• Advisory ID: 10-006
• Advisory Date: 1/21/2010
• Contact: Neil Greenberger  240-777-7939
• From: Council Office

Montgomery Council T and E Committee to Review Proposed Cuts to RideOn Bus Service

On Thursday, Jan. 21, Worksession Will Evaluate County Executive’s Proposal to Reduce Service by Overall 7.5 Percent

ROCKVILLE, Md., January 20, 2010—The Montgomery County Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment (T and E) Committee on Thursday, Jan. 21, will hold a worksession on County Executive Isiah Leggett’s proposal to reduce the County’s RideOn bus service—including the elimination of 9 weekday routes, 10 Saturday routes and 5 Sunday routes.

The proposed cuts are part of the County Executive’s proposal to make $70 million in cuts from the current Fiscal Year 2010 operating budget. The cuts would help the County address an estimated shortfall of about $608 million that has been projected for the FY11 operating budget, which will go into effect on July 1.

T and E Committee, which is chaired by Council President Nancy Floreen and includes Councilmembers Roger Berliner and George Leventhal, will meet at 2 p.m. in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.

The proposed cuts to RideOn Service, which would go in effect on March 28, would save approximately $1.2 in costs for the balance of FY10, partially offset by a loss of $130,000 fare revenue for a net savings of $1,070,000. Projected through the following year, the FY11 budget would be reduced by $4.5 million, or a net savings of $4 million.

If adopted as proposed, the Executive’s recommendations would reduce bus service by 7.5 percent. His recommendations include discontinuing segments for 4 routes, reducing frequency of 3 weekday peak-period routes and reducing evening bus trips on 7 weekday routes, 4 Saturday routes and 2 Sunday routes.

The reduced service would cut 52 bus operator positions, 32 of which are currently filled.

The County’s Department of Transportation is scheduled to hold a public forum on the proposed reduction of RideOn Service at 6:30 p.m.on Feb. 1 in the cafeteria of the Executive Office Building in Rockville.

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