UPDATE: MCDOT has confirmed that the actual closure of Ridgefield Road is set for 12:00 AM on June 5, 2022. The decision was made because the Maryland State Highway Administration would only allow Montgomery County to shut the road down on a weekend, and at night. Expect the Ride On detour to begin on June 5, then.
There's more bad news on the Ridgefield Road closure front in Bethesda. For at least 12 months of the closure of Ridgefield between River Road and Westbard Avenue, Ride On Route 23 will drop 9 of its usual bus stops in Bethesda. The bus will detour around the construction using Little Falls Parkway, and rejoin the rest of its stops at Westbard and Massachusetts Avenue when bound toward Sibley Hospital, and the reverse when heading toward the Friendship Heights Metro station. Detours begin June 1, 2022 or June 6, 2022 and will end on May 31, 2023, according to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT tweet says "June 1," but its detour announcement says "June 6." I am awaiting a response from MCDOT and will update as soon as I hear back).
A Ride On Flex shuttle bus will operate between the Westwood Shopping Center on Westbard and the Ride On stops still operating on Massachusetts. It will turn around on Fort Sumner Drive and head back to the shopping center.
Stops between Little Falls Parkway and Ridgefield Road along River Road? Well, you're out of luck, according to Montgomery County. So if you rely on Ride On 23 to get to Whole Foods, McDonald's, 7-Eleven or Talbert's, you're out of business for at least a year. Although the official County announcement does not mention this, if you are a River Road rider who needs to get to and from the Friendship Heights Metro station, the T2 Metrobus is another option.
The detour plan discriminates against Ride On 23 riders, and discourages use of transit at a time when gasoline prices are at an all-time high. This is only the latest transit failure related to the 2016 Westbard sector plan. The County Council already eliminated the proposed Westbard Transit Hub, and a Westbard-Friendship Heights Metro free shuttle bus, from the plan prior to approving the document. More recently, the Council voted to end free Ride On service, instituting a $1 fare that will take effect July 1, 2022.
A Ride On Flex shuttle bus will operate between the Westwood Shopping Center on Westbard and the Ride On stops still operating on Massachusetts. It will turn around on Fort Sumner Drive and head back to the shopping center.
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| A Ride On Flex shuttle bus like this will operate between the Westwood Shopping Center and Massachusetts Avenue to replace the Westbard Avenue stops of Route 23 |
Stops between Little Falls Parkway and Ridgefield Road along River Road? Well, you're out of luck, according to Montgomery County. So if you rely on Ride On 23 to get to Whole Foods, McDonald's, 7-Eleven or Talbert's, you're out of business for at least a year. Although the official County announcement does not mention this, if you are a River Road rider who needs to get to and from the Friendship Heights Metro station, the T2 Metrobus is another option.
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| Folks like this who rely on Ride On 23 along River Road are about to get some tough love from Montgomery County |
The detour plan discriminates against Ride On 23 riders, and discourages use of transit at a time when gasoline prices are at an all-time high. This is only the latest transit failure related to the 2016 Westbard sector plan. The County Council already eliminated the proposed Westbard Transit Hub, and a Westbard-Friendship Heights Metro free shuttle bus, from the plan prior to approving the document. More recently, the Council voted to end free Ride On service, instituting a $1 fare that will take effect July 1, 2022.
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| "Elections have consequences." - President Barack Obama |
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