Montgomery Makes Ride On Free, Reinvests in Service

Montgomery County eliminated all Ride On bus fares on Sunday, June 29. All Ride On, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, and Flash routes now operate fare-free.

Montgomery County made all Ride On buses fare-free starting June 29, 2025. County Executive Marc Elrich proposed the zero-fare policy in his FY 2026 budget, and the County Council adopted it after concluding that replacing outdated fareboxes would cost around $22 million, far outweighing annual fare revenue, which shrank from nearly $10 million to roughly $1.6 million.

The decision expands on existing zero-fare programs for youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and Montgomery College students. The new policy extends free transit access to all riders, regardless of eligibility, making the entire system fare-free.

The adopted budget includes $211 million for transit services — a nearly 9% increase over the prior year — to support the fare-free system and a major bus network redesign focused on improving reliability and coverage.

County leaders highlighted potential benefits, including increased access for working residents, reduced traffic congestion, cleaner air, and enhanced job connectivity.

Rethinking Road Revenue: A Rational Approach to Transportation Funding

The shift in Montgomery underscores broader questions about how Maryland funds its transportation network, especially as counties confront rising costs and outdated funding formulas.

At this year’s MACo Summer Conference, join transportation leaders and policymakers for the session, “Rethinking Road Revenue: A Rational Approach to Transportation Funding.”

The panel will explore the past, present, and future of Highway User Revenues (HUR), and examine funding tools — including regional transit authorities — that could help modernize Maryland’s approach to mobility and infrastructure investment.

MACo’s Summer Conference, “Resilient. Responsive. Ready.,” is August 13-16, 2025, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. This year’s theme is “Funding the Future: The Evolving Role of Local Government.” For more information, please visit the conference website.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: