APRIL 2018
Welcome to NEWS FLASH: the new BRT eNewsletter. Our goal is to keep the community informed about the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects in Montgomery County. We will be sharing project updates, upcoming event information, and even some fun facts on BRT! 
Arts on The Block and BRT!
MCDOT is committed to including neighborhood-oriented art at Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations and we are excited to announce our partnership with Arts on the Block (AOB) . AOB is an organization in Montgomery County that will be designing public art for the US 29 BRT stations. AOB offers youth artist-apprentices, under the supervision of professional teaching artist-mentors, the opportunity to learn about public art and apply their skills to real-world art projects. If you would like to provide input to the AOB team regarding the characteristics of the communities along the US 29 corridor that you would like to see incorporated into the public art, please provide your input via the feedback section of the GetOnBoardBRT website.
Station Locations and Design on US 29 
As we advance towards the construction phase, determining the design and locations of the stations is a huge milestone for the US 29 project. There are 11 proposed stations along US 29 between downtown Silver Spring and Burtonsville . Additionally, with a grant from the  MWCOG Transportation Planning Board Transportation/Land Use Connections Program , MCDOT developed station prototypes to support current planning efforts.

Various features at the stations will improve efficiency and reliability of the service. Each BRT station will have SmarTrip-compatible fare collection machines where riders will pay their fare before boarding and real-time transit information screens that will let passengers know when the next BRT vehicle is arriving. Additionally, raising the platform height to provide near-level boarding will improve the boarding process and overall accessibility. Click here to view a map of the station locations and here to review the complete BRT Station Prototype Design Report.
RECENT EVENTS
MD 355 Open Houses
Three Public Open Houses were held in January and February. Attendees learned about BRT and the project, including where and how the system could operate, potential station locations, and the alternatives being studied.  Click here for a Virtual Open House to review project information and provide input.

US 29 Open Houses
Three Public Open Houses were held in March and April. Attendees learned how BRT will operate along the corridor, how existing local bus service and the BRT can better integrate, efforts to incorporate art into station designs, and viewed updates to the station area designs. Click here for a Virtual Open House to review project information and provide input.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We’re out in the community this Spring. Stop by and learn more about BRT!
 
May 5, 2018
11am-4pm
Jesup Blair Local Park
900 Jesup Blair Drive, Silver Spring, MD

May 10, 2018
8am-4pm
Silver Spring Civic Building
One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD
 
May 18, 2018
6:30am-9am
Downtown Silver Spring, North Bethesda-Pike and Rose, Downtown Bethesda
 
May 19, 2018
9am-1pm
Downtown Silver Spring
890 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, MD
 
View the BRT events calendar here .
FUN BRT FACTS! DID YOU KNOW...
The first BRT was the Rede Integrada de Transporte ('Integrated Transportation Network') in Curitiba, Brazil, which began service in 1974!
 
As of March 2018, about 32.3 million passengers use BRT worldwide every day!