Save Ride On Route 37

"Restructuring" the 37

2009-02-25T16:25:00.002-05:00

If you are looking here, you've probably seen the notice that mentions that RideOn plans on "restructuring routes 37 and 6" for FY2010. There is a lot of confusion as to what this really means, so I called RideOn this morning to ask some questions. Here's what I found out:

Under the proposed restructuring, the 37 as we currently know it will NOT change. The route will stay the same, as will the frequency.
There could be some slight schedule changes (e.g. bus will leave at 5:57 instead of 5:59 pm or the like), but that level of detail isn't yet known.
What is changing is what our bus will do AFTER we've all reached Grosvenor. The bus itself will continue on to Wheaton. Currently it's the 6 that runs from Grosvenor to Wheaton. It will be the 37 once the restructuring happens. The section between Potomac Community Center and Grosvenor will be unchanged.

In the course of my discussion with the RideOn official in charge of this part of the proposal, I told him that the word "restructuring" was ambiguous and that the riders on the 37 were unclear on what it means and given our experiences last year, a bit suspicious of what it means. To try to allay our fears, he is going to try to get some of his staff out to Grosvenor next week to hand out more concrete info as we get off the bus and/or to be available to answer any questions we may want to ask.

Celebration Dinner

2008-03-04T10:30:00.002-05:00

We'd like to get everyone together for a celebratory dinner. Not only will it give everyone a chance to unwind & celebrate our efforts, it'll give people a chance to put faces together with names & email addresses and let us all get to know the people we ride with everyday a little bit better.

Date: Tuesday, March 11th
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Jade Billows Chinese Restaurant in the Cabin John Shopping Center
RSVP: email to let us know you are coming so we can tell the restaurant how big a table to put aside for us.

Spouses/significant others/well-behaved kids welcome, too. :-)

Hope to see you there.

We DID it!!

2008-03-04T10:21:00.003-05:00

I'm a little slow in posting this, but in case you haven't heard:

WE DID IT!! The 37 has been saved!

Here's the official notice:

As you know, Montgomery County is facing a serious budget shortfall of $400 million in fiscal year 2009, which begins July 1, 2008. Rather than wait until July to address this looming deficit, the County Executive directed every Department in the County to propose savings in order to meet the goal of reducing our current year budget by two percent.

Transit’s contribution to the savings plan included reductions in service to some of these Ride On routes with the lowest number of riders. But, before any changes were to be made to our critical transit service, we wanted to hear from our customers by giving them the opportunity to write or call us, or attend and/or provide input at a public forum on February 11. After carefully reviewing written comments and testimony from 250 customers and residents, we want you to know that your concerns have been heard.

Ride On is making the following changes:

Weekday Service

Route 7 Weekday Service: Retain the route as is due to the limited availability of alternatives. Trip times will be reviewed, as suggested by customers, in an effort to improve this route’s performance.

Route 34/42 Weekday Service: The merger of service on these two routes will begin May 4. The new combined route will be called Route 34.

Route 37 Weekday Service: Reduce the frequency of service to every 30 minutes, effective May 5. Ride On expects that 90 percent of riders will be retained with this change, resulting in a 20 percent improvement in performance (as measured by riders per hour).

Route 75: Retain the route as is.

Route 124: As originally proposed in the savings plan, Ride On will eliminate service on Route 124 after Friday, March 14th.

Route 127: Transfer operation of this bus route to the administration of Montgomery College, starting in fiscal year 2009. The last day of Ride On operated service will be May 16. The College can operate the service more cost effectively by only running it on school days. The County will include funding in the College’s fiscal year 2009 budget for the costs of operating their version of the Route 127 service.

Saturday Service

Routes 30 Saturday Service: Weekday service will continue, but Saturday service will be eliminated after Saturday April 5th.

Routes 36 Saturday Service Weekday service will continue, but Saturday service will be eliminated after Saturday April 5th.

Route 90 Saturday Service: Retain Saturday service, but reduce the span of service by two hours each day, effective Saturday, April 12. Ride On expects that 90 percent of riders will be retained, resulting in a 13 percent improvement in performance.

Sunday

Route 98 Sunday Service: Weekday service will continue, but Sunday service will be eliminated after Sunday, March 30.

This revised plan will still save $200,980 in fiscal year 2008, or about 58 percent of what was originally proposed, and $925,860 in fiscal year 2009, or about 57 percent of the original proposal.

Cutting existing service is not an easy decision – it is painful and difficult, particularly transit service. We have encouraged residents to use alternative transportation to relieve traffic congestion and improve air quality, and residents have responded. Ride On ridership has increased every month for 45 months. But, no service in County government should be immune from examination for potential increases in efficiency or cost reductions. Several times a year, Ride On routinely looks at its operations to identify and deal with the poorest performing bus routes and duplicative service and we will continue to do that.

Ride On wants to thank all of you who took the time to provide input during this difficult time.

Carolyn A. Jones, Manager

Customer and Community Relations Unit

101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor

Rockville, Maryland 20850

240-777-5800

e-mail address: transit.dpwt@montgomerycountymd.gov

Letter in Today's Washington Post

2008-02-24T20:16:00.001-05:00

In case you missed it, you can find the letter Adam Garfinkle wrote for today's "Close to Home" feature of the Post here.

Meet the Press...

2008-02-21T15:44:00.003-05:00

The Potomac Gazette has an article in this week's edition. You can find it online here

Contact the County Executive!!

2008-02-14T10:40:00.002-05:00

Everyone did a GREAT job at the public hearing earlier this week. 14 out of 32 speakers were speaking on behalf of saving the 37. There were also more ppl in support of the 37 in the crowd, so they couldnt' miss the fact that we were there. Anyone who wasn't there or who didn't speak can make their comments in writing up until Tuesday, February 19th. These comments should be addressed to Ms. Carolyn Biggins at transit.dpwt@montgomerycountymd.gov

Contacting Ms. Biggins is necessary, but it may not be enough. We need to go back to Councilman Berliner to encourage him to pressure County Executive Ike Leggett to reconsider this. Councilman Berliner put that message in his memo of Feb 4th, but now he needs to back it up with action! His email is councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov

Lastly & probably most importantly, we need to contact County Executive Ike Leggett directly. A few ppl have done so & Leggett's response has been a formulaic non-response (see below). Calls to his office today have been taken by people who have no idea what we're even talking about. This is NOT acceptable!! The old saying goes that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so let's make sure Leggett hears us squeak!!! (Even better if he hears us *roar*!!) His contact information is:

Mr. Isiah Leggett, Montgomery County Executive
Executive Office Building
101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
(240) 777-2500
oce@montgomerycountymd.gov

Let's bombard his office with phone calls & emails about how we feel about this proposal!!

I'm attaching below the letter Adam Garfinkle wrote to Leggett earlier this week, followed by the non-response he received back. This message from County Exec Leggett is the exact same response that Lisa Kruppa received to her letter -- VERBATIM!! Clearly, the County Exec is NOT paying attention, so it's up to us to inundate him/his office until he has no choice but to at least make himself aware of the issue!!

To: ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov
Subject: Ride On proposals, viz #37
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:52:35 +0000
> Mr. Leggett,
>
> Last night's Ride-On forum at 100 Maryland Avenue turned up some many
> interesting points about the unfortunate proposal by the County
> Executive's proposal to reduce public transportation, not least the
> proposed elimination of the 37 bus. I regret that no Council members
> were present last night. But I hope you and your colleagues interest
> yourselves in the proceedings, and that having done so you will
> reconsider a proposal that is manifestly retrograde and counterproductive to our community.
>
> Note that, of all the points made last night, two stand out. First,
> the problem with the 37 bus, and other routes as well, isn't one of
> ridership but of measurement. Just this morning 22 people rode the 37
> bus to the Grosvenor metro, and the driver did not collect a single
> fare or punch a single card because the fare box was broken. This is
> common, and Ride-On's method of counting does not take this into
> account. How can a route that was EXPANDED just 3 or 4 years ago because Ride-On pronounced it too crowded suddenly turn into an "underperformer"
> despite even Ride-On's testimony that ridership has increased? This
> makes no sense, as must be obvious to you.
>
> Second, the proposed reductions for all routes account for only, I am
> advised, four tenths of one percent of the deficit. For such a paltry
> amount of money, the Country will pour hundreds of cars into rush-hour
> traffic? Will strand the handicapped and the elderly and the poor who
> do not or cannot drive? Will leave five schools, two elder care facilities and a vibrant shopping mall unserved?
> Will accelerate the pollution of our air with greenhouse gasses? Will
> make a mockery of the Country and the State's adjuration to all of us to "go green"?
> This beggars the imagination.
>
> Indeed, sir, with all due respect, your proposal isn't even
> revenue-positive; it is revenue negative in the mid-term and beyond.
> It will reduce Country revenue from affected businesses, reduced
> property values and increased road maintenance costs, to name only the
> obvious factors. Has the County consulted a professional urban
> economist on this point? Why don't you consider doing this? Or is the County allergic to having actual knowledge with which to make its decisions?
>
> I say all this not in anger but in sorrow. I find it hard to believe
> that seemingly intelligent men and women can propose doing something
> that is so manifestly retrograde, ignorant, shortsighted and, as I
> have already indicated, embarrassing. I can't believe that other, less
> harmful ways to balance the budget are not available. Show me your
> budget and I'll find them for you, if you like.
>
> Note, too, that we are not averse to compromise. As Councilman
> Berliner suggested to you in his letter of February 4, the schedule
> for the 37 can be put back to what it was before expansion, at least
> temporarily. Smaller vehicles can be used, also temporarily.
> Reasonable fare increases are possible. But if the route is eliminated altogether, the chances of its being resuscitated are low.
> The long-term negative impact on the County would be magnified.
>
> So, Mr. Leggett, the Ride-On Forum has come and gone, but we are not
> done opposing this counterproductive proposal. Nor will we forget--all
> of us, literally hundreds of us and voters every one--if the County
> Executive persists in implementing this foolish proposal. You would be wise to reconsider.
>
> Sincerely,
> Dr. Adam Garfinkle

Here was the (non)response from Leggett:

From: "Ike Leggett"
> Thank you for your email regarding the proposed Ride On service changes.
> The County held a public hearing on the proposed service cuts on
> Monday, February 11, 2008 at the Council Office Building.
>
> * The routes proposed for elimination in their entirety are: 7,
> 37, 124 and 127. These routes operate weekdays only (7, 37 and 124
> operate weekday rush hours only).
> * The routes proposed for elimination on Saturday only are: 30,
> 36 and 90 (no change to their weekday schedules).
> * The route proposed for only a Sunday service cut is route 98.
> * It is proposed to merge the following into one route: Route 34
> which operates from Aspen Hill to Bethesda, and route 42 which
> operates from Medical Center to Friendship Heights. The current
> duplication of service within Bethesda will be eliminated (3 bus stops
> in each direction eliminated along Woodmont Avenue). This proposed
> change in service to routes 34 and 42 would operate 7 days per week.
>
> All of these routes/segments have less ridership and are below Ride
> On's service standards, which are 10-15 passengers per bus-hour
> (varies by type of bus and time of day/day of week).
>
> The close of the public comment period is February 19, 2008. After
> the hearing, all comments that are received will be reviewed and a
> final decision will be made. Transit Services will post the final
> decision about the proposed service reductions and route consolidation
> on its website. The website address is www.montgomerycountymd.gov and
> click on
>
> Ride On.
>
> I appreciate your sharing your views on this important transportation
> budget issue.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Isiah Leggett
> County Executive

It's clear he didn't read Adam's or Lisa's letters/doesn't address the concerns stated in that letter. Let's see if we can get Leggett to care a bit more, shall we?

Tonight's the Night!!

2008-02-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the big Transit meeting. If you're interested in saving the 37 and there's *ANY* way you can attend the meeting, I strongly encourage you to do so. The more people we can have there showing support, the stronger our case will be!!

Here's the details on the meeting:

Date: Monday, February 11, 2008
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: 100 Maryland Ave, 3rd Floor Conference Rm, Rockville, MD

See you there!!

Councilman Berliner Responds

2008-02-05T14:52:00.000-05:00

Many of us have received a response from Councilman Berliner, including the following letter he sent to County Executive Ike Leggett. It's nice to know we have been heard & to know that our Councilmember supports us!!

However, the battle is not yet won. Please take a moment to contact Councilman Berliner to thank him for his support and (more importantly) to encourage him to attend the meeting next Monday to show his support. His presence & backing could go a long way towards making this a reality. In addition, many of us would like the chance to thank him in person & if we know he's coming to the meeting, we'd have the opportunity to do so.

Here's the letter he sent to the County Exec:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL
>
> Rockville, Maryland
>
>
>
> Office of Councilmember
>
> ROGER BERLINER
>
> MEMORANDUM
>
> February 4, 2008
>
>
>
>
>
> TO: Isiah Leggett, County Executive
>
>
>
> FROM: Roger Berliner, Councilmember
>
>
>
> SUBJECT: Proposed Cancellation of Ride On Route 37
>
>
>
>
>
> I am writing to request that you reconsider the cancellation of Ride
> On Route 37.
>
>
>
> Since your FY 2008 Savings Plan came to the Council, my office has
> heard from dozens of constituents who desperately want the County to keep this
> route. Many have shared the specific difficulties they will experience if the
> route stops running. For example, an elderly couple that has lived along Route
> 37 for decades wrote the following about their dependence upon this bus route
> for the health aide who assists the wife in many vital ways:
>
>
>
> The Ride-On bus Route 37 is the final link her home health aide takes daily in a
> 2½-hour commute each way from her home in Bowie, MD. Without the aide, we are
> in desperate straits. It would be extremely difficult to locate a replacement
> as efficient, capable, uncomplaining and personable as our Alma []. Alma does
> not drive or own a car so she is totally dependent on public transportation
> which she uses daily.
>
>
>
> Many other residents in Potomac have written passionately about
> their reliance on Route 37 for the last 5, 7, and even 8½ years to get to the
> Grosvenor Metro Station for their daily commute, the use of Route 37 by their
> housekeepers and child care providers to get to their jobs and by their children
> to get to and from activities at Hoover Middle School and Churchill High School.
>
>
>
> I certainly learned that the ridership numbers for this route are
> lower than the County's standard rate. However, in addition to the human
> hardship that our constituents will endure, there are several other reasons why
> it is in the best interest of the county to maintain this route at a reduced
> schedule:
>
>
>
> * Rather than eliminating the route completely, it would be far more
> acceptable to reduce the frequency of the route. For example, running every 30
> minutes, instead of the current 20-minute interval, will result in some
> financial savings for the County (over $15,000 in FY 2008 and $91,000 in FY
> 2009), as well as an increase in the route's passengers-per-hour figures.
>
>
>
> * Secondly, in light of the importance of encouraging mass transit
> alternatives for our citizens and the County's desperate need to keep as many
> cars off the roads as possible, for both environmental and traffic congestion
> reasons, we should not be canceling Route 37.
>
>
>
> * Route 37 should be maintained because there are no real transit
> alternatives for these residents/riders. For these dozens of bus riders in
> Potomac that we have heard from, they have no alternative but to drive (if they
> are able), should Route 37 be canceled. It would be short-sighted to attempt to
> fix immediate budgetary problems by transit cuts that will carry significant
> short and long-term costs by putting more cars on the roads.
>
>
>
> For all of these reasons, I request that you remove the cancellation
> of Route 37 from the FY 2008 Savings Plan, and that you send it back to the
> Council for verification of this change.
>
>
>
> Thank you for considering this matter, and I look forward to hearing
> from you in the near future.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> RB:kbw

Points to Make at the Feb 11th Hearing

2008-02-04T15:18:00.001-05:00

From Tony Hsia:

I have registered to speak at the 2/11 Ride 37 public hearing. As I start to think about the points I would like to make, and through discussions with many of the 37 bus mates, I suggest that we all focus on the following few key messages to the county council members and the decision makers.

- Based on our actual daily counts, and confirmed by the data provided by several 37 bus drivers, we estimate that Bus 37 serves about 200 passengers a day.
- Without bus 37, there will be over 150 cars along the Tuckerman Lane on a daily basis, that will cause significant traffic congestion, increased air pollution, higher probability of automobile accidents, increased road wear and tear, and not enough parking at Grosvenor station.
- Bus 37 serves commuters, students, senior citizens, and many others
- Bus 37 is the only public transportation that covers the area from Montrose road to River road.
- Bus 37 passes through 5 schools (Georgetown Prep, Churchill High, Hoover Middle school, Mclean school in Potomac, and St. Andrews Episcopal school)
- Bus 37 serves two senior citizen's homes (one near 355 and the other at Seven Locks road and Tuckerman)
- Bus 37 serves Cabin John park, and the Cabin John shopping center
- Without bus 37, the houses along the route will likely decline in value, therefore results in reduction of county tax revenue
- Bus 37 serves several handicapped persons who are in desperate need of daily public transportation to work

Each of us will emphasize soem of these points and repeat them to our audiences and we shall prevail. See you on 2/11.

Highland Stone homeowner's association?

2008-01-24T18:37:00.000-05:00

Does anyone out there reading this live in the Highland Stone development? If so, do you have contact information for a homeowner's/civic association for your development? We've had someone contact us who lives in the development and wants to contact them about the 37, but doesn't know who he needs to reach or how to go about doing so. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Contact Your Home Owners'/Civic Association

2008-01-18T11:50:00.000-05:00

We've contacted both the Country Place Civic Association and the Regency Estates Civic Associates. At the transit hearing, representatives for both associations are going to speak out against the proposal to discontinue the 37 bus. If you live in a different development along the 37 Route, won't you please contact your homeowners/civic association & see if they will also speak out? Every bit helps!

With his permission, I'm including the note that Stuart Simon wrote to the Regency Estates association board. Feel free to use it as a model for contacting your own association.

I notice that in the regular RECA NewsBriefs you always thoughtfully include the Ride On and Metrobus schedule. Did you know that if the country goes through with its plans, most of us will no longer have any viable bus service? The county has proposed ending the # 37 Ride On bus, which is the only bus operating along Tuckerman Lane between Falls Road and Old Georgetown. Without the 37 there will be no bus from our area to Grosvenor Metro. For most commuters from Regency Estates the #38 along Gainsborough to White Flint Metro is not a viable alternative as it would add 25 minutes or more each way to an already long daily commute. Stopping the 37 seems particularly ill advised with our roads becoming increasingly clogged and global climate disruption an alarming concern. Other Civic associations have already written to Councilman Roger Berliner urging him to get the County to reconsider. The County hearing on the proposed bus changes is scheduled for February 11 at 6:30pm. <

Having direct bus service to the Metro is one of the factors that attracted me to Regency Estates. It's increasingly common to see older residents using the bus line, no doubt because driving is no longer a secure or viable option. The route is also a lifeline for people who work in DC but have disabilities that prevent them from driving, which has been the case for my older son who has epilepsy. Given that the 37 bus is an extra incentive for people to live in our area it no doubt adds to our property values. For all these reasons, I urge RECA on behalf of our community to pass a resolution supporting continuation of bus service along Tuckerman Lane.

Stuart Simon

Sample letter to Council Member Berliner

2008-01-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

With his permission, I'm posting this letter that Adam Garfinkle has sent to Council Member Berliner. Obviously, not every one of us will have the authority to speak for his/her civic association (but getting them involved is a GREAT idea!), so it won't make sense to simply copy this letter in its entirety & send it; however, feel free to take bits & pieces of it as you wish & incorporate them into a letter of your own. If anyone else else would like to send me their letter, I will happily post it here as inspiration for the rest of us.

*****************************************************************************

January 15, 2008

Mr. Roger Berliner
Montgomery County Council
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850

Dear Mr. Berliner,

It is with distress and no little sense of disbelief that I have learned of the County’s proposal to eliminate the number 37 Ride-On bus. I am not alone: The board of the Country Place Civic Association, a homeowners association of 174 households in Montgomery Council, took a decision last night to oppose this proposal. I am authorized to inform you of that decision, and to explain our views.

We believe that eliminating the number 37 Ride-On bus would cause considerable hardship for a large number of people. I also doubt the publicly expressed rationale for eliminating the service—that the rush-hour-only 37 bus is a “weak performer.” I ride it regularly and it is always full of passengers. Someone has counted wrong.

Note, too, that virtually everyone who rides the 37 bus is a regular who is linking into the Metro system. The 37 route is an integral part of the county’s transportation system, not an inessential shuttle for occasional shoppers or tourists.

It also services students from Hoover and Churchill who have to stay after school in the afternoons. I see as well several handicapped and elderly passengers on the bus on a regular basis.

Note, too, that for those living on most the 37 route, no alternative forms of public transportation are available. The 37 route is not redundant with others, but services a unique area for the most part.

Moreover, it is extremely dubious to suppose that curtailing public transportation in a region such as ours will save the county money in the long run. As many as a hundred additional cars will be put on the road during rush hour morning and evening if the county curtails public transportation, and with higher volume comes more pollution, more greenhouse gasses and greater road maintenance expenses. This reasoning applies not only to the 37 bus, of course, but to all the others slated for reduced service or elimination. It is extremely shallow and superficial thinking to imagine that we can save money by eliminating an efficient mode of transportation and stimulating the substitution of less efficient ones.

I understand that you are a man who is concerned about the environment, who understands the need for our community and our country to “go green.” If that is the case, I expect you, too, will be disheartened by this retrograde proposal. It is ludicrous to be telling people to “go green” on the one hand, and then making it harder to do so on the other. I urge you to do something about this proposed embarrassment to our county—something decisive and effective.

I don’t know whose decision this is—whether the Dept. of Transportation has been saddled with an impossible order to cut costs, or what. Whoever has devised this proposal, however, is both shortsighted and highly unimaginative. Service can be reduced marginally—for example, to what it was a few years ago, before an extra bus was added in the morning and afternoon—without being eliminated. Other means to finance the service can be devised, as well. I find it hard to believe that other, less foolish means of solving the country’s financial problems have been exhausted.

Finally, let me add that I have noticed construction lately along the 37 route of new concrete containment areas and sidewalks by several bus stops. This costs money. What possible logic would lead anyone to approve spending for such marginal purposes if the economics of the route as a whole were really in such dire shape? This is not a rhetorical question; I’d actually like an answer.

Please, Mr. Berliner, don’t let the county make this mistake. The Country Place Civic Association urges you to act now to save the 37 bus, and restore our confidence in the basic good judgment of our local government.

Yours,

Dr. Adam Garfinkle

Contact Our Councilman!!

2008-01-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

One thing we can do is to contact the County Council member who serves our area & let him know we strongly oppose the proposal to discontinue the 37. Here is his information:

Roger Berliner
Councilmember.Berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov
Phone # 240-777-7828

Please be polite -- it won't help anything if we tick him or his staff off, but he needs to know that eliminating the route will disenfranchise a large # of his constituents, as well as leave them without any truly viable access to public transportation. Council Member Berliner is known to care about environmental issues, so that may be the best approach to use to get him to take notice of what we have to say.

Save Ride On Route 37!!

2008-01-14T12:04:00.001-05:00

This blog has been created to help save Ride On Route 37. The county has slated the 37 for discontinuation because it is (in their words) "underperforming". Several of us are banding together to try to change the county's mind. Here's how you can help:

Every time you ride the bus, email which bus you were on (date, starting time, origination) and how many people were on the bus to rideon37@hotmail.com,. We will be collecting the data & trending it to calculate how many people ride. With enough data, we hope to show the county that the route is NOT underperforming.
Contact Councilmember Roger Berliner & Transit Chief Carolyn Biggins to express your disapproval of the proposal. See the Contact section on the right --> for phone & email contact. See above for a sample letter.

Encourage others to ride the bus. The more people we get, the more likely it is to be saved.

Attend the February 11, 2008 meeting.

Attend the January 22 budget meeting in Chevy Chase & encourage the county to not cut the RideOn budget.
Ask your Homeowner's/Civic Association to speak out against the proposal, both by contacting the County Council & the transit Chief (Carolyn Biggins).

We'll post more details about the January budget meeting and the February 11th Ride On meetings shortly --check the Upcoming Dates/Events section to the right ---> for the latest information.