The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has given the MCDOT funding to create a Ride On Crowd Sourcing System (ROCSS) app that will show bus statuses and passenger amounts, updating every 20 seconds.
The FTA funding was allocated in order to support public transportation and its riders amid the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal of the app is to help to lower wait times on busy routes by offering other buses rather than the next scheduled bus. MCDOT will also use the capacity updates to have buses on call join popular routes.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said this project is a step towards goals to decrease carbon emissions and improve social equity.
“By improving the reliability of our buses and cutting down on wait times, we are making transit a more attractive option for our residents,” Elrich said
The app will also show users other public transportation options for their routes including the Metro and the Metrobus.
This fall a group of passengers from the Montgomery County Transit Advisory Group will be the first to test the app. It is expected to be available to all users by spring 2022.
Passengers of Ride On buses will continue to ride free and be required to wear masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
*New*@MCDOTNow has been awarded a $450,000 grant by the FTA to create a 'Ride On Crowd Sourcing System' application that provides real-time bus status and passenger counts for Ride On routes to the public and MCDOT’s central dispatch
Details=https://t.co/VfYQjrZYlD@RideOnMCT pic.twitter.com/171vWp7UD2
— mococommuter (@mococommuter) August 3, 2021
