As the county moves to motivate residents to choose public transportation more often, MCM salutes the 50th anniversary of the county bus service. The service started in 1975 with 20 buses; it now operates 385 ADA-accessible buses according to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.
To commemorate the anniversary, Montgomery County has launched a middle school art contest which is open for entries until 11:59 p.m. on April 15.
“This contest is a fun way to engage our students, who are the next generation of transit users, in recognizing how public transportation connects people and strengthens communities. I look forward to seeing how young artists capture the importance of Ride On and the role it plays in improving the quality of life and our environment for everyone in the County.” Montgomery County Executive, Marc Elrich, said.
The contest requirements, according to the MCDOT contest website:
- Winning artwork should depict one or more Ride On bus services and capture the value that Ride On brings to the community.
- Students must complete a submission form, which includes a picture of the student’s artwork and a 3-5 sentence written reflection about what the student learned about Ride On and its history.
- Only one entry is allowed per student.
- Entries from minors must be their own work and include parent or guardian permission. All submissions must be created by the individual submitting the entry, will become the property of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, and may be used for publicity.
- Entries are submitted on the MCCDOT contest website.
All participants will earn five Student Service Learning hours for submitting a contest entry and entries will be scored for relevance to the topic and adherence to contest rules, creativity, and execution in a blind judging process.
The winning entry will receive a $100 Amazon gift card, second place will receive a $75 Target gift card, and third place will receive a $50 Visa gift card. The first-place winner’s art entry will also be displayed on all Ride On buses. The top 10 entries will be displayed in Montgomery County government buildings. The middle school with the most entries will receive a $500 gift card to Michaels or Target for art supplies.
Winners will be announced at the Ride On 50th Anniversary Celebration in May.
Students and parents can learn more about the contest on the MCDOT contest website. For more information on Ride On routes and services, visit RideOnBus.com or download the free Ride On Trip Planner app.
