Montgomery County, Maryland.  Press Release
Contact: Esther Bowring, 240-777-6530
Carolyn Biggins, 240-777-5800
For Immediate Release: May 16, 2000

RIDE ON BUS SURVEY TARGETS
FUTURE NEEDS; PASSENGERS ASKED
TO PARTICIPATE

Starting tomorrow, passengers on the Montgomery County Ride On bus system
may be asked to fill out a questionnaire that will give transportation
planners information to better serve customers. The survey is part of a
region-wide bus study being conducted by the Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority (WMATA) on behalf of the public bus services in the
metropolitan area, including the Ride On system.

Survey workers will board buses during the next two months to distribute
the questionnaires. They will be easily identifiable because they will be
wearing a special authorization pass. Passengers will be asked to fill out
and return the questionnaire on the bus or mail it back - postage prepaid.
The survey will track such information as where passengers started their
trip, where they are going, the time of day they make trips, whether they
are satisfied with Ride On service on their route, and how often they use
the local bus service.

"Designed to improve transit, not only here in Montgomery County but
throughout the area, the survey will help us to better target our transit
resources," said Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. "This
regional study should result in a comprehensive bus plan that will make it
easier and more convenient for our residents to use transit - reducing
traffic congestion and providing better commuting options."

The Region-wide Bus Study, which began in February, will identify growth
areas, changing travel patterns, and unmet and latent demand for service;
analyze current services provided by WMATA, Ride On, and other local
operators; identify service modifications and new services that respond to
the changing travel patterns of the metropolitan area; and develop a bus
service and facility plan for five- and twenty-year planning periods.

The Region-wide Bus Study was recommended by the Regional Mobility Panel,
comprised of business, labor and citizen representatives appointed by the
WMATA Board of Directors that was formed in September 1997. The panel
issued a report on the current and future bus transportation needs for the
Washington area that called for a comprehensive review of all bus services
in the region.

Because of the significant population and employment growth expected in the
Washington metropolitan area over the next 20 years, planners want to
ensure that the region's bus network will meet demand and accommodate
increasingly complex travel patterns. The study will examine bus service in
the District of Columbia, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Montgomery
County, Prince George's County, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Loudoun
County. Consultants will complete the final report in early 2002.

WMATA operates the regional bus system and many of the non-regional bus
routes with a fleet of 1,400 vehicles. An additional 650 vehicles are
operated by five local jurisdictions that complement WMATA's service, of
which half are Ride On buses. Together, the Washington region's bus systems
carry 550,000 passengers a day, representing the fifth highest ridership in
the nation.