Flash BRT
| Flash BRT | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash BRT Logo | ||||||||||||
| Overview | ||||||||||||
| Owner | Ride On | |||||||||||
| Locale | Montgomery County, Maryland | |||||||||||
| Transit type | Bus rapid transit | |||||||||||
| Number of lines | 2 operational 4 under development | |||||||||||
| Number of stations | 12 (operational) ~45 (overall) | |||||||||||
| Headquarters | Rockville, Maryland | |||||||||||
| Website | http://www.ridetheflash.com | |||||||||||
| Operation | ||||||||||||
| Began operation | October 14, 2020 (U.S. 29 only) | |||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Ride On | |||||||||||
| Number of vehicles | 16 Nova Bus LFS articulated | |||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||
| System length | 14 mi (23 km) on U.S. 29[1] | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Flash BRT is a bus rapid transit network in Montgomery County, Maryland with one corridor in operation and four future corridors under development.[2] It is part of Montgomery County's Ride On bus system.
Corridors
[edit ]
29 corridor
[edit ]Currently the only corridor in operation, Flash BRT service runs in two routes along U.S. 29, both beginning at the Silver Spring Metrorail station and extending northeast. The Blue route makes six total stops, ending at the Burtonsville park and ride. The Orange route makes eleven total stops, ending at the Briggs Chaney park and ride.
The line opened on October 14, 2020, replacing the previous Ride On Route 129.[3] Buses drive along the shoulder of U.S. 29 along the northern end of the route, with the remainder of the service using mixed-traffic roadways. Buses receive signal priority at some intersections.[1]
Howard County has studied the possibility of extending the Flash line on the 29 corridor from Burtonsville to Maryland Route 99 in Ellicott City.[4]
Stations serving the 29 corridor
[edit ]| Station Name | Location | Connections | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Spring | Bus Bay 229 8400 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
Washington Metro Red Line MARC Train : Brunswick Line Purple Line (future) Bus transport Metrobus: 70, 79, F4, J1, J2, J4, Q1, Q2, Q4, S2, S9, Y2, Y7, Y8, Z2, Z6, Z7, Z8, Z11 Bus transport Ride On: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28 Bus transport MTA Maryland Bus: 915, 929 Bus transport Shuttle-UM: 111 Bus transport Peter Pan Bus |
Transit center (existing) Bike transport Capital Bikeshare |
| Fenton Street | Colesville Road & Fenton Street Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
Bus transport Metrobus : F4, Z2, Z6, Z7, Z8, Z11 Bus transport Ride On : 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 28 Bus transport MTA Maryland Bus : 305, 315, 325 |
Bike transport Capital Bikeshare |
| Four Corners | Northbound: Colesville Road & Lanark Way Southbound: Colesville Road & University Boulevard Silver Spring, MD 20901 |
Bus transport Metrobus : C2, C4, Z2, Z6, Z8 Bus transport Ride On : 9, 19, 21 |
|
| Burnt Mills | Burnt Mills Shopping Center Silver Spring, MD 20901 |
Bus transport Metrobus : Z2, Z6, Z8, Z11 Bus transport Ride On : 21, 22 |
Bike transport Capital Bikeshare |
| Oak Leaf Drive | Northbound: Lockwood Drive & Northwest Drive Southbound: Lockwood Drive & Oak Leaf Drive Silver Spring, MD 20901 |
Bus transport Metrobus : Z2, Z6, Z8 | Bike transport Capital Bikeshare |
| FDA | Northwest Loop Road White Oak, MD 20903 |
Bus transport Metrobus : C8, K9 Bus transport MTA Maryland Bus : 203, 204 |
|
| White Oak Transit Center | Lockwood Drive north of New Hampshire Avenue White Oak, MD 20904 |
Bus transport Metrobus : C8, K6, Z6, Z8 Bus transport Ride On : 10 |
Bike transport Capital Bikeshare |
| April Lane | Stewart Lane & April Lane White Oak, MD 20904 |
Bus transport Metrobus : Z6, Z8 Bus transport Ride On : 10 |
Bike transport Capital Bikeshare |
| Tech Road | Columbia Pike & Tech Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 |
Bus transport Metrobus : Z6, Z7, Z8 Bus transport Ride On : 10 |
130 parking spaces |
| Castle Boulevard | Castle Boulevard & Castle Ridge Circle Silver Spring, MD 20904 |
Bus transport Metrobus : Z6, Z8, Z11 | Bike transport Capital Bikeshare |
| Briggs Chaney | Gateshed Manor Way & Briggs Chaney Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 |
Bus transport Metrobus : Z6, Z8, Z11 Bus transport Ride On : 21, 39 |
Bike transport Capital Bikeshare 240 parking spaces Public restrooms |
| Burtonsville | National Drive & US 29 Burtonsville, MD 20866 |
Bus transport Metrobus : Z6, Z7, Z11 Bus transport MTA Maryland Bus : 201, 202, 203, 305, 315 |
Bus loop/drop off 500 parking spaces |
Veirs Mill corridor
[edit ]Scheduled to open circa 2028, the Viers Mill corridor is planned to run along Veirs Mill Road between Wheaton Metrorail station and Rockville Metrorail station. The initial plan includes 11 stations, with a possible future extension to Montgomery College.[5]
355 corridor
[edit ]Scheduled to open circa 2029, the 355 corridor is planned to begin at Bethesda Metrorail station and run northwest along Maryland Route 355 through Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Clarksburg.[6]
North Bethesda corridor
[edit ]This proposed route would run from North Bethesda Metro station to Montgomery Mall. Early planning work is under way as of 2025 but no opening date has yet been announced.[7]
New Hampshire Avenue corridor
[edit ]This proposed route would run along New Hampshire Avenue between as yet undetermined end stations near the DC line and Colesville. Early planning work is under way as of 2025 but no opening date has yet been announced.[8]
Buses
[edit ]
The Montgomery Country Department of Transportation purchased 16 Nova Bus LFS articulated buses for the U.S. 29 line, which is based out of the Gaithersburg Garage. These buses can fit up to 80 passengers and feature level boarding, onboard bike racks, and an automatic wheelchair securement system.[9] The buses are also equipped with a pedestrian sensor, which alerts the driver when people are passing in front of the bus. As with other Ride On buses, each bus also features a WiFi hotspot. Passengers can board or exit the bus through any of its three doors.
Stations
[edit ]
There are approximately 45 stations proposed across the entire future network, with 12 stations currently operating on the US 29 routes. Each station includes a canopy, a seating area, and a fare payment machine that accepts SmarTrip cards along with traditional forms of payment, and a passenger information system that displays when the next bus is coming and a blue pylon mounted above the canopy that flashes when a bus is about to arrive.[citation needed ]
References
[edit ]- ^ a b Pascale, Jordan (October 13, 2020). "Montgomery County Launches A New Rapid Bus Service This Week". WAMU 88.5. Washington, DC.
- ^ "Ride the Flash - MCDOT Montgomery County, MD". www.montgomerycountymd.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ Lazo, Luz. "The D.C. region's most ambitious try at bus rapid transit is coming to Montgomery County". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ "Info". /www.howardcountymd.gov. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ "FLASH on Veirs Mill". Ride the FLASH. August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "MD355 FlasH BRT". MD 355 Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
- ^ "North Bethesda Transitway". Ride the FLASH. February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
- ^ "New Hampshire Ave BRT planning". New Hampshire Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
- ^ Diegel, Mike (October 15, 2020). "County DOT Launches Flash Bus Rapid Transit Service". Source of the Spring. Silver Spring, MD. Retrieved October 17, 2020.