Ride On News

[rideonrulez]

It's about time I updated you guys, so here we go....

-The September changes are coming in 2 phases.
=Phase one will be Gaithersburg garage only effective 9/7/08. We updated some running time on the 43,46,58,61 and 64. We changed leave times and other changes on the 48,71,74,78 & 100. All runs have changed.
=Phase two will include Silver Spring and Nicholson garages. This is due to the Silver Spring Transit Center project (hence all those newly installed shelters on the street) and we do have a date for the start of this project BUT as much as it has moved I will not put the start date. Alot of the leave times have changed on any route that currently goes to/from Silver Spring. There will also be some equipment/route swapping between these 2 garages. I'll add to this at a later date.
-There will be alot of new schedules in the new format after these service changes.
-They will begin installing the Orbital systems on the Nicholson buses this month.
-The new Gilllig Advantages Clean Diesels are still coming in at the end of the year. This order consist of 16 forty footers and 6 twenty nine footers. These will retire the Flx's  , the Orion I's    and a few Helldorado's  . So get your last rides and pics of the first two I mentioned!!
-Ridership was up 10.7% in July 2008 comparing to July of 2007. Weekdays have been averaging over 100,000 riders a day!

When I think of more news (which I probably will eventually) I'll add it here.

[Scrabbleship]

On a tangent based off of this. Last week on my regular bus back home from work (the 5:50 1 heading from Silver Spring towards Friendship Heights), the driver mentioned that this coming week would be his last on that route and a lot of drivers are wanting to NOT do routes that start/finish at Silver Spring since it'll be a madhouse. Is this true and will it be hard to find drivers to work routes that'll be screwy for years to build a building that isn't really needed?

I know I'm still relatively new to the area, but I don't see the benefit to the Silver Spring Transit Center when what there is now works well and connections are going to be screwed up for years due to the construction.

Now, can you get a Flx on the 46 heading towards Medical Center in the PM rush for me 

[WES]

Actually in my opinion, it doesn't, especially during rush hour.  When buses have to practically run cars over that block the road to get into and out the station and also the transfers would require one to sprint from either the RIDE ON side to the WMATA side or vice versa.  And also not all of the routes/agencies that pass through there would fit.  With the new Silver Spring Transit Center WMATA, RIDE ON, MTA Express, U of MD and Greyhound will be all in one place along with I think MARC and Metrorail will be in the same place also, making easier transfers and hopefully better traffic flow.

The problem is right now, especially during rush hour is that there is no traffic lights don't seem to be properly set up to allow uninterrupted entry and exit into the transit center as is.  It's not a good thing when you have to have station managers and other bus drivers stopping traffic on Wayne Avneue just to get the buses in and out.  For the next few years, it may seem like a headache, but when it is all finished, it is supposed to be better.

[WayneNYC]

Wes,

I totally agree.  When I lived in Silver Spring I always thought they should've addressed that problem.

I always thought that they should have a cop (or some county employee) out there to during rush hours to keep Wayne Ave. traffic from blocking the entrance/exit for buses.  The bus operators have to be aggressive or else they'd never make it across Wayne Ave.  I imagine the traffic lights could've been set in such a way that Wayne Ave would not have stopped traffic in that section where the buses enter/exit the station.

I'll never forget the time this guy in his convertible threw a hissy fit because the buses were aggressively rolling in and out in front of him.  It was one day during the PM rush hour and I was on my way home from work.  They way it happened was the guy turned from N/B Colesville onto E/B Wayne (I was the car behind him).  There were a bunch of buses waiting for their chance.  The guy in the convertible hesitated a bit too long and all of a sudden about 8 buses started rolling in and out fast and furious while the guy threw his hands up in the air and was yelling.  I thought it was hilarious.   

[rideonrulez]

On a tangent based off of this. Last week on my regular bus back home from work (the 5:50 1 heading from Silver Spring towards Friendship Heights), the driver mentioned that this coming week would be his last on that route and a lot of drivers are wanting to NOT do routes that start/finish at Silver Spring since it'll be a madhouse. Is this true and will it be hard to find drivers to work routes that'll be screwy for years to build a building that isn't really needed?

I know I'm still relatively new to the area, but I don't see the benefit to the Silver Spring Transit Center when what there is now works well and connections are going to be screwed up for years due to the construction.

Now, can you get a Flx on the 46 heading towards Medical Center in the PM rush for me 

ALL Ride On operators did do a pick that is effective today (9/7/08) but this will only be in effect till the construction of the new Silver Spring Transit Center (except Gaithersburg) is ready to go.

I also have to agree with Wes & Wayne. We have more then outgrew the current transit center in Silver Spring. There are not enough bus bays to accommodate all the routes that go there thus all the doubling up. They also need a better Kiss-N-Ride as everybody picks up and drops off in the Ride On area (upper deck) which is the most heavily used stop (1,2,11,16,17,18,20) at the station!! That doesn't include that every Ride On bus that pulls in alights there too.

The new transit center will improve traffic flow as there will no longer be an entrance on Wayne Ave, it will also put ALL local systems under one roof since MTA picks up today on Colesville Rd, Shuttle Um picks up on Bonifant St and Greyhound is on Fenton St and which will also allow for future expansion. Plus there will be a third level for Kiss-N-Ride and Taxi's. So it will consist of 3 levels (not including the buildings on top) and a park. After all said and done it will be worth the kiosk we have to go through for the next 2 years!!

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

So I'm guessing that the 40' Gilligs will cause the '99 Orion Vs (5710 and up) to move to Gaithersburg? Unless Gaithersburg will finally get some Gilligs...

Where can the Flx's be most likely found? I haven't seen one in a while and I wanna get a ride or 2 on them before they retire. I'm also guessing 5546 will retire as well?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

George, why would you want the Gilligs in the first place?

I agree with what has been said about the Silver Spring situation.  The end will justify the means, and a rebuilt transit center at one of Maryland's busiest transit stops will benefit everyone.

Are there any Purple Line provisions being included in the design?  I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the design accomodates the Met Branch Trail if that ever gets built, and will also be friendly for users of the Georgetown Branch and Wayne Avenue bike routes.

[rideonrulez]

So I'm guessing that the 40' Gilligs will cause the '99 Orion Vs (5710 and up) to move to Gaithersburg?

That is the plan last I checked

Where can the Flx's be most likely found? I haven't seen one in a while and I wanna get a ride or 2 on them before they retire. I'm also guessing 5546 will retire as well?

Yes anything built in 1993 and before will be gone with this next Gillig order. The Flx's are used only as a last resort to make pull out. I'd say the best chance to get it is at Shady Grove East during rush hour.

The end will justify the means, and a rebuilt transit center at one of Maryland's busiest transit stops will benefit everyone.

Are there any Purple Line provisions being included in the design?  I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the design accomodates the Met Branch Trail if that ever gets built, and will also be friendly for users of the Georgetown Branch and Wayne Avenue bike routes.

Actually Silver Spring Transit Center IS the busiest Transit Center in the state. From what I've seen of the plans, yes all of the above is correct.

[rideonrulez]

Ok it looks official, The Silver Spring Transit Center construction (aka IOS) will take place....

September 28, 2008!

All buses will move out of the current terminal to there on street location. WMATA will be on Wayne Ave both directions, the "jug handle" and Dixon St NB only. Ride On routes 2 & 9 will be on Wayne Ave. The 8, 18, 21 & 22 will be on Dixon St SB. The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13 & 17 will be on Bonifant St WB under "the bridge". The 14, 15, 16, 19 & 20 will be on Bonifant St EB under "the bridge". The route 28 "Van Go" will be on the "jug handle" with WMATA's F4,6. MTA Commuter buses will still be in the same place. Shuttle Um will be at the bus stop on Bonifant St WB near side Dixon St. This madness will be for 26-30 months. Pull out your cameras!!

[79MetroExtraMD]

Ok it looks official, The Silver Spring Transit Center construction (aka IOS) will take place....

September 28, 2008!

All buses will move out of the current terminal to there on street location. WMATA will be on Wayne Ave both directions, the "jug handle" and Dixon St NB only. Ride On routes 2 & 9 will be on Wayne Ave. The 8, 18, 21 & 22 will be on Dixon St SB. The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13 & 17 will be on Bonifant St WB under "the bridge". The 14, 15, 16, 19 & 20 will be on Bonifant St EB under "the bridge". The route 28 "Van Go" will be on the "jug handle" with WMATA's F4,6. MTA Commuter buses will still be in the same place. Shuttle Um will be at the bus stop on Bonifant St WB near side Dixon St. This madness will be for 26-30 months. Pull out your cameras!!

Aw damn. All hell bout to break loose. As for accessing the Metro station, how will that be situated, plus, any idea on the bus bay locations. The Metro evac maps sort of give an idea but I found some errors (such as the MTA commuter buses being at Bay V).

[Scrabbleship]

Ok it looks official, The Silver Spring Transit Center construction (aka IOS) will take place....

September 28, 2008!

All buses will move out of the current terminal to there on street location. WMATA will be on Wayne Ave both directions, the "jug handle" and Dixon St NB only. Ride On routes 2 & 9 will be on Wayne Ave. The 8, 18, 21 & 22 will be on Dixon St SB. The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13 & 17 will be on Bonifant St WB under "the bridge". The 14, 15, 16, 19 & 20 will be on Bonifant St EB under "the bridge". The route 28 "Van Go" will be on the "jug handle" with WMATA's F4,6. MTA Commuter buses will still be in the same place. Shuttle Um will be at the bus stop on Bonifant St WB near side Dixon St. This madness will be for 26-30 months. Pull out your cameras!!

You think it will be for 26-30 months. As optimistic as you are and as much inside information as you know, I doubt it. Look at the delays in actually getting things started, wasn't it supposed to be finished by now?

Maybe it's just the cynical ex-(upstate) New Yorker in me, but I think that the very earliest 2012 will be the finish date during which time Silver Spring will take a huge hit. I know New York isn't Maryland but I have no trust in any capital projects and given how this project was supposed to start 2 years ago I doubt it'll be finished by time.

Would it be possible for the J's and S's to do discharges at the Ride On/MTA stop at the corner of Colesville and East-West? It would be very defeatist to pass under the Metro and not stop then force everyone to backtrack.

[Tristan]

Delays in starting do not necessarily equate to delays in finishing.  The delay in getting started is in getting approvals and funding and contracts -- when the project starts, most of that is already in place.  Keep your spirits up :-)

[79MetroExtraMD]

Welcome to Maryland.

[ChristopherF]

I just found out that Ride On will have 16 additional 40' Gillig Advantage clean diesel buses to go along with the 5 it already has.  Will they be numbered 5731-5746?  What about the 6 29' Gillig Advantage clean diesels?

[79MetroExtraMD]

The 300s are the one series that comes to mind for the 29 footers. Those were the designation for the 30 foot Gilligs back in 89.