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Advisory
Committee
Opportunities
Individuals interested in helping these areas improve transit and other alternative commute modes of travel are needed.
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59th Capital Bikeshare Station Opens in Montgomery County
If something looks different to you about the corner of Pooks Hill Road and Linden Avenue in Bethesda, it's not your imagination. That's the site of the latest Capital Bikeshare station in Montgomery County, bringing the total to 59 stations, located in Chevy Chase Lake, Friendship Heights, Bethesda, Takoma Park, Rockville/Shady Grove/Life Sciences Center, and Silver Spring.
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Help Name BRT and Get a Chance at Prizes
Hurry: Deadline is January 20
What could you do with a 9.7-inch iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil? If you participate in the naming contest for Montgomery County's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, you'll be eligible to win that randomly drawn grand prize or other goodies.
But hurry! The contest ends soon, running through January 20 at 5:00 p.m. Visit http://getonboardbrt.com/vote/ for details and to pick or suggest a name.
Did you know?
- 2 out of 3 Montgomery County residents say they would use BRT - many of them new transit users.
- 8 out of 10 Montgomery County residents like the fact that BRT is better for the environment.
- 8 out of 10 Montgomery County residents support adding BRT to our transit network.
Montgomery County is studying BRT lines along US 29, MD 355, MD 586 (Veirs Mill Road) and the Corridor Cities Transitway. Open houses were held last year in the MD 355 and MD 586 corridors, giving residents opportunities to ask questions and talk with County staff. Two similar meetings are projected for early this year at convenient locations within the US 29 corridor.
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Ride On Changes 18 Routes
Check out this Ride On flyer (PDF) for details on changes to selected bus routes, which took effect January 8. Many of the changes were minor schedule tweaks, while others involved routing changes. A total of 18 Ride On routes were affected, including Route 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 24, 33, 42, 51, 52, 75, 93, 97 and 98. See specific routes affected here. To keep track of where your bus is on its route at any given moment, visit RideOnRealTime.com.
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Employers: FareShare Helps You Help Your Employees!
 Montgomery County's FareShare matching subsidy program helps employers located within Transportation Management Districts (TMDs) encourage their employees to use transit and vanpooling. The short-term County subsidy matches the employer's transit benefits, and helps employers offset their commute benefit program start-up costs. Check out this video from Montgomery County Commuter Services:
FareShare matches the transit benefit offered by the employer up to a maximum of $50/month per participating employee (up to $10,000 in one year to any one employer). Employers can offer their employees any amount up to the maximum of $255/month permitted by Federal tax law as a tax-free commute benefit.
FareShare Details: - Employers not yet offering a direct transit/vanpool benefit: The County will assist in starting a commuter benefits program and will match the benefit offered by the employer up to $50/employee/month.
- Employers already offering a transit benefit - but less than the maximum allowable $255/month: The County will match any increase in the transit benefit up to $50/month.
- Transit and vanpool benefits must be offered through WMATA's SmartBenefits program.
- Employers are eligible for a Maryland state tax credit of 50% of their contribution, up to a maximum of $100/employee/month. This credit is available to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
- This program is contingent upon availability of County funds.
Learn more about how FareShare can help you and your employees.
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County Executive Holds FY18 Budget Forums
County Executive Ike Leggett will submit his proposed FY 2018 operating budget to the County Council on March 15. He is holding five public forums around the county before then to invite public input. The first two forums were held earlier in January. The next forum is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., at the Mid-County Community Recreation Center (for the Mid-County Regional Services Ctr.) 2004 Queensguard Rd. in Silver Spring.
"Public forums are the residents' opportunity to tell me what is important to them as I prepare next year's operating budget for submission to the County Council," said Leggett. "Input from residents for the FY18 budget is crucial in helping me determine the County's budget priorities."
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Of Note
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Inauguration Metro Cards:
Interested in a commemorative Metro fare card for the January 20 presidential inauguration? Get yours here.
- Eco-Internships: Know a college student seeking sustainability-oriented internship opportunities? Check out the Fields of Green internship fair on February 9.
- Track Your Bus: Let your smartphone help you avoid hurry-up-and-wait syndrome. Use Ride On Real Time to find out where your favorite bus is and verify its arrival time.
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