MCDOT Communications About Ride On Changes
Letter to Montgomery Transportation Director Chris Conklin, September 13, 2022
Ride On accomplishes an essential mobility mission of Montgomery County by connecting people, communities, workplaces, educational institutions, recreational opportunities and many other essential destinations. It is an important mobility, environmental and economic resource in Montgomery County.
Ride On recently announced significant route changes that took effect September 11, 2022. We are concerned that the information about the proposed route changes was disseminated in a way that put the burden on riders to find out whether and how their route changed.
As of the evening of September 11 there were no signs at any bus stops or stations announcing the route changes. The schedules at the Silver Spring Transit Center were all dated May 2022, and per MCDOT were to be updated the week of Sept 11. The only notification to riders was a poster inside the bus -- which merely stated that routes were changing, but did not specify whether the rider's route would have more or fewer buses, or buses arriving at different times. The notice was small enough that it might not be seen on a full bus, and could easily be missed by a busy commuter.
We believe that as a practical matter, system efficiency -- while important to policy-makers -- is not salient to riders. What riders want to know is:
- Does this affect MY buses?
- If yes, how?
- What do I have to do so that MY buses will get me where I need to go, when I need to get there?
MCDOT communications to riders should make it as easy as possible for riders to answer those questions. The sign on the bus only answered the first question. To get answers to the other two questions, riders would have to go online.
Is this standard procedure for RIde On notifications? We hope not. If it is, we urge that it be reviewed in light of the county's commitment to equity.
Separately, the announcement did not include any explanation as to why the various changes were made for each route beyond "to improve efficiency".
We know that bus route changes are made as the result of careful planning and study by hard-working MCDOT and RIdeOn staff. We are disappointed that a full explanation (or report) has not yet been made available to the public. When will it be available? This is a matter of good government.
Paul Goldman
Action Committee for Transit