Transportation
Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) takes a proactive approach to providing accessible transportation and to ensuring the accessibility of sidewalks, curb cuts, crosswalks, bus stops and other pedestrian facilities along County owned or maintained roadways.
Transit Services
MCDOT operates Ride On, a fixed route bus service that provides neighborhood service on 78 routes throughout Montgomery County. Ride On operates primarily in neighborhoods and supplements the Metrobus and Metrorail services operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) All of the Ride On buses are equipped with accessibility features including ramps, wheelchair lifts and anunciators for stop announcements. For tips on the use of RideOn's accessibility features, see here. Paratransit services for those who are unable to use Ride On is provided by WMATA’s MetroAccess.
MCDOT also operates the Call ‘N Ride program, a subsidy program for low income senior citizens and people with disabilities that can be used for taxi services including a same day service program for use by MetroAccess users. MCDOT in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services provides a transportation guide on a variety of transportation options for people with disabilities. For more information on County Transit Services for People with Disabilities, please visit the Special Transportation web page.
Ride On Bus Wheelchair Access Ramp
Ride On Bus Wheelchair Securement Area
To report a problem with Ride On service, call 311.
To report a problem with a Ride On vehicle, call Fleet Services at 240-777-5730.
Sidewalks and Curb Cuts
MCDOT began installing curb cuts in existing sidewalks to provide access to County buildings in 1978 as required by Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. When the ADA was signed into law in 1990, MCDOT developed and implemented a multi-year ADA Transition Plan to install curb cuts on existing sidewalks throughout the County, and it incorporated accessible features into all of its new construction and renovation projects. The Transition Plan was completed in 2001. MCDOT maintains and improves its accessible pedestrian facilities through an ongoing ADA Compliance Transportation Capital Improvement project as well as through all of its other construction, renovation and maintenance projects. As roadways are resurfaced or bus stops improved, MCDOT assesses the adjacent sidewalks, curb cuts and crosswalks and makes any necessary repairs or improvements. As neighborhood infrastructure is improved through the Renew Montgomery program, accessibility improvements are made.
MCDOT has voluntarily adopted the standards included in the draft Public Rights-of-Way document developed by the U.S. Access Board. As a result accessible sidewalks, curb cuts, pedestrian signals and truncated domes are included in all new construction projects as well as in all alteration projects when technically feasible.
The Bus Stop is Inaccessible to
a Person in a Wheelchair
Side Walk/Curb Cut
Provide Wheelchair Access
In Montgomery County not all roadways are owned or maintained by MCDOT. Roads and streets that are identified by a route number, such as Rte. 355 (Wisconsin Avenue or Rockville Pike), Rte. 97 (Georgia Avenue), and Rte. 410 (East West Highway) are owned and maintained by the Maryland State Highway Administration.
Most municipalities, such as the City of Rockville and the City of Gaithersburg, maintain their own roadways.
To request a curb cut on a County owned roadway, contact the MCDOT Division of Transportation Engineering.
For information on the accessibility of State roadways or to request a curb cut or other accessibility feature, contact the State Highway Administration.
To request a curb cut or a sidewalk repair in Rockville, call 240-314-8500.
To request a curb cut or a sidewalk repair in Gaithersburg, call 301-258-6370.
All new or renovated intersection projects include accessible pedestrian signals. Beginning in July FY20 13, MCDOT received funding to begin installing accessible pedestrian signals at existing intersections that are not scheduled for renovation. Using a prioritization tool developed by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, MCDOT assessed 182 intersections and developed a plan for installation with priority given to locations where APS would provide the greatest benefit.
To request an APS, call 311.
Bus Stop Improvement Project
The Bus Stop Improvement Project is a multi-year MCDOT CIP project that was approved by the County Council in 2006. It is an $11 million program to render all 5,400 bus stops in Montgomery County ADA accessible and as pedestrian-safe as feasible. The objective is to provide a safe location to wait for the bus, out of the way of traffic, and to be sure there is a safe, ADA accessible pathway for passengers to get to and from the bus stop. Every bus stop has been assessed; some are relocated in the process, and will be remediated over the life of the project. As of June 30, 2013, 2,634 bus stops have been improved. There are still approximately 100 locations where MCDOT is in the process of doing survey work to determine what would be involved in purchasing Right-of-Way to make the necessary improvements to those bus stops. Additional locations will be completed as part of other County CIP projects or through private developers.
To request a bus stop improvement, call 311.
