and 28 new 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5032–5059) went into service. Also, the 2013 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses replaced all of the 2003/2004 shuttle transit vehicles (STV) that were formerly operated by Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County.

In early April 2014, 19 of the brand-new 2014 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor CNG buses (5837–5855) entered service. These replaced Ride On's first 40-foot (12 m) CNGS (5803–5821). They are Ride On's first new CNG buses in almost a decade (2005 35' Orion VII CNG buses, which went into service in 2006).

In early September 2014, 32 of the new 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5060–5091) went into service, and replaced all of the 1999 30-foot (9.1 m) Orion V diesel buses (5100–5129) that were formerly operated by WMATA.

Ride On celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015, with three buses (one from each of the three bus divisions) wrapped in the transit agency's 40th anniversary ad.^[15]

In May 2016, 40 of the new 40-foot (12 m) Gillig LF clean diesel buses (44000D-44039D), one bus which is 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig LF clean diesel (42000D) and 16 of the 40-foot (12 m) Gillig LF CNG buses (44040c-44055c) entered service. And with the new buses came the new five-digit numbering system for Ride On, along with the addition of suffixes denoting engines with a "C" for compressed natural gas, a "D" for diesel, an "E" for electric, and an "H" for hybrid.

Ride On extRa, a new limited bus stop service along Maryland Route 355, began on October 2, 2017 with route 101 between Lakeforest Transit Center and Medical Center Metro station.^[16] As of September 17, 2018^[update], the route serves 13 bus stops. Ride On added 59 Gillig 40-foot (12 m) buses in the summer and fall of 2017; 42 buses replaced some of the oldest vehicles in the fleet. Seventeen buses (44056D-44072D) are specially branded and used exclusively for Ride On's new extRa service that began on October 2, 2017. This limited bus stop service runs along Route 355 between Lakeforest Transit Center and Medical Center Metro station. All 59 of the buses are manufactured by Gillig; 25 run on clean diesel (44056D-44080D) and 34 use compressed natural gas (44081C-44114C).^[17] These replaced all of the 2003 Orion VII CNGs and most of the 2004 Orion VII CNG buses. Four additional Gillig LF 40-foot (12 m) CNG buses (44115C-44118C) entered service in the winter of 2018.

Ride On was awarded a $1.75 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase the county's first four electric buses and charging stations. Ride On was partnering with Proterra, the bus manufacturer, and the Center for Transportation and the Environment, a nonprofit that develops technologies and implements solutions to achieve energy and environmental sustainability. The Montgomery County Department of General Services, which purchases and maintains the Ride On buses, greatly assisted with the grant application. The four Proterra Catalyst 35-foot (11 m) battery electric buses were scheduled to serve Route 18 in Takoma Park starting in 2020. The county has applied for a separate grant to help buy 10 more battery electric buses through FTA's Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. The county expects to hear back around the end of the year if its application was approved.^[18][19]

MCDOT Ride On received a $4.365 million grant from the FTA to replace diesel buses with 10 new battery electric buses on October 1, 2018.^[20]

Ride On added 26 Gillig Low Floor 40-foot (12 m) buses in spring 2019, replacing all the remaining Orion VII's (5933-5957). These buses introduced a brand new paint scheme with a wave pattern and are painted light blue, dark blue, light green, and a touch of white.^[21] 23 use compressed natural gas (44119C-44141C) and three run on clean diesel (44142D-44144D).

On April 28, 2019, Ride On announced Ride On Flex, an on-demand bus service that runs in three major metropolitan areas in the county using new, 11-passenger Starcraft Ford cutaway buses (41000D-41006D).^[22]

2020s

From March to June 2020, Ride On disabled its automated bus stop announcement system on all its buses in response to COVID-19.

In early September 2020, Ride On's first four fully-electric zero emissions buses (43000E-43003E) entered service.^[23] These four buses are manufactured by Proterra, operate out of the Silver Spring garage, served routes 18 & 25 when entering service, and replaced Ride On's first 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Advantage hybrid-electric buses (5300–5304, formerly 5750–5754). Additionally, 19 of the 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig LF clean diesel buses (42001D-42019D) and 9 of the 40-foot (12 m) Gillig LF clean diesel buses (44145D-44153D) entered service in 2020. The Gilligs replaced the 2005 New Flyer C40LF buses (5822-5836), all of the 2008 and most of the 2009 Gillig LF30 diesel buses, and the 2007 Gillig LF40 hybrid buses (5305-5313, formerly 5755-5763). As all the Gillig buses entered service, they came with the new announcements, the two new text-to-speech voices, and the warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting.

On October 14, 2020, Ride On launched its brand new Flash BRT service with 16 Nova Bus LFS Articulated buses (46000D-46015D) and two routes designated as "Blue" and "Orange" on US 29.^[24] The Orange route operates between Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney Park & Ride every 15 minutes daily while the Blue route operates between Silver Spring and Burtonsville Park & Ride (route is planned to get extended to the mall at Columbia Transit Center^[25]) every 15 minutes only during peak hours (from 5:30 AM to 8:30 AM and from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM) Monday-Friday. Future routes are in development throughout Montgomery County.^[25][26][27] This new service replaced Metrobus route Z11 and Ride On route 129.

In February 2021, 20 of the 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig LF clean diesel buses (42020D-42039D) entered service. These were the last LF30 diesel buses manufactured by Gillig for Ride On. As these buses entered service, they came with the new announcements, the two new text-to-speech voices, and the warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting.

In early 2022, Ride On updated its automated bus stop announcement system on all its buses except the 2008 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5726-5746) to have new announcements, use two new text-to-speech voices to read all the new onboard announcements twice, and have warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting.

In July 2022, Ride On brought back five of its 2009 Gillig LF30 diesel buses (5008, 5011, 5017, 5025, and 5027) from retirement due to the new route 27 service between Tech Road and Hillandale. As these buses re-entered service, they came with the new announcements, the two new text-to-speech voices, and the warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting just like what the other Ride On buses had, starting from the same year.

In February/March 2023, Ride On's first 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor Plus battery electric buses (44154E-44163E) entered service.

In July/August 2023, Ride On brought back three of its 2008 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5737, 5744, and 5746) from retirement and wrapped them in the FLASH scheme to operate on the FLASH routes due to low ridership on the articulated buses. As these buses re-entered service, they came with the new announcements, the two new text-to-speech voices, and the warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting just like what the other Ride On buses had, starting from 2022.

On December 27, 2023, a Ride On bus crashed into the side of a house in Silver Spring around 7:30 PM. The incident occurred on Fairland Road, a few blocks east (the 3000 block) of Columbia Pike. The driver reportedly lost control of the bus while entering a roundabout circle at the intersection with Galway Drive and hit a parked car before colliding into the side of the house. There were no passengers onboard the bus, and the house was occupied at the time. The exact cause is still unknown, but there were no reported injuries, and no charges were filed against the bus driver.^[28][29] The broken side framed the bus as it sat on the lawn. It was later discovered that the same bus had previously been involved in a crash on May 20, 2011.^[30] The bus was removed from service following the incident.

In April 2024, MCDOT published their Zero Emissions Bus Transition climate action plan, to replace all the buses in the Ride On fleet with zero emissions buses by 2035.^[31]

In June 2024, MCDOT won three National Association of Counties (NACo) awards for transportation, community development, and personal management for programs including the University Boulevard dedicated bus lane project, the Friday Campaign for the Flash BRT service, and the Sweep the Salt Pilot Program. MCDOT also received a grant award and has been recognized for many months for its Brookville Smart Energy Solar Charging Depot and its Ride On Bus Service, though this occurred from October to December 2024.

In June/July 2024, Ride On brought back 13 of its 2008 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5726, 5728, 5730, 5732-5736, 5738/5739, 5742/5743, and 5745) from retirement due to the two new Ride On extRa routes designated as Lime and Pink that are part of the Great Seneca Transit BRT Network and operate daily between the Shady Grove Metro station and Traville Transit Center.^[32] As these buses re-entered service, they came with the new announcements, the two new text-to-speech voices, and the warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting just like what the other Ride On buses had, starting from 2022.

In August 2024, Ride On wrapped 11 of its 2019 Gillig LF40 CNG buses (44129C-44139C) in the Ride On extRa scheme and featured them with digital interior signage for the two new Ride On extRa routes designated as Lime and Pink that are part of the Great Seneca Transit BRT Network and operate daily between the Shady Grove Metro station and Traville Transit Center.^[32]

On September 8, 2024, the first phase of the Ride On extRa Great Seneca Transit BRT Network entered service with two new routes (Pink and Lime). These limited bus stop routes operate daily between the Traville Transit Center and Shady Grove Metro station.^[32]

From January to April 2025, 13 of the 2008 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5726, 5728, 5730, 5732-5736, 5738/5739, 5742/5743, and 5745) were in the ready reserve fleet to help the Flash BRT service and in case of shortages.

In February 2025, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) received the County Engineers Association of Maryland (CEAM) Project of the Year Award for the Auth Lane Pedestrian Bridge project, though specific news of this award were released in late August 2025.

In March 2025, Montgomery County Executive, Marc B. Elrich, announced a budget proposal to have 112 battery electric buses in service by July 2026, and to eliminate all the fares on Ride On, Ride On extRa, Flex, and Flash buses.^[33]

In March/April 2025, 12 of the 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor Plus battery electric buses (44164E-44175E) entered service. These buses feature changeable interior lights, video monitors, larger rear doors, a new vinyl seat material, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports.^[34]

From May to September 2025, multiple 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor Plus battery electric buses (44176E-44228E?) entered service. They replaced most of Ride On's 2009 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor hybrid-electric buses.

On June 29, 2025, Ride On launched its first phase of Ride On Reimagined, a master plan for the future of the Ride On bus service. This first phase was primarily intended to complement changes to the entire redesign of WMATA's Better Bus Network, which took effect on the same day. Route 10 was discontinued to consolidate all transit service along Randolph Road to WMATA. A new route, 40, was introduced to provide service along Veirs Mill Road between Wheaton Metro station and Montgomery College's Rockville campus and between Wheaton and Rockville Metro stations under route 40A, replacing a discontinued Metrobus service along the corridor. There were trip time adjustments for routes 29, 41, and 43, the destinations for routes 34, 41, and 42 were adjusted as well, and routes L8 and T2 were discontinued to complement Metrobus service changes. Additionally, Ride On eliminated all the fares on its services,^[35] and updated its automated bus stop announcement system on all its buses except the Ride On extRa and Flash buses to read bus stop names in English and Spanish.

On July 30, 2025, Montgomery County awarded a contract to New Flyer Industries for 60-foot (18 m) Low Floor Transit Buses.

In August 2025, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) awarded a lease agreement with Francis Energy to install and operate DC fast-charge EV stations at two county-owned sites in Silver Spring, specifically at Public Parking Lot 12 and the Colesville Commuter Lot. According to a press release from the county which was on August 15, 2025, MCDOT also received a national recognition for its ePaper Digital Bus Stop® displays, winning an achievement award from the National Association of Counties (NACo).

In September 2025, Ride On updated its automated bus stop announcement system on all its buses to stop reading the Spanish version of the bus stop names, but continue displaying them on the interior screen.

Ride On celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, with three buses (one from each of the three bus divisions) wrapped in the transit agency’s 50th anniversary ad.^[36]

Additional services

Along with standard bus service, Ride On operates three additional services, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, and Flash BRT.

Ride On extRa

Logo of Ride On extRa

Ride On extRa is a bus service that started on October 2, 2017 with route 101, a limited bus stop service via Maryland Route 355 between Medical Center Metro station on WMATA metro's red line and the Lakeforest Mall Transit Center^[16] using BRT Plus diesel buses equipped with a free Wi-Fi hotspot, USB-A charging ports, digital interior signage, and more padding in the seats compared to traditional Ride On services. The fare charged is the same as in other Ride On buses, although fare loading in these buses is not permitted. As of September 17, 2018^[update], the Ride On extRa route 101 serves a new bus stop at Templeton Place in Rockville, MD, increasing the number of bus stops to 13. Two new bus routes, "Lime" and "Pink," which are part of the Great Seneca Transit BRT Network, entered service on September 8, 2024.^[37] The buses used on the Ride On extRa routes are the 2017 Gillig LF40 BRT Plus diesel buses (44056D-44072D), some of the 2019 Gillig LF40 CNG buses (44129C-44139C), and a 2024 Gillig LF40 Plus Battery Electric bus (44165E). Ride On extRa will be introducing 2025 Gillig LF40 Plus Battery Electric buses as 44228E is wrapped in the Ride On extRa scheme.

Ride On Flex

Logo of Ride On Flex

Ride On Flex is an on-demand bus service that began serving Montgomery County on June 26, 2019, and runs in and around Rockville, Glenmont, and Wheaton using new, 11-passenger cutaway buses.^[22][38] Passengers are able to request a bus using an app. The new service never charged a higher fare, and accepted the same payment methods as standard Ride On buses with no onboard fare loading allowed.^[39] The buses used for this service are the 2019 Ford cutaway (Starlite Transit) buses manufactured by Starcraft (41000D-41006D).

Flash BRT

Main article: Flash BRT

Logo of Flash BRT

Flash is a bus rapid transit network that began service on October 14, 2020.^[24][40][41] The first route operates between Silver Spring Metro station and Burtonsville Park and Ride along U.S. Route 29^[26] (route is planned to get extended to the mall at Columbia Transit Center^[25]). The second route operates between Silver Spring Metro station and Briggs Chaney Park and Ride along U.S. Route 29. Future routes are in development throughout Montgomery County.^[25][26][27]

Flash has dedicated bus stops with prepayment machines and operates in a mix of traffic and dedicated lanes using articulated buses equipped with level boarding, onboard bike racks, an automatic wheelchair securement system, a pedestrian sensor, a free Wi-Fi hotspot, and USB-A charging ports.^[42] The articulated buses are the second non-WMATA-operated buses in the Washington area after DASH.^[43] The buses used for this service are the 2019 Nova Bus LFS Articulated buses (46000D-46015D) and several 2008 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5737, 5744, and 5746). Flash BRT is planning to use hydrogen cell buses.^{[citation needed]}

Fares

On August 1, 2022, Ride On started a one-way fare that was $1.00 regardless of payment method. Children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities were allowed to ride for free. Fares were suspended from March 2020 to July 2022 in response to COVID-19. Prior to that, Ride On's one-way fare was $2.00 regardless of payment method. Senior citizens and people with disabilities were able to ride free on weekdays between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM and on Saturdays between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM; at all other times, a reduced fare of $1.00 was charged. As of July 1, 2019^[update], children ages 5 and up can enter Ride On, as well as Metrobuses originating in Montgomery County, for free until they graduate from high school by using a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card.^[44] Ride On used to offer a 50¢ discount for bus fares that transfered from the Washington Metro.

As with all the other transit providers in the Washington Metropolitan Area, as of January 4, 2009^[update], Ride On stopped the issue or acceptance of paper transfers.^[11] The riders who wanted transfer credit were supposed to use a SmarTrip card to get the rail-to-bus or bus-to-rail discount or to transfer free from bus to bus.

The Montgomery County Council elected to make all the buses free, eliminating all the fares starting on June 29, 2025.^[45]

Fleet

Ride On has a fleet consisting of diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, CNG, gasoline, and battery electric buses produced by Gillig Corporation, Nova Bus, Proterra, and Starcraft.

Current fleet

Image	Manufacturer	Model	Year built	Length	Numbers (total)	Number of vehicles in service	Fuel	Notes
	Gillig	Low Floor	2008	40 ft (12 m)	5726-5746 (21 buses)	3	Diesel	Feature bonded size glazing 5729[46][47] and 5731 were retired due to damages from accidents. 3 units (5737, 5744, and 5746) are wrapped in the FLASH scheme and remain in service. 5728 and 5732 were training units. 5732 was wrapped in Ride On's 40th anniversary paint scheme in 2015.
			2009, 2011, 2013		5747-5770 (24 buses)	21		5747-5757 are 2009 models. 5747-5750 and 5753-5756 remain in service. 5751 is a training unit. 5752 and 5757 retired in 2021 and are being used for parts. 5758 is a 2011 model. 5759-5770 are 2013 models.
			2009, 2011, 2012		5314-5367 (54 buses)	32	Diesel-electric hybrid	5314-5348 are 2009 models. 5314 was originally numbered 5349. 5329 and 5348 were retired due to damages from accidents. 5319, 5321, 5330, 5333-5335, 5337, 5339-5341, 5343, and 5346/5347 remain in service. 5349-5360 are 2011 models. 5361-5367 are 2012 models.
			2009, 2013, 2014, 2016	30 ft (9.1 m)	5007–5091 and 42000D (76 buses)	64	Diesel	5007-5031 are 2009 models. 5011, 5017, 5025, and 5027 remain in service. 5008 was involved in two accidents. On May 20, 2011, the bus crashed into a KFC in Glenmont around 7:30 AM.[48] On December 27, 2023, the bus crashed into the side of a house in Silver Spring around 7:30 PM.[28][29] 5032-5059 are 2013 models. 5047 was wrapped in Ride On's 40th anniversary paint scheme in 2015. 5060-5091 are 2014 models. 5091 was retired due to fire damage. 42000D is a 2016 model. All of the 2013 units and some of the 2014 units got repainted into the 2019-current paint scheme.
			2014	40 ft (12 m)	5837-5855 (19 buses)	18	Compressed natural gas (CNG)	5855 is being used as a training vehicle. 5840 was retired due to damage from an accident.[49]
			2016		44000D-44039D (40 buses)	40	Diesel	44022D and 44028D are wrapped in Ride On's 50th anniversary paint scheme.[50][51] Many of these units are currently wrapped in the Remitly scheme.[52]
					44040C-44055C (16 buses)	16	Compressed natural gas (CNG)
	Starcraft	Allstar XL	2016	30 ft (9.1 m)	59–61 (3 buses)	2	Gasoline	Only operate on Route 301. Operations of these buses are contracted to the Jewish Council for the Aging. 59 is plain white with Ride On decals, 60 has the 2019-current paint scheme, and 61 has the 2009-2018 paint scheme.
	Gillig	BRT Plus	2017	40 ft (12 m)	44056D-44072D (17 buses)	17	Diesel	Used for Ride On extRa
		Low Floor			44073D-44080D (8 buses)	8
			2017-2018		44081C-44118C (38 buses)	37	Compressed natural gas (CNG)	44081C-44114C are 2017 models. 44104C is out of service due to an accident sometime in 2022.[53] 44115C-44118C are 2018 models. 44118C is currently a training unit.
	Starcraft	Ford Cutaway (Starlite Transit)	2019	30 ft (9.1 m)	41000D-41006D (7 buses)	7	Diesel	Used for Ride On Flex
	Gillig	Low Floor		40 ft (12 m)	44119C-44141C (23 buses)	22	Compressed natural gas (CNG)	11 units (44129C-44139C) are wrapped in the Ride On extRa scheme and feature digital interior signage. 44131C is out of service due to an accident on December 10, 2024.
					44142D-44144D (3 buses)	3	Diesel
	Nova Bus (Volvo Group)	LFS Articulated		62 ft (19 m)	46000D-46015D (16 buses)	16		Used on the FLASH BRT
	Proterra (Phoenix Motorcars)	Catalyst BE35		35 ft (11 m)	43000E–43003E (4 buses)	4	Battery electric
	Gillig	Low Floor	2020	40 ft (12 m)	44145D-44153D (9 buses)	9	Diesel	Came with the new announcements, the two new text-to-speech voices, and the warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting
			2020-2021	30 ft (9.1 m)	42001D-42039D (39 buses)	39		Came with the new announcements, the two new text-to-speech voices, and the warnings about what to do when the bus moves and where to cross when exiting 42001D-42019D are 2020 models. 42003D is wrapped in Ride On’s 50th anniversary paint scheme.[54] 42020D-42039D are 2021 models. 42026D is used for commemorative wraps for Veterans Day in November and Pride month in June.
		Low Floor Plus	2022	40 ft (12 m)	44154E-44163E (10 buses)	10	Battery electric	Ride On announced 10 battery electric buses from Gillig to be housed at the Silver Spring garage.[55]
			2024		44164E-44175E (12 buses)	12		44165E is wrapped in the Ride On extRa scheme and is featured with digital interior signage. These buses feature changeable interior lights, video monitors, larger rear doors, a new vinyl seat material, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports.[34]
			2025		44176E-44228E? (Unknown amount of buses)	Unknown		44228E is wrapped in the Ride On extRa scheme and is featured with digital interior signage.

On Order

Manufacturer	Model	Length	Year built	Numbers (total)	Fuel	Notes
New Flyer Industries	XHE40	40 ft (12 m)	2025	TBA (13 buses)	Hydrogen cell	Ride On announced 13 hydrogen cell buses to be housed at the Gaithersburg garage by late 2025,[56] but they will likely not be delivered for another year or so because they are going to be used for Flash BRT's Veirs Mill Road (MD 586) corridor which is scheduled to open circa 2028.
TBD			2026	TBA (Unknown amount of buses)	Battery electric	Montgomery County Executive, Marc B. Elrich, announced a budget proposal to have 112 battery electric buses in service by July 2026.[33]

Retired fleet

Year built	Manufacturer	Model	Numbers (total)	Length	Year retired	Image	Fuel	Notes
1979–1981	Transportation Manufacturing Corporation	T-30 CityCruiser	5101-5256 (156 buses)	30 ft (9.1 m)	1996–1998		Diesel	Originally had Detroit Diesel 6V53T engines.
1984	Bus Industries of America	Orion I (01.502)	5257-5297 (41 buses)	35 ft (11 m)	2002			5267 was used to transport Montgomery County firemen to the Pentagon in Virginia to assist in search and rescue operations after the attacks which were on September 11, 2001 and was renumbered to 27.[10] Replaced by the 2001/2002 Orion V diesel buses (5580-5623)
1990–1992			5500-5545 (46 buses)		2010			5520 was retired due to damage from an accident.[57]
1988–1989	Gillig	Phantom 30' (3096TB3208)	5300-5356 (57 buses)	30 ft (9.1 m)	2004			Ride On's last buses without wheelchair lifts, resulting in an all-accessible fleet The only order of transit style Gillig Phantoms with CAT 3208T engines. Repowered from Caterpillar 3208T engines in 1995. Replaced by the 2003/2004 Orion VII CNG buses (5900-5932)
1993	Flxible	Metro D	5700-5703 (4 buses)	40 ft (12 m)	2008			Ex-MTA Maryland buses, acquired in 1995. Originally numbered 9301-9304 Originally ran on LNG fuel. Often operated on route 70 Assigned to the Gaithersburg garage Had more seats than any other Ride On bus models Replaced by some of the 2008 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5726-5730)
1994–1997	Gillig	Phantom 35'	5360-5409 (50 buses)	35 ft (11 m)	2013			Replaced by the 2013 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5759-5770)
1999			5410-5423 (14 buses)		2015
1993	Bus Industries of America	Orion V (05.504)	5546-5547 (2 buses)	40 ft (12 m)	2009			5547 was retired due to fire damage.[58]
1995	Orion Bus Industries	Orion VI CNG (06.501)	5801-5802 (2 buses)		2005		Compressed natural gas (CNG)	Ex-Orion demos, acquired circa 1997. 5801 previously demoed for London Transit. 5802 previously demoed for Toronto Transit Commission. Built for an Ottawa Bus company but rejected the models Often never in revenue service Originally numbered 10 and 2000 as Orion demos Originally numbered 5570-5571 when getting acquired
1996		Orion V CNG (05.503)	5997-5999 (3 buses)	35 ft (11 m)	2009			Originally numbered 5567–5569
		Orion V (05.503)	5550-5566 (17 buses)		2011		Diesel	Replaced by the remaining 2008 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5731-5746)
1998			5572-5579 (8 buses)		2012			5574 was a training unit. Replaced by the 2012 Gillig LF40 hybrid buses (5361-5367)
1999		Orion V (05.501)	5705-5725 (21 buses)	40 ft (12 m)	2014–2016			5707 was retired due to damage from an accident.[59] 5714 was a training unit. Most units retired in 2014 with the 1999/2000 Orion V CNG buses (5803-5821). 5708 and 5711 were the last buses to be in service until December 2016. 5715 was brought back from retirement in 2016 to operate on the Red Line Shuttle between Silver Spring and Fort Totten.
1999–2000		Orion V CNG (05.501)	5803-5821 (19 buses)		2013–2014		Compressed natural gas (CNG)	Replaced by the 2014 Gillig LF40 CNG buses (5837-5855)
1999		Orion V (05.505)	5100-5129 (30 buses)	30 ft (9.1 m)	2014		Diesel	Ex-WMATA buses, acquired in 2012. Originally numbered 3900-3929 Replaced by the 2014 Gillig LF30 diesel buses (5060-5091)
2001–2002		Orion V (05.504)	5580-5623 (44 buses)	35 ft (11 m)	2016–2017			5593 was wrapped in Ride On's 40th anniversary paint scheme in 2015. 5589 retired on May 30, 2018. Replaced by the 2016 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (44000D-44039D)
2003	DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses	Orion VII CNG (07.502) (semi-low floor)	5900-5917 (18 buses)		2017		Compressed natural gas (CNG)	Replaced by the 2017 Gillig LF40 diesel and CNG buses (44073D-44080D and 44081C-44114C)
2004			5918-5932 (15 buses)		2017–2019			Most units retired in 2017. 5923 and 5928 retired in May 2019 with the 2005 Orion VII CNG buses (5933-5957).
2005			5933-5957 (25 buses)		2019			5933 and 5934 were training units. 5944 and 5948 were retired due to damages from accidents. Replaced by the 2019 Gillig LF40 CNG buses (44119C-44141C)
	New Flyer Industries	C40LF	5822–5836 (15 buses)	40 ft (12 m)	2020			5822 was a training unit. Originally sidelined in March 2020 due to rear door issues and later retired in September of the year due to service changes. Replaced by the 2020 Gillig LF30 diesel buses (42001D-42019D)
2006–2007	Gillig	Low Floor	5300–5313 (14 buses)				Diesel-electric hybrid	Renumbered from 5750-5763 due to the arrival of the 2009 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (5747-5757) 5312 was retired due to fire damage. 5301 and 5313 were training units. Replaced by the 2019 proterra battery electric buses (43000E-43003E) and the 2020 Gillig LF40 diesel buses (44145D-44153D)
2008			5001-5006 (6 buses)	30 ft (9.1 m)	2020–2021		Diesel	5001 is a training vehicle. 5003 is a former training vehicle. Replaced by all of the 2020 and several of the 2021 Gillig LF30 diesel buses (42001D-42021D)
2001–2002	ElDorado National	Aero Elites	5101-5181 (81 buses)	35 ft (11 m)	2009		Gasoline	Originally contracted to outside firms until the late 2000s.
2003-2004	IC Corporation/Mid Bus	Bodied Cutaway	5232-5246 (15 buses)		2013			Ex-Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County, acquired in 2012. Originally numbered 8638-8652 Replaced by the 2013 Gillig LF30 diesel buses (5032-5059)
2001	Ford/StarTrans Bus	E450 Cutaway	5201-5212 (12 buses)	23 ft (7 m)	2007			Replaced by the 2007 Gillig LF40 hybrid buses (5305-5313, formerly 5755-5763)
2007	Champion	Cutaway	5182–5231, 5285-5296 (62 buses)	35 ft (11 m)	2012			Seven different fires occurred on all of these buses between 2009 and 2012.[60][61] All of these buses retired on July 18, 2012, following the seventh fire.[62][63] Replaced by the 1999 30-foot (9.1 m) Orion V diesel buses (5100-5129) and the 2003/2004 IC Corporation/Mid buses (5232–5246)

Divisions

The bus fleet, owned and operated by Ride On, is distributed among three garages that are Nicholson, Silver Spring and Gaithersburg.

Garage	Address	Capacity	Routes	Buses	Notes
Silver Spring	8710 Brookville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910	200	1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34, 36, 39, 40, 41, 47, and 51 Weekends: 23, 29, 38, and 42	Diesel: 42000D, 42023D-42025D, 42037D-42039D, 44000D-44024D, 44145D-44153D, 5011, 5017, 5025, 5027, 5069–5090, 5758–5761, and 5769-5770 Battery electric: 43000E-43003E, 44154E-44164E, and 44166E-44227E? Hybrid: 5319, 5321, 5330, 5333-5335, 5337, 5339-5341, 5343, 5346-5347, and 5349-5367	Served by Ride On route 2 Underwent renovations to include a solar micro-grid for battery electric buses[64]
Gaithersburg	16700 Crabbs Branch Way Gaithersburg, MD 20855	200	43, 46, 48, 49, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 90, 100, 101, Lime, Pink, FLASH Blue, and FLASH Orange Weekends: 45, 83, 97, and 98	CNG: 44040C-44055C, 44081C-44117C, 44119C-44141C, 5837–5839, and 5841-5854 Diesel: 42026D-42036D, 44025D-44039D, 44056D-44072D, 44073D-44080D, 44142D-44144D, 5737, 5744, 5746, 5747-5750, 5753-5756, 5762–5768, and 46000D-46015D Battery electric: 44165E and 44228E?	Located adjacent to the Shady Grove Metro station rail yard Keeps the ready reserve, training, and retired buses
Nicholson	4700 Nicholson Court Kensington, MD 20895	68	Weekdays: 6, 7, 23, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 81, 83, 96, 97,98, and Ride On Flex Midday: 47 and 75 Late night: 30 and 75	Diesel: 41000D-41006D, 42001D-42022D, and 5032-5068	Keeps the WMATA Metrobuses Only houses 30-foot (9.1 m) Ride On buses Weekdays only as of October 2021

Routes

Ride On offers 82 routes throughout Montgomery County. All routes run through peak rush hour periods between 6 and 9 AM and between 3 and 7 PM on weekdays. Many routes offer services for off-peak hours and weekends as well.^[65]

Route	Destination	Terminus (western/southern)	Terminus (eastern/northern)	Service	Notes
1	Silver Spring – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights	Silver Spring		Certain trips operate via Leland St Certain rush hour trips operate via Ross/Spencer Rds
2	Silver Spring – Lyttonsville	Silver Spring	Brookville (Ride On Operations Center)		Serves Ride On's bus garage in Silver Spring Certain rush hour trips serve Fort Detrick (AM trips towards Lyttonsville, PM trips towards Silver Spring)
4	Silver Spring – Wheaton	Wheaton	Silver Spring	Weekday peak hour service only	Rerouted to 2nd Avenue in the 1990s All Route 4 service was extended from Kensington to Wheaton on May 8, 2022.[66]
5	Silver Spring – Twinbrook	Twinbrook	Silver Spring		Rerouted to 16th/Spring Streets in the late 1990s Serves North Bethesda Certain trips serve Victory Forest Apartments
6	Parkside – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall	Parkside Condominium	Weekday service only	Wheaton service replaced by Route 37 in 2007 Serves Grosvenor–Strathmore and Walter Johnson High School
7	Wheaton – Forest Glen	Forest Glen	Wheaton	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Wheaton, PM from Forest Glen)	Kensington service discontinued in 2010
8	Silver Spring – Wheaton	Silver Spring	Wheaton		via Forest Glen Rd & Holy Cross Hospital
9	Silver Spring – Wheaton	Silver Spring	Wheaton		via Amherst Ave Replaced the old Route 40 in 1998
11	Silver Spring – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights	Silver Spring	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Silver Spring, PM from Friendship Heights)	Service started in 1997
12	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring	Takoma		via Carroll Ave
13	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring	Takoma	Weekday peak hour service only	via Sligo Creek Pkwy
14	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring	Takoma	Monday-Saturday service only	via Colesville Rd & University Blvd Often serves Eastern Middle School
15	Silver Spring – Langley Park	Silver Spring	Takoma Langley Crossroads		Second-highest ridership in system, avg. 4,500 per day
16	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring	Takoma		via New Hampshire Ave Service extended to Takoma Park after 1997 annexation by Montgomery County
17	Silver Spring – Langley Park	Silver Spring	Takoma Langley Crossroads		via Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
18	Silver Spring – Langley Park	Silver Spring	Takoma Langley Crossroads	Sunday service between Langley Park and Takoma station only	via Takoma and Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
19	Silver Spring – Northwood	Silver Spring	Forest Glen Rd & Burnett Ave	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Forest Glen Rd, PM from Silver Spring)	Serves Eastern Middle School and Northwood High School
20	Silver Spring – Hillandale	Silver Spring	New Hampshire Ave & Powder Mill Rd		Operates via Piney Branch Rd & New Hampshire Ave
21	Silver Spring – Briggs Chaney	Silver Spring	Briggs Chaney P&R	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Briggs Chaney, PM from Silver Spring)	Service started on June 25, 2007.[67]
22	Silver Spring – Hillandale	Silver Spring	Hillandale Center (Powder Mill Rd)	Weekday peak hour service only	Operates via Columbia Pike & Colesville Rd
23	Friendship Heights – Sibley Hospital	Sibley Hospital	Friendship Heights	Monday-Saturday service only	Serves Westland Middle School
24	Hillandale – Takoma	Takoma	Powder Mill Rd & New Hampshire Ave	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Hillandale, PM from Takoma)	Serves Takoma Park Middle School
25	Takoma – Langley Park	Takoma	Takoma Langley Crossroads	Weekday peak hour service	via Maple Ave
26	Montgomery Mall – Glenmont	Montgomery Mall	Glenmont		Replaced original WMATA Metrobus Route C8 in 1996. Serves Rollins Park, Woodward and Walter Johnson High Schools and North Bethesda and Twinbrook Metro stations
27	Hillandale – Tech Road P&R	Hillandale Center (Powder Mill Rd & New Hampshire Av)	Tech Rd P&R		Serves Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Service started on July 17, 2022.
28	VANGO Free Circulator – Silver Spring	Silver Spring		Monday–Saturday service only	Free service, VanGO Shuttle Loop around Downtown Silver Spring.
29	Bethesda – Glen Echo/Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights	Bethesda		Replaced WMATA Metrobus Route N8 and old Ride On Route 31 Weekend service extended from Glen Echo to Bethesda on October 10, 2021.
30	Bethesda – Medical Center	Bethesda	Medical Center	Weekday service only	Serves Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
31	Wheaton – Glenmont	Wheaton	Glenmont	Weekday peak hour service only	via Poplar Run Serves the Kemp Mill area and John F. Kennedy High School Replaced WMATA Metrobus route Y1 in the Glenmont area
32	Bethesda – Naval Ship R&D Center	Naval Ship R&D Center	Bethesda	Weekday peak hour service only	via Cabin John Serves Thomas W. Pyle Middle School and provides access to Walt Whitman High School
33	Glenmont – Medical Center	Medical Center	Glenmont	Weekday peak hour service only	Previous service to Bethesda and Wheaton discontinued
34	Wheaton – Bethesda	Bethesda	Wheaton		Originally went from Aspen Hill to Medical Center until extended to Friendship Heights Station on May 4, 2008, replacing old Ride On Route 42. Replaced routes 31 and 32 in the 1990s, peak hours service to Aspen Hill Service between Friendship Heights and Bethesda and between Aspen Hill and Wheaton station were discontinued on June 29, 2025.[68] Discontinued portions of the route were replaced with routes 40, and 41 (between Aspen Hill and Wheaton), and Metrobus route D96 (between Bethesda and Friendship Heights).
36	Bethesda Loop	Bethesda		Weekday service only	via Hillandale Road and Bradley Blvd Service to Connelly School was eliminated February 28, 2021.[69]
37	Potomac – Wheaton	Potomac Community Center	Wheaton	Weekday peak hour service only	Serves Grosvenor–Strathmore (AM from Wheaton and PM to Wheaton), Tilden Middle School, and Winston Churchill High School
38	Wheaton – North Bethesda	North Bethesda	Wheaton		Serves Winston Churchill High School
39	Glenmont – Briggs Chaney	Glenmont	Briggs Chaney P&R	Weekday peak hour service only	Serves Briggs Chaney Middle School
40	Montgomery College Rockville Campus – Wheaton	Montgomery College Rockville Campus (Monday-Saturday daytime only) Rockville	Wheaton	Monday–Saturday daytime service to Montgomery College; all other trips end at Rockville as route 40A	Began service on June 29, 2025.[68] Replaced WMATA Metrobus routes Q2, Q4, and Q6. To be replaced with Flash BRT Veirs Mill Road (MD 586) corridor
41	Aspen Hill – Wheaton	Aspen Hill (Grand Pre Rd & Bel Pre Rd)	Wheaton		Replaced WMATA Metrobus routes Q3 and Y6 in 1996.[70] Route was extended from Glenmont station to Wheaton station on June 29, 2025.[68]
42	North Bethesda Station – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall	North Bethesda	No Sunday service	Created on January 13, 2013, to replace the 38 portion between Montgomery Mall and North Bethesda Station.[71]
43	Shady Grove – Traville TC	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove		via Shady Grove Rd and Medical Center Dr Serves JHU Rockville campus, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Fallsgrove Center, and the Universities at Shady Grove. Sunday service was added on September 16, 2018. Rerouted to serve Gaither Rd on weekdays on September 8, 2024
44	Twinbrook – Rockville	Twinbrook	Rockville	Weekday peak hour service only	Serves Richard Montgomery High School
45	Rockville Regional TC – Twinbrook	Twinbrook	Rockville Regional Transit Center (Fallsgrove Center)	No Sunday service	Select trips operates via Rockville Senior Center
46	Montgomery College – Medical Center	Medical Center	Montgomery College Rockville Campus		via N Washington St and Rockville Pike Serves Montgomery County Circuit Court, Rockville District Court, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, Twinbrook, North Bethesda, and Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro stations. Route used to extend to Shady Grove on nights and weekends. Replaced by route 55
47	Rockville – Bethesda	Bethesda	Rockville		via Wootton Pkwy and Falls, Seven Locks, Fernwood, and Old Georgetown Rds. Serves Montgomery Mall and Suburban Hospital.
48	Wheaton – Rockville	Wheaton	Rockville		Replaced original WMATA Metrobus Route Q4 in the mid 1990s via Veirs Mill (MD 586) and Norbeck Roads and Bauer and Parkland Drs Serves Rock Creek Village
49	Rockville – Glenmont	Rockville	Glenmont		via Norbeck, Bel Pre, and Layhill Roads Replaced WMATA Metrobus route Y4 in 1998 and Ride On's old route 46 Serves Argyle Middle School and Rockville High School
51	Glenmont – ICC P&R	Glenmont	ICC P&R (Georgia Ave at MD 200)	Weekday peak hour service only	Service started in late 1998 Replaced parts of WMATA Metrobus routes Y4, Y5, and Y6 Route extended to ICC P&R on January 29, 2023
52	Rockville – Medstar Montgomery Medical Center (Olney)	Rockville	Montgomery Medical Center	Weekday peak hour service only	Serves Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
53	Shady Grove – Glenmont	Shady Grove	Glenmont	Weekday peak hour service only	Trips travel as a non-stop express along Georgia Ave between Norbeck Rd and Glenmont Metro station in the peak direction via MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney
54	Rockville – Lakeforest	Rockville	Lakeforest Transit Center		via Muddy Branch Rd, Research Blvd, and West Montgomery Ave Serves Washingtonian Rio Provides service to Richard Montgomery High School Limited bus stops to NIST Monday-Friday
55	Rockville – Germantown TC	Rockville	Germantown Transit Center		Highest ridership avg. 8,000 per day via Frederick Rd Serves Milestone Center, Gaithersburg High School, Montgomery College in Rockville (Monday-Sunday) Germantown (Monday-Saturday), Lakeforest Transit Center, and Shady Grove Metro station Replaced a portion of WMATA Metrobus routes Q2, Q4, and Q6 north of Montgomery College's Rockville Campus to Shady Grove Metro station Expected to be replaced with Flash BRT's MD 355 corridor
56	Rockville – Lakeforest	Rockville	Lakeforest Transit Center		via Wootton Pkwy, Falls, Darnestown, and Quince Orchard Rds Serves Fallsgrove Center, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Kentlands and Gaithersburg P&R Serves Edison Park all day Monday-Friday Serves Brown Station and Lakewood Elementary Schools and Quince Orchard and Wootton High Schools
57	Shady Grove – Lakeforest	Shady Grove	Lakeforest Transit Center		via Washington Grove, Redland, and Muncaster Mill Rds Serves the Gaithersburg MARC station and Gaithersburg Middle School
58	Shady Grove – Lakeforest	Shady Grove	Lakeforest Transit Center		via Snouffer School Road and East Village Weekday service to Kaiser Permanente (Frederick Avenue) was eliminated on February 28, 2021.[69]
59	Rockville – Montgomery Village	Rockville	Montgomery Village Center (Clubhouse Rd)		via Frederick and Deer Park Rds, Gude Dr, Crabbs Branch Way, and Stonestreet Ave Serves Lakeforest Transit Center, Shady Grove, and Montgomery Village Middle School
60	Shady Grove – Montgomery Village	Shady Grove	Montgomery Village Center (Stedwick Rd)	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove)	via Shady Grove Rd, Midcounty Hwy, Washington Grove Ln, Flower Hill Way, and Centerway Rd. Serves Shady Grove Middle School
61	Shady Grove – Germantown TC	Shady Grove	Germantown Transit Center		via Girard St, Germantown, Clopper, Watkins Mill, and Frederick Rds Serves Germantown MARC station, Kingsview P&R, Lakeforest Transit Center, and Washington Grove MARC station Rerouted through the Waters Landing Community to replace parts of Ride On's Route 62 on Locbury, Rexmore, and Crystal Rock Drives. Service currently served by route 98 Used to serve Germantown Community Center. Service replaced by Route 98 Rerouted to serve Kaiser Permanente (Frederick Avenue) on February 28, 2021.[69] Service to the MVA was replaced by Route 78
63	Rockville – Shady Grove	Rockville	Shady Grove	Weekday service only	via Redland Blvd, Piccard Drive, Research Blvd, and W Montgomery Ave. As of September 8, 2024, Route 63 does not serve any stops on Gaither Road.
64	Shady Grove – Montgomery Village	Shady Grove	Montgomery Village Center (Clubhouse Rd)		via Centerway Rd and Emory Grove Rd
65	Shady Grove – Montgomery Village	Shady Grove	Montgomery Village Center (Stedwick Rd)	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove) Limited bus stops via Midcounty Hwy AM from Montgomery Village, PM from Shady Grove	Serves Shady Grove and Montgomery Village Middle Schools and Watkins Mill High School
66	Shady Grove – Traville TC	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Shady Grove, PM from Traville)	via Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
67	Shady Grove – Traville TC	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Traville, PM from Shady Grove)	via Frederick Ave and Dufief Mill Rd Serves the universities at Shady Grove (USG)
70	Germantown – Bethesda (Express)	Bethesda	Milestone P&R	Weekday peak hour service only	via I-270 Serves Medical Center station in the morning (to Bethesda) and in the afternoon (to Milestone P&R in Germantown)
71	Shady Grove – Kingsview	Shady Grove	Kingsview P&R	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Kingsview, PM from Shady Grove)	via I-370, I-270, Clopper Rd, Mateny Rd, Dawson Farm Rd, and Steeple Rd
73	Shady Grove – Clarksburg (Cabin Branch)	Shady Grove	Cabin Branch (Clarksburg)	Weekday peak hour service only	via I-370, I-270, Frederick Rd, Clarksburg Rd, and W Old Baltimore Rd Service started on May 14, 2017.[72] Express version of route 79 that connects commuters to Clarksburg Gateway and Shady Grove Station Serves Clarksburg HS Serves W Old Baltimore Rd in the morning (to Shady Grove) and in the afternoon (to Cabin Branch) Serves Gateway Center Dr AM (to Clarksburg Gateway) and PM (to Shady Grove)
74	Shady Grove – Germantown TC	Shady Grove	Germantown Transit Center	No Sunday service	via I-370 and Great Seneca Highway Serves Kingsview P&R, Kentlands, Montgomery County's JHU campus, and Washingtonian Rio. Serves Northwest and Seneca Valley High Schools
75	Clarksburg MCCF – Germantown TC – Germantown MARC	Germantown Transit Center	Montgomery County Correctional Facility		via Frederick Road and Snowden Farm Pkwy Serves Milestone Center and Clarksburg Premium Outlets Serves Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours Serves Clarksburg HS during peak hours in the morning and afternoon To be replaced with Flash BRT's MD 355 corridor
76	Shady Grove – Poolesville	Poolesville (W Willard Rd & Wootton Ave)	Shady Grove	Monday-Saturday service only	via I-370, Muddy Branch Rd, Great Seneca Hwy, and Darnestown Rd Serves Kentlands and Quince Orchard High School. Saturday service added September 22, 2018 between Shady Grove and Quince Orchard HS only. Service extended to The Crossvines at Poolesville on January 14, 2024 Service to the Crossvines in Poolesville eliminated on May 5, 2024
78	Shady Grove – Kingsview	Shady Grove	Kingsview P&R	Monday-Saturday only. Weekday peak hour service to MVA	via I-370, I-270, Clopper, Mateny, and Richter Farm Rds Service was added to serve Metropolitan Grove station and Maryland MVA on February 28, 2021.[69] Midday service was added on February 28, 2021,[69] and Saturday service was added on October 10, 2021. Serves Northwest High School. Buses headed to Kingsview bypass stops on Clopper Road after Firstfield Road from 6am-3pm on Weekdays, then all day on Saturdays.
79	Shady Grove – Clarksburg	Shady Grove	Clarksburg Gateway Center	Weekday peak hour service only (AM from Clarksburg, PM from Shady Grove)	via I-370, I-270, and Middlebrook and Ridge Rds. Replaced Route 82 on April 9, 2009
81	Rockville – North Bethesda (White Flint)	North Bethesda	Rockville	Weekday peak hour service only	via Tower Oaks Blvd Runs every 35 minutes during peak hours
83	Holy Cross Germantown – Germantown TC – Germantown MARC	Germantown Transit Center Germantown MARC	Holy Cross Hospital Germantown	No Sunday service	via Century Blvd, Waters Landing Dr, Father Hurley Blvd, Ridge Rd, and Seneca Meadows Pkwy Serves Milestone Center and extends to Germantown MARC station during weekday peak hours Rerouted to serve the Black Hill Development on February 28, 2021.[69]
90	Shady Grove – Damascus – Milestone	Shady Grove	Woodfield (Woodfield Road) (peak) Milestone P&R (Damascus) (off-peak)	Weekday service only	via Shady Grove and Woodfield Roads Serves Montgomery County Airpark Weekend service eliminated in 2009 Midday service terminates at Milestone P&R in Germantown beginning September 17, 2018
96	Grosvenor – Rock Spring – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall Rock Spring Park	Grosvenor–Strathmore	Weekday service only	via Tuckerman Ln, Old Georgetown Rd, Rock Spring/Rockledge Drs, and Fernwood Rd Serves Walter Johnson High School and Rock Spring Park Montgomery Mall served during off-peak hours only
97	Germantown TC – Gunners Lake	Germantown Transit Center	Gunners Lake	A circular loop route (AM: Clockwise loop, PM: Counterclockwise loop)	via Middlebrook Rd, Father Hurley Blvd, Wisteria Dr, and Waring Station Rd Serves Germantown Town Center and the Germantown MARC station during weekday peak
98	Germantown TC – Kingsview	Kingsview P&R	Germantown Transit Center	Monday-Saturday service only	via Father Hurley Blvd Serves Germantown Community Center during weekday off-peak and Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturdays Kingsview-bound buses serve Churchill Senior Living Serves Germantown Park on weekdays to Germantown (AM) and Kingsview P&R (PM)
100	Shady Grove – Germantown TC (Express)	Shady Grove	Germantown Transit Center		Express via I-370 and I-270
301	Rockville – Tobytown	Tobytown Drive	Rockville		Started service on October 2, 2016. Serves North Potomac and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital

Ride On extRa routes

Route	Destination	Terminus (Western/Southern)	Terminus (Eastern/Northern)	Service	Notes
101	Lakeforest – Medical Center	Medical Center Station	Lakeforest Transit Center	Weekday peak hour service only	Service began on October 2, 2017. Replaced WMATA Metrobus routes J7 & J9 Route overlays Routes 46 and 55 on MD 355 and only serves 13 bus stops every 10–20 minutes. Expected to be replaced with Flash BRT's MD 355 corridor
Pink	Great Seneca Transit Network – Pink	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove Station	5:00 AM – 7:30 PM weekdays 6:30 AM - 7 PM weekends	Service began on September 8, 2024. Operates every 10–15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends. Operates as a limited version of route 43 via Shady Grove Rd, Medical Center Drive, and JHU
Lime	Great Seneca Transit Network – Lime	Traville Transit Center	Shady Grove Station	5:00 AM - 10 PM weekdays 6:15 AM - 10 PM weekends	Service began on September 8, 2024. Operates every 10–15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends. Serves Downtown Crown, JHU, and Medical Center Drive Plans for this route to be extended are in the near future.

Flash BRT routes

Route	Terminus (Western/Southern)	Terminus (Eastern/Northern)	Service	Notes
Blue	Silver Spring Station	Burtonsville P&R	Weekday peak hour service only	Bypasses White Oak
Orange	Silver Spring station	Briggs Chaney P&R		via White Oak Peak hour trips operate to the White Oak FDA/FRC Building in the peak hour direction.

Former routes

These routes have been served by Ride On at one point, but have since been discontinued due to either low ridership, duplication of another route, simplification to other routes, or combined into another route. However, some routes would be reincarnated into new routes for Ride On.

Former Ride On routes

Route	Destination	Terminus (Western/Southern)	Terminus (Eastern/Northern)	Notes
2A	Silver Spring – Lyttonsville	Silver Spring Station		Temporary replacement for Route 2 during construction of the Lyttonsville Place bridge in 2018. Ran in a clockwise loop from Silver Spring to Lyttonsville Road & Claridge House, and back. Discontinued on January 11, 2019, after construction was completed.[73]
2B	Silver Spring – Lyttonsville	Silver Spring Station	Brookville (Ride On Operations Center)	Temporary replacement for Route 2 during construction of the Lyttonsville Place bridge in 2018. Ran from Silver Spring to the Ride On Operations Center via 16th Street, 2nd Ave and Brookville Road. Discontinued on January 11, 2019 after construction was completed.[73]
3	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Station	AM from Takoma Station, PM from Silver Spring Station. Discontinued on September 17, 2017 due to low ridership.[74]
10 (first use)	Silver Spring – Northwood	Silver Spring Station	Northwood	Discontinued on June 28, 1992. Replaced by realigned route 8 and extended route 19.
10 (second use)	Hillandale – Twinbrook	Twinbrook station	New Hampshire Ave & Powder Mill Rd	Replaced WMATA Metrobus route C6 in 1998. Discontinued on June 29, 2025 and replaced by WMATA Metrobus routes M12, M42, M44, and M60.[68]
11 (first use)	Silver Spring – Takoma	Silver Spring Station	Takoma Station	Discontinued in the early 1980s; replaced by extended route 3.
21 (first use)	Silver Spring – Parkside Plaza	Silver Spring Station	Parkside Plaza
21 (second use)	Silver Spring – Lyttonsville	Brookville (Ride On Operations Center)	Silver Spring Station
21 (third use)	Burtonsville Shuttle	Briggs Chaney P&R	Burtonsville P&R	Northbound operated on Columbia Pike via Greencastle P&R. Southbound operated on Old Columbia Pike. Only ran midday on weekdays. Discontinued on January 4, 2002.[75]
22 (first use)	Silver Spring – Paddington Square	Paddington Square	Silver Spring Station
26 (first use)	Grosvenor – Wheaton	Grosvenor-Strathmore station	Wheaton Station	Operated via Plyers Mill Road and Strathmore/Knowles Avenues. Discontinued on June 28, 1992; replaced by extended route 7.
27 (first use)	Friendship Heights – Medical Center	Friendship Heights Station	Medical Center Station	Discontinued on September 7, 2003, due to low ridership. Alternative service available on extended Route 33 and realigned Route 36.[76]
31 (first use)	Glen Echo – Bethesda	Glen Echo	Bethesda Station	Replaced by Route 29 in early 1996.
35	Wheaton – Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall Transit Center	Wheaton Station	Discontinued on September 1, 2002; replaced by extended route 47 and realigned Route 34.[77][78]
38 (first use)	Wheaton - Montgomery Mall	Montgomery Mall Transit Center	Wheaton Station	Service was truncated to serve only between Wheaton and North Bethesda (White Flint) in January 2013. The section between North Bethesda (White Flint) and Montgomery Mall was replaced by route 42.
40 (First Use)	Wheaton Shuttle	Wheaton Station		Operated as a midday and weekend shuttle between Wheaton Station and Westfield Wheaton. Discontinued on July 25, 1998; replaced by route 9.
40 (Second Use)	White Flint – Glenmont	White Flint station	Glenmont Station	Discontinued in early 2001; replaced by extended WMATA Metrobus route C8.[79][80]
41 (first use)	Shady Grove Shopper Shuttle	Rockshire Shopping Center	Gaithersburg (Ride On Operations Center)	Operated as a lunch-hour shuttle.
41 (second use)	Wheaton – Aspen Hill	Wheaton Station	Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill)	Originally replaced Metrobus Route Q3 in 1996. Discontinued on July 25, 1998; replaced by extended route 34.
42 (first use)	White Flint – Rockville	North Bethesda station	Rockville Station	Via Old Farm and Tilden Woods
42 (second use)	Friendship Heights – Medical Center	Friendship Heights Station	Medical Center Station	Combined with Route 34 on May 4, 2008.[81]
46 (first use)	Twinbrook – Layhill	Twinbrook Station	Layhill	Via Arctic Avenue and Bel Pre Road
49 (first use)
50	Rockville - Gaithersburg	Rockville Station	Gaithersburg	Provided connections between Shady Grove Metro station, Watkins Mill Road, Montgomery Village, and Lakeforest Mall
51 (first use)
55 (first use)	Rockville - Dorsey Mill	Rockville Station	Dorsey Mill Rd & Waters Hollow Rd
61 (first use)	Shady Grove Station - Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Montgomery College Germantown Campus
62	Shady Grove – Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Montgomery College Germantown Campus	Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[82][83]
63X	Shady Grove – Gaither Road	Shady Grove Station	Gaither Road & Gaither Drive	Served as a supplement to Route 63, connecting passengers from the Gaither Road industrial area to Shady Grove Metro during the midday and late night. Started service on January 6, 2019. Combined with route 63 on May 12, 2019.
66 (first use)	Shady Grove – Shady Grove Hospital	Shady Grove Station		Discontinued in 1998.
67 (first use)	Shady Grove – Shady Grove Hospital	Shady Grove Station		Discontinued in 1998.
68	Germantown MARC Shuttle	Germantown MARC		Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[82][83]
69	Germantown MARC Shuttle	Germantown MARC		Looped around the Germantown MARC Station. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[82][83]
71 (first use)	Shady Grove - Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Transit Center
72	Shady Grove – Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Commons	AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[82][83]
73 (first use)	Shady Grove – Germantown – Goldenrod Lane	Shady Grove Station	Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd	AM from Goldenrod Lane & Century Blvd; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[82][83]
75 (first use)	Shady Grove - Urbana	Shady Grove Station	Urbana P&R	Discontinued in 2006
77	Shady Grove – Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Commons	AM from Germantown Commons; PM from Shady Grove. Discontinued on May 28, 2005.[82][83]
78 (first use)	Shady Grove - Germantown	Shady Grove Station	Germantown Transit Center	via Mateny Rd, Great Seneca Hwy, Sam Eig Hwy. Replaced by Route 74
80	Shady Grove – King Farm Loop	Shady Grove Station	Gaither Road & Redland Road	Discontinued; last run was on May 3, 2002.[75]
82	Clarksburg Town Center – Germantown Transit Center	Clarksburg Gateway Center	Department of Energy in Germantown	AM from Clarksburg; PM from Department of Energy. Combined with Route 79 on April 5, 2009.[81]
91	Rockville Pike Shuttle	Rockville Town Center	Rockville Pike & Edson Lane	Operated from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Discontinued on September 3, 2001.[84]
92	Bethesda Shuttle	Bethesda Station		Became operated by the Bethesda Urban Partnership on September 3, 2006.[85]
93	US – HHS – Twinbrook Station	Twinbrook Station	DHHS Parklawn Shuttle (Fishers Lane)	Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership.[74]
94 (first use)	Kingsview P&R - Germantown MARC	Germantown MARC	Kingsview P&R	free shuttle to take P&R passengers to the Germantown MARC, due to insufficient parking at the station Discontinued in 2013 and was reincarnated as the Meet the MARC between Clarksburg Gateway and Germantown MARC
94 (second use)	Clarksburg – Germantown MARC	Germantown MARC	Clarksburg Gateway Center	service began in January 2013 advertised as "Meet the MARC", a free shuttle designed to encourage Clarksburg residents to take the MARC train to work. Trips were timed with MARC trains and buses would wait until the train arrived before departing via Dawson Farm Rd, Father Hurley Blvd, Ridge Rd, Skylark Rd, Little Seneca Pkwy,Snowden Farm Pkwy, ND Clarksburg Rd Discontinued on September 17, 2017, due to low ridership.[74] Replaced by weekly peak hour trips to the Germantown MARC on Route 75.
98 (first use)	Germantown Transit Center - Seabreeze Court	Germantown Transit Center		Served as a loop around Germantown. Service was realigned to extend to Kingsview P&R in January 2013 to replace route 94
124	Shady Grove Express	MD 117 P&R MD 124 P&R	Shady Grove Station	Operated through I-270. Discontinued on March 14, 2008.[81]
127	Campus Connector (Takoma – Silver Spring – Shady Grove UMS)	Takoma Station	University of Maryland	Discontinued on May 16, 2008.[81]
129	Burtonsville – Silver Spring (limited bus stop service)	Silver Spring Station	Burtonsville P&R	Service started on May 14, 2018. Limited bus stop service on US 29 between Silver Spring & Burtonsville P&R Only served 15 bus stops every 15 minutes. AM times: 5:30 AM – 9:00 AM, PM times: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM via Colesville Road, Lockwood Drive, Stewart Lane, Tech Road P&R, Briggs Chaney P&R, and Castle Blvd Discontinued on October 14, 2020 and replaced by Flash Route Blue
VAX	Montgomery College Vax Shuttle	Shady Grove Station	Montgomery College Germantown Campus	Shuttle bus for people with COVID-19 vaccine appointments at Montgomery College Germantown Ran from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday thru Friday between March 31 and April 9, 2021 Ran 7 days a week between April 10 and July 2, 2021[86] Discontinued on July 2, 2021, due to the closure of the Montgomery College Germantown MassVax site

Metrobus routes

Additionally, Ride On ran three weekend-routes that were served by WMATA Metrobus on weekdays. All routes were discontinued due to WMATA's Better Bus Redesign network, unless noted.^[87]

WMATA routes

Route	Destination	Termini (Western/Southern)	Termini (Eastern/Northern)	Notes
L8	Aspen Hill – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights station	Grand Pre Road & Bel Pre Road (Aspen Hill)	Discontinued on June 29, 2025 and replaced with Metrobus route M22.[68]
T2	Rockville – Friendship Heights	Friendship Heights station	Rockville station	via Potomac Discontinued on June 29, 2025 and replaced with Metrobus route M82 which will be operated by WMATA daily.[68]
Z2	Colesville – Silver Spring	Olney (Spartan Rd & Georgia Ave)	Silver Spring station	Saturday Service Discontinued on January 12, 2013, due to low ridership.[88] Weekday service was still operated by Metrobus until June 29, 2025 See Colesville–Ashton Line for history.