Real-Time Bus Arrival Displays Coming to Select Montgomery County Ride On Bus Stops

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is installing real-time bus arrival displays at high-ridership bus stops and transit centers across the County.  

The technology, referred to as ePaper and supplied by Connectpoint, is a digital display presenting real-time bus arrival information with an audio readout and text-to-speech button known as Falcon. The MCDOT Division of Transit is currently implementing the screens at 100 bus stops across the County. Approximately 50 screens have been installed as of mid-July.  

“Montgomery County is committed to building a transportation system that is reliable, accessible and easy to use,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “By providing real-time information displays, riders can better predict their travel times and be alerted to any issues that may affect their trip. We recently rolled out phase one of Ride On Reimagined, a long-term plan to modernize and improve public transit and we also made all Ride On buses zero fare last month. Our hope is that more people will choose public transit. It’s a great time to give Ride On buses a try.” 

The real-time information displays will be installed in high-ridership bus stops and transit centers in Bethesda, Germantown, Rockville, Shady Grove, Silver Spring and Twinbrook. 

“The digital signs address a common request among our ridership: namely, real-time information on bus wait times and system alerts,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We released the Ride On Trip Planner app two years ago, letting riders plan their most efficient route across multiple modes of public transportation and access real-time Ride On bus arrival information. Since then, more than two and a half million trips have been planned on the app, and feedback from our riders has been overwhelmingly positive. The ePaper displays are one more way to deliver critical information to our riders.”  

MCDOT expects to add more ePaper displays to high-ridership bus stops over the next few years. 

“We are assessing which bus stops have the highest need for these displays and are targeting bus stops with high ridership and multiple routes,” said Conklin. “The ePaper displays are being installed as part of our annual bus stop maintenance and upgrade program as we continuously seek ways to improve service.” 

The MCDOT Ride On Trip Planner app provides real-time trip planning, allowing riders to select their route, view live bus arrival times and receive step-by-step navigation to their destination.