TKPK Submits Public Comments for Ride on Reimagined Study
City Submits Comment on County’s Draft Bus Plan
On November 15th, the public comment window closed to submit testimony for the Ride On Reimagined Draft Network Concept. The Draft Network Concept is the stage in the project’s planning process that proposes changes to existing bus routes across the County, including most routes serving Takoma Park.
The City submitted a letter of support for the proposal, with a few conditions raised. Staff analysis identified that the proposal retains the existing extensive bus network coverage and reflects some adjustments specifically requested by Takoma Park residents, such as a bus route that connects:
- the interim library location,
- the Recreation Center,
- and the Community Center.
Some of the proposed changes will reduce the number of bus lines that serve certain high-volume corridors in an effort to consolidate routes that duplicate each other, including on Maple Avenue and Flower Avenue. When City staff reached out to the County’s project planner, they were notified that the frequency of bus service would not be determined until later in the process when budgetary impacts were established. For this reason, The City’s letter specifically supports the changes to routes so long as bus frequency remains similar to or better than current bus headways, especially on the corridors that serve many of the City’s residents who most rely upon public transit.
The City’s full Letter of Support can be reviewed here [PDF].
According to the County’s project page, “the Ride On Reimagined Study is a comprehensive, forward-looking assessment of the bus network that will result in significant recommended changes to how transit operates in Montgomery County based on current and future needs. This study will take an in-depth look at Montgomery County’s existing and planned transit systems, including Metrobus services that operate within the County limits and the future Purple Line.”
The project team expects to adapt the Draft Network Concept feedback into a Service and Implementation Plan by January 2024. Any action taken on the Service and Implementation Plan will require an allocated budget in the County’s annual budget.
