The County Council has extended the Ride On fare holiday again, through July 2, 2022.
“The Council voted on Sept. 28 to extend the Ride On fare holiday through Jan. 2, 2022 in order to review the Ride On Fare Equity Study and the Executive’s recommendations,” according to a press release. “Upon the review of the Fare Equity Study, the Council concluded that the extension of the fare holiday through the end of fiscal year 2022 would benefit the County’s most economically vulnerable and low-income residents.”
According to a report from the council’s Office of Legislative Oversight, 47% of Ride On customers have an annual household income below $30,000, 47% are people of color and 42% speak a language other than English at home.
“As so many are still struggling financially because of the pandemic, free bus fares have collectively saved our hard-working residents millions of dollars in commuting costs,” said Council President Tom Hucker (D-District 5), who is the chair of the Transportation and Environment Committee. “The Council’s action today aligns with our climate and racial equity goals and eliminates the cost burden from our lowest-income residents.”
“2008 06 03 – 2228 – Rockville – Ride On Bus on Research Blvd” by thisisbossi is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0