Keeping Ride On free has helped thousands of transit-dependent residents save money during the pandemic. 78% of Montgomery County bus riders are people of color and 47% earn less than $30,000 a year. With widespread vaccine availability on the way, Ride On has proposed restoring fares just as the county and state are opening a mass vaccination site at Montgomery College in Germantown. I wrote a letter to Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation, signed by all Councilmembers, asking that Ride On remain free while we emerge from the pandemic.