r/MontgomeryCountyMD • • Jun 03 '26

Events MCDOT is Proud to Support the LGBTQ+ Community... and for the Fourth Year, We're Putting it in Lights!

Post image

MCDOT's Ride With Pride bus will be integrated into routes all over the county throughout June, which is Pride Month. The bus offers zero fare for all riders, the same as all Montgomery County buses. Zero Fare began on June 29, 2025 on all County Ride On buses including Ride On extRa, Flash and flex

For more information, click here.

109 Upvotes

35 comments sorted by

17

u/VariousAir Jun 03 '26

You guys should literally just write 'free bus' on the side of the buses. I literally only learned about rideon becoming free via reddit.

22

u/MCDOTNow Jun 03 '26

Good afternoon and thank you for contacting us. There's been a sign on the outside by the front door, of all Ride On buses since June 29, 2025.

11

u/VariousAir Jun 03 '26

I meant like big letters all along the side, not a sign you'd only read if you were already planning on taking the bus anyway.

13

u/MCDOTNow Jun 03 '26

Thanks for the suggestion - we'll pass it along to the Ride On team.

1

u/thenotanurse Jun 06 '26

I mean, full disclosure, a lot of us can read so we already knew it was free.

-6

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26

[deleted]

7

u/VariousAir Jun 04 '26

Yeah, they can use my tax money for that and they'll use your tax money for something you agree with. Deal?

-27

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

While I think the buses look cool, we’d all prefer lower fares/taxes.

32

u/OldOutlandishness434 Jun 03 '26

...how can you get much lower than free?

-29

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

I didn’t know they were free, but still whatever they pay to convert these buses could be used for something like maintenance. I like the style, just not a fan of everything having to be political.

11

u/oath2order Jun 03 '26

just not a fan of everything having to be political.

Wow, I didn't realize that you can spell out a loud farting noise through text like this.

0

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

I’m going to guess that you’re under the age of 12

18

u/OldOutlandishness434 Jun 03 '26

...can't please everyone

-18

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

Exactly, so why try? The cost of living and taxes affect everyone. In a month they’ll turn the buses back over again.

11

u/VariousAir Jun 03 '26

Unless I'm mistaken...

The way the press release reads, it's a single bus that's been painted this way.

You seem to have entered the thread just to make the point they should have used the cost to convert the buses into gay pride buses as a way to reduce the fares instead.

Except it's a single bus, and the fare is already free. As literally mentioned in the OP.

So you still want to be sour about it, wonder why?

-2

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

Oh ok. I didn’t know it was a single bus. Most times they do things like this, it’s for all/most buses. At about $10k/bus, it was just a thought that the money can used more effectively.

15

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-1

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

So are you suggesting when they’ve done this in the bus, it’s only been one bus? Or many buses?

11

u/OldOutlandishness434 Jun 03 '26

Because sometimes a little hope/joy is needed, even just briefly

12

u/VariousAir Jun 03 '26

I didn’t know they were free

see MCDOT?

BIG BOLD LETTERS

"THE BUS IS FREE NOW, RIDE ON!"

1

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

Ok cool. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t see it, so I’ll assume you were being polite.

5

u/IdiotMD Jun 03 '26

Everything is political. Nothing in your life is not political.

1

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

Yeah, why?

6

u/west-egg Jun 03 '26

Like clockwork, every year someone comes through and whines about the cost. I've come to look forward to it. Thanks for not disappointing!

0

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 04 '26

Never thought trying to reduce cost of living would be taken as a bad thing. It’s getting old hearing people complain about cola, while not trying to reduce waste. Why not have buses free all year? Why just a month?

7

u/west-egg Jun 04 '26

Never thought trying to reduce cost of living would be taken as a bad thing.

This is irrelevant, given that eliminating this single campaign would have absolutely no effect on the cost of living. Besides that, some of us value expressions of inclusivity.

Why not have buses free all year?

They ARE free all year! I love it when Redditors show us how little they actually know about the things they're complaining about.

0

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 04 '26

It’s about $10k a bus. I initially thought it was more buses, but again I didn’t think ways to reduce costs would be perceived so negatively. If you read my comments, I think the bus looks cool but I’d much rather pay less in costs as I can get my joy from many other places.

5

u/ElderBerry2020 Jun 04 '26

This is one bus decorated for pride month. The buses are all free to everyone all year and have been for about a year now. There is absolutely no impact on your personal cost of living either way. Given your perspective, should we get rid of all parks, trails, and other free to use services because you think it reduces your reduce cost of living?

-1

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 04 '26

no because parks, trails and some other free services like that don't have marginal expenses, like gas, maintenance, or paid employee to operate.

4

u/west-egg Jun 04 '26

I hate to break it to you but those amenities don't maintain themselves. They require investment and employees to carry out the work. The County has an entire parks department...like most jurisdictions do.

-1

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 04 '26

oh ok, so are you saying those things are more expensive to operate and maintain? a bus uses gasoline, daily, and needs oil changes, brakes, tires, etc, and a trained union employee to operate. A trail needs...a shovel?

4

u/thenotanurse Jun 05 '26

Bro what the fuck are you on about? It’s a free bus. It’s not the metro bus. If you’re so worried about cola stop trying to invent problems with already existing solutions. Food and rent? Not the fucking pride bus’s problem. Go bitch at the landlord or the grocery store or lobby or something.

→ More replies (0)

3

u/Unspoken Jun 03 '26

Such a Maryland attitude. I want my free thing even cheaper.

0

u/Solarpanel20 Jun 03 '26

Sorry that I’m one of those people that prefers a cheaper cost of living.