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109-604: Four Corners is bounded by Dennis Avenue to the northwest, the Northwest Branch Trail to the northeast, and Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) to the south. It borders the neighborhoods of Woodmoor and Indian Spring Village, Franklin Knolls , Indian Spring Terrace, North Hills Sligo Park, and Burnt Mills Hills. The community of Northwood Park is also considered to be part of the Four Corners neighborhood, and

218-400: A US$ 112.3 million budget. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 16,644,600, or about 59,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. Ride on has a fleet of about 400 buses and operates 81 routes, including operating two Metrobus routes on weekends. Ride On began service on March 31, 1975, as Ride-On. Serving Silver Spring and Takoma Park, two routes were in operation: The Blue and

327-412: A ("C" for compressed natural gas, "D" for diesel, "E" for electric and "H" for hybrid). Ride On extRa, a new limited bus stop service along Maryland Route 355, began on October 2, 2017, between Lakeforest Transit Center and Medical Center Metro Station. As of September 17, 2018 , the route serves 13 stops. Ride On added 59 Gillig 40-foot buses in summer and the fall 2017; 42 buses replaced some of

436-413: A decade (2005 35' Orion VII CNG buses, which went into service in 2006). Between September and October 2014, 32 of the new 29-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5060–5091) went into service, and replaced all of the 1999 30 feet Orion V buses (5100–5129) that were formerly operated by WMATA. Ride On celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015, with 3 buses (1 from each of the 3 bus divisions) wrapped in

545-506: A higher fare, and accepts the same payment methods as standard Ride On buses with no onboard fare loading allowed. Flash is a bus rapid transit network that began service on October 14, 2020. The first route operates between Silver Spring and Burtonsville along U.S. Route 29 . Additional routes are in development and will likely run along MD 355 between Clarksburg and Bethesda and MD 586 between Rockville and Wheaton. Flash has dedicated stops with prepayment machines and operates in

654-595: A map), have become known respectively as the " Inner Loop " and the " Outer Loop ". The route descriptions below follow the direction of the Outer Loop, starting at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River, south of Washington. Most beltway interchanges provide access to Washington, with I-95 and I-295 from the south, I-66 from the west, and U.S. Route 50 (US 50) from

763-502: A mile (1.6 km) east of the Springfield Interchange. Continuing east, the beltway encounters a diamond interchange with a connector road linking to Eisenhower Avenue, which parallels the beltway for a short distance. Skirting the northern edges of Loftridge and Burgundy parks, the two routes enter Alexandria and soon reach SR 241 , a direct route into the city, currently under major reconstruction. Within

872-530: A mix of mixed-traffic and dedicated lanes using articulated buses equipped with Wi-Fi and USB ports. It is the second BRT system in the Washington metropolitan area and the first in Montgomery County . The buses used for this service are 2019 Novabus LFSA buses (46000D-46015D) and 2008 Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5737,5744,5746) As of August 1, 2022 , Ride On's current one-way fare

981-523: A proposed alignment of I-95 from New York Avenue in Washington, D.C., through Prince George's County, Maryland , to I-495 was canceled. Motorists never fully adjusted to the two halves of the beltway having different numbers. According to Ron Shaffer of The Washington Post , There were signs stating that to continue on the Beltway, you had to get off at the next exit, when all you really had to do

1090-539: A public–private partnership with private companies responsible for constructing, operating, and maintaining the lanes. On June 5, 2019, the Maryland Board of Public Works voted 2–1 in favor of the proposal to construct express toll lanes along I-495, with Governor Hogan and State Comptroller Peter Franchot voting for it and State Treasurer Nancy Kopp voting against it. The widening and addition of express toll lanes along I-495 would be split into two phases, with

1199-668: A recreation building, playground, ballfields, tennis courts, and a picnic area. A number of historic homes exist in North Four Corners. These include the Silver Spring 1939 World’s Fair Home (House No. 15 in the 'Town of Tomorrow'), and the brick Tudor Revival Washington Gas Model Home that opened the 1938 building program in Northwood Park. In the 1700s, a water mill was built at the easternmost corner of Four Corners, where today's Colesville Road passes over

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1308-689: A reduced fare of $ 1.00 was charged. As of July 1, 2019 , children ages 5 and up can ride Ride On, as well as Metrobus routes originating in Montgomery County, for free until they graduate from high school by using a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card. Ride On offers a $ 0.50 discount for bus fares that transfer from the Washington Metro . As with all other transit providers in the Washington Metropolitan Area, as of January 4, 2009 , Ride On stopped

1417-583: A route that serves Downtown to the north, connecting in Washington, D.C. , to I-695 . This large interchange also connects to National Harbor Boulevard, which links the National Harbor with the beltway and I-295. The highway passes south of Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm and next intersects Maryland Route 210 (MD 210; Indian Head Highway), a major north–south route from southern DC to Indian Head in Charles County , which also serves

1526-578: A special livery to commemorate Ride On's founding's 25th anniversary. In September 2001, Ride On buses were used to transport Montgomery County firemen to the Pentagon in Virginia to assist in search and rescue operations after the attacks which were on September 11, 2001. In 2001, the 2001 40 feet Orion V Diesel buses (5580-5591 and 5612–5623) went into service. In 2002, the 2002 40 feet Orion V Diesel buses (5592–5611) went into service. These were

1635-436: Is $ 1.00 regardless of payment method. Children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities can ride for free. Fares were suspended from March 2020 to July 2022 in response to COVID-19. Prior to that, Ride On's one-way fare was $ 2.00 regardless of payment method. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities could ride free on weekdays between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM, and on Saturdays between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM; at all other times,

1744-609: Is a 64-mile (103 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Washington metropolitan area that surrounds Washington, D.C. , the capital of the United States , and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia . It is the basis of the phrase " inside the Beltway ", used when referring to issues dealing with US federal government and politics. The highway is signed as Interstate 495 ( I-495 ) for its entire length, and its southern and eastern half runs concurrently with I-95 . This circumferential roadway , which

1853-506: Is a bus service that started on October 2, 2017 with route 101,a limited bus stop service via Maryland Route 355 between Medical Center station on WMATA metro train's red line and the Lakeforest Mall Transit Center. This bus route has free WiFi, USB charging ports, and more padding in the seats compared to traditional Ride On services. The fare charged is the same as on other Ride On buses, although fare loading on

1962-427: Is a national historic district in the Four Corners neighborhood. It recognizes a group of five houses built by John Joseph Earley in 1934 and 1935. The land that comprises North Four Corners Park was acquired in the mid-1940s. It was a plot of land for temporary homes for the military during World War II . It was a whites-only neighborhood for a short while. The park grew in size to 14 acres in 1998. The park features

2071-492: Is bounded on the northeast side by Fairview Lake and on the southwest side by an office complex. Continuing due south, the route then interchanges with Gallows Road, then skirts the eastern edge of Mill Creek Park before interchanging with SR 236 southwest of Annandale Community Park . Running along the eastern edge of Wakefield Park , the Beltway turns southeast and interchanges with SR 620 before turning east near Flag Run Park and entering Springfield , meeting

2180-519: Is commonly known as Northwood-Four Corners or simply North Four Corners. Montgomery Blair High School (MBHS) is a public high school named after Montgomery Blair , the son of Francis Preston Blair , the founder of Silver Spring. Blair, a lawyer, represented Dred Scott in his United States Supreme Court case, and served as Postmaster General under President Abraham Lincoln . The school is nationally recognized for its magnet program and Communication Arts Program (CAP). The Polychrome Historic District

2289-479: Is expected to be open to the public by 2027. As of the 2010 United States Census , the racial makeup of Four Corners was 67% White , 12.6% African American , 0% Native American or Alaska Native , 7.2% Asian , 0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander , and 4.1% mixed race . Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 17.7% of the population. Non-Hispanic whites were 59.8% of the population. Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) The Capital Beltway

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2398-588: Is just one example. The beltway has been continuously modified since it opened. The American Legion Bridge was expanded by two lanes. HOV lanes were added between River Road and the I-270 Spur in Montgomery County. The interchange between I-95 and the beltway in Prince George's County was originally designed to be a cloverleaf to allow I-95 to extend southward toward the District of Columbia. After I-95

2507-600: Is located mostly in Maryland and Virginia, also has a 0.11-mile (0.18 km) section through the District of Columbia, near the western end of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River . The beltway passes through Prince George's and Montgomery counties in Maryland and Fairfax County and the independent city of Alexandria in Virginia. The Cabin John Parkway , a short connector between I-495 and

2616-586: Is to be constructed to connect eastbound VA 267 with the northbound HOT Lanes, and an exit and entry ramp are to be constructed to enable access from the HOT lanes to the George Washington Memorial Parkway . The collector distributor lane on southbound I 495 from the parkway to VA 193 (Georgetown Pike) will reconstructed, and the underpasses at VA 267 and Scott Run, and the overpasses at Lewinsville Road, Old Dominion Drive , VA 193, and

2725-547: The Clara Barton Parkway along the Potomac River .) After these interchanges, the beltway then narrows to eight lanes again. Turning sharply to the west, I-495 meets the Clara Barton Parkway along the north side of the Potomac River; this parkway provides a scenic route eastward into the western part of Washington, D.C., and westward toward the Potomac River's Great Falls. After this interchange,

2834-715: The Clara Barton Parkway near the Potomac River along the Maryland–Virginia border, is considered an Interstate spur (I-495X) by the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA). Except for the westernmost part of Woodrow Wilson Bridge south of Downtown (the water below is considered part of the District of Columbia), the Capital Beltway encircles Washington, D.C. , in adjacent Maryland and Virginia . The two directions of travel, clockwise and counterclockwise (looking at

2943-585: The Dulles Greenway and ends at Leesburg . South of the I-66 interchange, the beltway crosses under US 29 and SR 237 with no access, then encounters a large braided interchange between I-495, US 50 , and two local roads; the direct interchange between I-495 and US 50 is a full cloverleaf, while the braided local interchanges between I-495, US 50, and the local roads are modified single-point urban interchanges . The entire complex

3052-735: The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission between 1996 and 2000 and are now on the Historic Register. The Burnt Mills Dam parks (East and West) are a popular starting point for hikers of the Northwest Branch Trail , part of the Rachel Carson Greenway , whose northernmost section runs along the eastern and northern border of the neighborhood. In the 19th century, there was an agricultural community located at

3161-652: The New Carrollton area. Turning northwest, the beltway then enters Greenbelt Park , intersecting the B–W Parkway on the northeastern edge of the park. Just after the B–W Parkway, I-95/I-495 passes an interchange with MD 201 , which connects to the southern terminus of the B–W Parkway at US 50 near the DC line. Now turned fully west, the beltway runs through the northern edge of College Park , interchanging with

3270-622: The Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River and becomes Columbia Pike . The mill building burned down in 1788, hence the name Burnt Mills. Rebuilt in the late 1700s or early 1800s, ownership of the mill changed hands several times in the 19th century before closing down in the early years of the 20th century. The land was then donated to the Boy Scouts of America , who established a camp named for President Woodrow Wilson. In

3379-558: The Springfield Interchange with I-95 southeast of the Shirley Industrial Complex . I-95 joins the beltway within the Springfield Interchange. I-495 also meets the southern terminus of I-395 within the same massive interchange complex. Running due east away from the interchange, crossing to the south of Backlick Stream Valley Park , the beltway (now I-95/I-495) interchanges with SR 613

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3488-530: The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) signed an agreement with two private companies to build high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on the stretch of the beltway between Springfield and Georgetown Pike. Construction began in 2008. Maryland officials are considering such lanes on their segment of the beltway, as well as other major commuter highways in the state. Locals who disapprove of these projects have nicknamed them " Lexus Lanes" because of

3597-486: The Woodrow Wilson Bridge , west of Forest Heights and National Harbor as a 10-lane highway with a local–express lane configuration including three local lanes and two express lanes in each direction. After crossing the Potomac River, I-95/I-495 narrows to eight lanes with two local and two express lanes in each direction and immediately meets the southern terminus of I-295 , known as the Anacostia Freeway,

3706-421: The 2007 40 feet Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5305–5313, formerly 5755–5763) went into service. Also, in 2007, an order of Champion cutaway buses (5182–5231 and 5285–5296) went into service. All of these buses had fire damage and they all were retired 5 years later, on July 18, 2012. Between summer and fall 2008, Ride On's first low floor diesel buses, the 2008 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5001–5006) and

3815-464: The 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5726–5746) went into service. All of these buses were the last buses in the second-generation blue-and-white paint scheme. In 2009, Ride On introduced a new logo and a new blue/yellow/green paint scheme. Also, in 2009, the 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5007–5031), the 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (5747–5757), and the 40 feet Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses (5314–5348) all went into service. 5314

3924-413: The 2013 29-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses replaced all of the 2003 model shuttle transit vehicles (STV) that were formerly operated by Pittsburgh 's Port Authority of Allegheny County . In April 2014, 19 of the brand-new 2014 40-foot Gillig Low Floor CNG buses (5837–5855) entered service. These replaced Ride On's first 40 ft CNGS (5803–5821). They are Ride On's first new CNG buses in almost

4033-609: The 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses (44145D-44153D) entered service. 42022D-42039D were Gaithersburgs first 29 ft gilligs assigned to this garage to operate on lower capacity routes, including 4 Nicholson routes on the weekends. These new 2020 Gillig buses came with new annocements that repeat stops twice. These replaced the 2008/2009 29 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses, and the 2006/2007 Gillig Advantage Hybrid buses. On October 14, 2020, Ride On launched its brand new BRT Flash service on US 29. The orange route operates between Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney every 15 minutes daily while

4142-568: The ARRA, went into service in mid-2012. In July 2012, all 62 of the 2007 Champion cutaway Ride On buses retired due to fires and got replaced with 30 of the 1999 30 feet Orion V buses (renumbered 5100–5129). All 30 of these units were formerly operated by Washington 's WMATA . On September 19, 2013, 12 new 40-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5759–5770) went into service. A week later (September 26, 2013), 28 new 29-foot Gillig Low Floor clean diesel buses (5032–5059) also went into service. Also,

4251-598: The Baltimore and Capital beltways. As originally planned, it was designed with the idea that mainline I-95 through traffic would continue straight through the interchange and south into Washington, D.C. , as the Northeast Freeway , joining the North Central Freeway within DC and running south toward the central business district. When the DC government canceled its segment of I-95 in 1977, I-95

4360-544: The Beltway soon crosses the Mather Gorge into Virginia over the 10-lane American Legion Memorial Bridge . Immediately after crossing into Fairfax County , I-495 encounters the western terminus of the George Washington Memorial Parkway at a trumpet interchange ; the parkway provides a scenic route to Arlington and Downtown. The beltway then continues south, next interchanging with State Route 193 (SR 193) south of Dranesville District Park , then reaches

4469-494: The Capital Beltway (also known as the Circumferential Highway in the planning stages) on September 28, 1955. The first section of the 64-mile-long (103 km) beltway (including the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River ) was opened on December 21, 1961; the highway was completed on August 17, 1964. Originally designated I-495, in 1977, the eastern portion of the beltway was redesignated I-95 when

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4578-646: The FHWA approved the proposed project. In October 2022, environmental and historic preservation groups filed suit against the state, citing deficiencies in the environmental review process and the projected impacts on Plummers Island . In November 2022, the Maryland Department of Transportation announced that it would not award a contract for construction of the proposed toll lane project until after Governor Hogan has left office in January 2023. Decisions on

4687-858: The Gillig Plant in California in the RideOn scheme and then later was spotted in Stevensville MD. On September 14, 2024, 44165E was spotted in the RideOn "Extra" scheme in Livermore California. On October 2, 2024, RideOn sidelined all of their 2008 Gillig Advantage buses and were replaced with 2016 Gillig Advantage buses (44025D-44039D) that were transferred to Gaithersburg from Silver Spring Garage. Along with standard bus service, Ride On operates three additional services, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, and Ride On Flash. RideOn extRa

4796-534: The Green. Within a few weeks it was carrying twice the number of passengers projected: about 2,000 riders per day. The Buses were nineteen passenger Grummans. Starting in 1983, single front door TMC City Cruisers entered service. These buses were part of a joint order with Frederick City Transit, and shared the same paint livery. In the fall of 1984, as the Washington Metro's Red Line extension to Shady Grove

4905-536: The HOT lanes and the I-495 general purpose lanes. However, elsewhere along the corridor, access to and from the HOT lanes is only permitted from cross roads. Some cross roads provide access to both HOT lanes and general purpose lanes; others have access only to one system or the other. Many HOT lane access points serve traffic in only one direction of I-495, which is intended to complement typical commuting patterns. HOT lane interchanges are as follows: The original scope of

5014-470: The HOT project is covered by a fixed-price $ 1.3-billion (equivalent to $ 1.84 billion in 2023 ) contract between concessionaire Capital Beltway Express LLC and contractor Fluor Corporation . In 2004, Transurban joined the Fluor Corporation team to serve as concessionaire and long-term operator of the HOT lanes. After a competitive procurement, the team was selected to deliver and operate

5123-744: The MD ;4 interchange, the beltway turns north through Glenarden , interchanging with MD 202 . The beltway then interchanges with US 50 /unsigned I-595 , a major highway from Downtown eastward to Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore of Maryland . Both US 50 and MD 450 (which interchanges with the beltway slightly northward) provide access to New Carrollton station serving Washington Metro 's Orange Line , MARC Train 's Penn Line , and Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor railroad line and

5232-525: The Ride On buses, greatly assisted with the grant application. The four Proterra Catalyst 35 ft electric buses are scheduled to serve Route 18 in Takoma Park starting in 2019. The county has applied for a separate grant to help buy 10 more electric buses through FTA's Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. The county expects to hear back around the end of the year if its application

5341-545: The Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road and included the replacement of more than 50 bridges, overpasses, and major interchanges. Drivers of vehicles with fewer than three occupants are required to pay a toll to use the lanes. Tolls change dynamically, with higher tolls charged during periods of heaviest congestion. Drivers using the HOT lanes are required to carry an E-ZPass transponder to allow electronic toll collection , eliminating

5450-401: The Washington, D.C., suburbs following the beltway's completion quickly made the beltway the area's "main street" for local traffic as well. Numerous large shopping malls, community colleges, sports and concert stadiums, and corporate employment centers were purposely built adjacent to the beltway, and these added greatly to the traffic, as has the passenger growth of regional airports accessed by

5559-767: The Wilson Bridge project, the Telegraph Road and US 1 interchanges (exits 176 and 177) in Alexandria, Virginia, were rebuilt. The I-295 and MD 210 interchanges (exits 2 and 3) in Maryland were rebuilt as well. These improvements lasted through 2013. The Branch Avenue ( MD 5 ) Interchange was also improved. VDOT authorized a public–private partnership to construct HOT lanes in Northern Virginia. The project added two lanes to I-495 in each direction from just west of

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5668-625: The Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The idea of building a highway around the Washington, D.C., suburbs had been discussed at least since 1944, when Fred W. Tummler, director of planning of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission , proposed an Inter-County Metropolitan Freeway. The Senate Committee on Public Works backed the idea of building the highway in 1951, asking the Bureau of Public Roads to prepare plans for

5777-635: The access roadway for Greenbelt station serving Washington Metro's Green Line and MARC Train's Camden Line in Greenbelt , then US 1 . Beyond the US ;1 interchange, I-95 separates from I-495 at the College Park Interchange. I-495 continues west, alone, on the Capital Beltway, while I-95 turns northeast toward Baltimore . The interchange includes access to a park-and-ride lot, paved initially as part of I-95's route within

5886-409: The added service. In 1989, 57 30-foot Gillig Phantom buses, the first buses in the second-generation blue-and-white scheme, went into service. In 1991 and 1992, 45 new Orion I 30' buses - Ride On's last Orion Is - entered service. In the spring of 1996, Ride On's first CNG buses, the 1996 35 feet Orion V buses, went into service. These buses retired in 2009. In 2000, Ride On buses were painted in

5995-740: The alignment, through and around Rock Creek Park , then interchanges with MD 185 near the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center . Turning northwest, I-495 soon encounters the southern terminus of I-270 , which extends northwestward to meet I-70 in Frederick . I-270 and I-495 split at a highly complex Y junction, with two separate high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) connections to I-270's HOV lanes and separate ramps to and from MD 355 (formerly US 240 ). The old Rock Creek Parkway alignment follows I-270 north, while I-495 turns west and enters

6104-549: The beltway interchanges with SR 7 (Leesburg Pike) east of Tysons; passing Dunn Loring to the east, I-495 soon reaches the complex interchange with I-66 , which extends westward to I-81 in the Shenandoah Valley near Strasburg and eastward to Arlington and Downtown. In a similar design as the I-270/I-495 interchange, dedicated HOV connections exist between I-495 and I-66, with directional ramps providing

6213-475: The beltway is a continuing problem. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge —where eight lanes were squeezed into six—was particularly onerous, with miles-long backups daily during commuter rush hours and on heavily traveled weekends. Relief for this bottleneck came on May 30, 2008, when the 12-lane replacement bridge opened to traffic in both directions (the six-lane span carrying Outer Loop traffic had opened in June 2006). Two of

6322-583: The beltway, and SR 644 . The Woodrow Wilson Bridge underwent reconstruction in a major project that began in 1999; it now provides express and local lanes for both the Inner and Outer loops. The new Woodrow Wilson Bridge is higher and wider than the original 1961 span, which was demolished in 2006. The Outer Loop span opened in June 2006, and the Inner Loop span opened in May 2008. Also, in association with

6431-490: The beltway. Continuing west from the College Park Interchange, I-495 crosses into Montgomery County , entering a heavily developed and populated area. Passing underneath MD 212 with no access, the route interchanges with MD 650 near the George Washington Cemetery . After bisecting Northwest Branch Park , the beltway interchanges with MD 193 and US 29 south of Four Corners ;

6540-491: The beltway. The formerly more affordable price of housing in Southern Maryland versus Northern Virginia , also led tens of thousands of commuters to live in Southern Maryland and commute on the beltway to Virginia. The newer Fairfax County Parkway in the 1990s helped ease some traffic on the Virginia beltway; however, various proposals to build another complete outer beltway in the outer suburbs has not gotten off

6649-479: The blue route operates between Silver Spring and Burtonsville every 15 minutes only during peak hours (5:30AM to 8:30 AM and 3:30PM to 7:00 PM) Monday-Friday. Ride On's very first articulated (62 feet) buses (46000D-46015D) operate on the Flash service, which replaced Ride On route 129 and WMATA route Z11 In 2022, all of the Ride On buses changed their announcement narrator, getting a new announcement narrator to replace

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6758-490: The bus is not permitted. As of September 17, 2018 , Ride On extRa serves a new bus stop at Templeton Place in Rockville, MD, increasing the number of bus stops to 13. Two new bus routes, "Lime", and "Pink" entered service on September 8,2024. The buses used on the RideOn extRa routes are 2017 Gillig Advantage BRT diesel buses (44056D-44072D) and 2019 Gillig Advantage CNG's (44129C-44139C) that were preciously wrapped in

6867-440: The county using new, 11-passenger cutaway buses (41000D-41006D). MCDOT has a climate action plan to move to zero-emissions fleet by 2035. On September 4, 2020, Ride On's first four fully-electric buses (43000E-43003E) entered service on the routes 18 and 25 in Silver Spring and Takoma Park. They are manufactured by Proterra and can run on a single charge all day long. That same year, 39 of the 29 feet buses (42001D-42039D) and 9 of

6976-686: The crossroads on the Bladensburg and Colesville Roads. The community remained rural until the post-World War I building boom in suburban Montgomery County. Four Corners came into being as a residential neighborhood between the world wars, beginning in the late 1930s with the development of Northwood Park, Woodmoor, Indian Spring Village, Indian Spring Terrace, North Hills of Sligo Park, and Fairway. These subdivisions expanded between 1945 and 1955 even as new ones, such as Northwood and Franklin Knolls, were constructed. The single-family house subdivisions that soon surrounded Four Corners had winding streets that formed an irregular grid in between major roads. Four Corners

7085-407: The early 1920s, the Boy Scouts donated part of the land to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission , and a temporary water filtration plant was erected at the site. Work on a new plant was completed in 1936, and the plant was named for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's chief engineer, Robert B. Morse Filtration Plant . The dam and the two Georgian Revival pump houses were acquired by

7194-416: The extensive triangle of interchanges between I-495, the Dulles Access Road , SR 267 , and SR 123 . The eastbound Dulles Access Road also provides access to I-66 for Outer Loop beltway traffic. The former interchange with the toll road (SR 267) is a directional interchange, while the latter is a cloverleaf ; the entire complex occurs east of the Tysons business district. Now running south,

7303-498: The first New Flyer buses ordered by Ride On. In 2006, Ride On started accepting SmarTrip cards and in August 2006, all the Ride On buses started getting equipped with GFi GENFAREs. Also, in 2006, the 2005 35 feet Orion VII CNG buses went into service. These were the last Orion models ordered for RideOn. Additionally, Ride On's first five hybrid-electric buses, the 2006 40 feet Gillig Low Floor aka Gillig Advantage buses (5300–5304, formerly 5750–5754), went into service. In 2007, 8 of

7412-411: The first phase expanding the road in Montgomery County and the second phase expanding the road in Prince George's County. On June 12, 2019, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCCPC) sent a letter of nonconcurrence to MDOT SHA , triggering a mediation process with the state. The M-NCPPC has jurisdiction over parkland that MDOT SHA would need for its proposal. In August 2022,

7521-415: The ground because local governments in Maryland object to building additional Potomac River crossings as well as destroying protected "open space" and creating sprawl . The College Park Interchange is the informal name for the northern interchange between I-95 and I-495 in College Park, Maryland. The interchange was partially opened, along with the connecting segment of I-95, in 1971, completing I-95 between

7630-405: The highway past Alexandria, over the Potomac River on a new bridge, and reconnect to the B–W Parkway in Maryland. By December 1952, the plan had evolved into a highway that fully encircled Washington DC's suburbs. The highway was intended to reduce traffic and also to offer an alternative route for the military in case of emergency. The federal government gave final approval for the construction of

7739-425: The highway. Backed by Senator Francis H. Case of South Dakota , the plan called for the highway to begin in Beltsville at the nearly completed B–W Parkway, continue west through Silver Spring and Bethesda, cross the Potomac River over a new bridge, head south near Tysons Corner and Falls Church , turn east by the Shirley Memorial Highway, and end at US 1 in Gum Springs . A 1952 amendment called for continuing

7848-471: The interchange, the beltway nears the western approach to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge . Continuing east, the two routes encounter US 1 , a major north–south highway providing access to Alexandria, Arlington, and Downtown, as well as various points south in Fairfax County . Finally, beyond this complex interchange, I-95 and I-495 together cross Alexandria's Jones Point Park and exit Virginia via

7957-506: The issue or acceptance of paper transfers. Riders wanting transfer credit must use a SmarTrip card to get the rail-to-bus or bus-to-rail discount or to transfer free from bus to bus. Ride On operates a fleet consisting of Diesel , CNG , Diesel-electric hybrid, and Battery electric buses produced by Gillig Corporation , Nova Bus , Proterra , and Starcraft . [REDACTED] Allstar XL Advantage Advantage Advantage Low Floor Plus The bus fleet, owned and operated by Ride On,

8066-653: The lanes on the Wilson are being held in reserve for future use as bus rapid transit or rail transit. Two intersections on the Capital Beltway are ranked in the top 20 on a study of the "worst bottlenecks in the nation". They are the I-495 at I-270 interchange in Montgomery County, Maryland , ranked third overall, which receives 760,425 cars daily, and the College Park Interchange in Prince George's County, Maryland , ranked 11th, with 340,125 cars. The Springfield Interchange , where I-395 , I-95, and I-495 meet,

8175-466: The last high floor buses, until the 2019 RideOn Flex buses. In early 2004, Ride On's first low-floor buses, the 2003/2004 35 feet Orion VII CNG buses (5900–5932) went into service. They replaced all of the remaining 1988-1989 30 feet Gillig Phantom buses (5300–5356), which were also Ride On's last buses without wheelchair lifts, therefore resulting in an all-accessible fleet. In late 2005, 15 New Flyer C40LF buses (5822–5836) went into service. These were

8284-416: The need for tollbooths. Tolls are waived for buses, carpools of at least three people, motorcycles, and emergency vehicles with an E-ZPass Flex transponder set to the "HOV ON" configuration. If more than a specified number of carpools or busses use the lanes, Virginia must pay the tolls for the excess vehicles. At the north and south terminal of the HOT lanes, motorists are able to transition directly between

8393-502: The neighborhood of National Harbor of Oxon Hill, Maryland . The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognizes 0.11 miles (0.18 km) of the bridge as crossing the tip of the southernmost corner of the District of Columbia , but, while there are signs acknowledging the Maryland and Virginia state borders, there are none for DC. The beltway (where I-95 and I-495 together) enters Maryland during its Potomac River crossing over

8502-600: The new HOT lanes. After a series of public meetings and environmental studies, the project was approved and funded in 2007. Construction began in mid-2008. The express lanes were opened for public access on November 17, 2012. In March 2022, VDOT and Transurban commenced on a two and a half mile northern extension of the I-495 HOT lanes from VA 267 to just south of the American Legion Memorial Bridge (4-4 to 4-2-2-4 configuration). A new flyover

8611-459: The new collector–distributor lane on the Inner Loop within the US 1 interchange, to segregate through traffic from southbound I-95 and local traffic for US 1. The stump end of the interchange was also modified into its present configuration, and the park and ride was built. Despite and because of numerous widening projects during its history (particularly in Virginia), heavy traffic on

8720-543: The new hydrogen fuel celled buses are expected to be delivered to the Gaithersburg bus depot. On September 8, 2024, the first phase of the Ride On extRa Great Seneca Transit Network entered service with two new routes designated "Pink" and "Lime". These limited stop routes operate daily between the Traville Transit Center and Shady Grove Metro Station. On September 12, 2024, 44164E was spotted at

8829-456: The old narrator. In March 2023, Ride On's first Gillig Plus Battery Electric buses (44154E-44163E) entered service. 44156E and 44158E entered service on February 15, 2023. In July/August 2023, Ride On brought back 3 of the 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses from retirement (5737, 5744, and 5746) to operate for the Flash BRT service. Between late June/July 2024, Ride On brought back

8938-489: The oldest vehicles in the fleet. Seventeen buses (44056D-44072D) are specially branded and used exclusively for Ride On's new extRa service that began October 2, 2017. This limited-stop service runs along Route 355 from Lakeforest Transit Center to Medical Center Metro Station. All of the 59 buses are manufactured by Gillig; 25 run on clean diesel (44056D-44080D) and 34 use compressed natural gas (44081C-44114C). Four additional 40-foot CNG buses (44115C-44118C) entered service in

9047-403: The one-lane cloverleaf ramp in the southwest quadrant of the interchange; after exiting the ramp, traffic then had to weave through Inner Loop traffic headed for US 1 . This unsafe condition was rectified by November 1986, when the flyover from southbound I-95 to the Inner Loop was constructed for I-95 southbound through traffic; the existing one-lane cloverleaf ramp was retained for access to

9156-462: The only other six-lane segment of the beltway still in existence; significant levels of traffic exit onto I-270 north, leaving the six-lane segment west of the split adequate. Interchanging with Old Georgetown Road ( MD 187 ), I-495 soon meets the I-270 Spur , the other side of the I-270/I-495 triangle. I-495 joins I-270 Spur at a converging Y junction; Inner Loop traffic exits from itself at

9265-437: The other. At entrance ramps to the beltway and on the on-highway signage, "Inner Loop" and "Outer Loop" shields are posted in conjunction with the route marker shields, although the terms are not emphasized in signage. The beltway was originally envisioned as primarily a bypass for long-distance eastern seaboard traffic to avoid driving directly through Washington, D.C. However, the explosive growth both of housing and business in

9374-554: The parkway will be rebuilt as well. VA 193 will be widened within the vicinity of its interchange with the Beltway. The express lanes are expected to be opened to the public in late 2025, and the project itself is expected to be completed on 2026. In September 2017, Governor Larry Hogan announced a plan to widen the portion of I-495 in Maryland by four lanes, adding express toll lanes to the median, as part of an $ 11-billion-or-more (equivalent to $ 13.4 billion or more in 2023 ) proposal to widen roads in Maryland. The project would be

9483-503: The potential high price for using the lanes in exchange for bypassing congestion. These new lanes are one stage of a controversial project to widen the beltway, with the second stage involving widening the beltway to 12 lanes; opponents have called for various alternatives to this project (as well as the controversial Intercounty Connector project) which would divert many vehicles off the northern beltway. The MDOT SHA's Purple Line light rail transit line, under construction as of 2022 ,

9592-636: The project will be made by the administration of newly elected governor Wes Moore and the Board of Public Works. Ride On (bus) Ride On (formerly Ride-On ) is the primary public transportation system in Montgomery County, Maryland . Managed by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Ride On serves Montgomery County as well as the community of Langley Park in Prince George's County and Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. In fiscal 2018, it operated on

9701-450: The regular RideOn scheme. RideOn will also be introducing 2024 Gillig Plus Electric Buses to RideOn extRa, as 44165E was seen wrapped in the RideOn extRa scheme Ride On Flex is an on-demand bus service that began serving Montgomery County on June 26, 2019, and runs in and around Rockville , Glenmont , and Wheaton using new, 11-passenger cutaway buses. Passengers are able to request a bus using an app . The new service does not charge

9810-519: The remaining 2008 40 feet Gillig Advantage Diesel buses from retirement (5726, 5728, 5730, 5732–5736, 5738/5739, 5742/5743, and 5745) due to the 2 new Ride On extRa routes "Lime" and "Pink" that operate between the Shady Grove metro station and Traville Transit Center. As these buses returned, they got the new announcement narrator just like what the other Ride On buses had, starting from 2022. These buses are expected to stay in service until 2025, when

9919-494: The remaining connections. There is no access between the Outer Loop and eastbound I-66 at this interchange. Instead, Outer Loop traffic must use the eastbound Dulles Access Road exit three miles (4.8 km) to the north in order to reach I-66 east. There are multiple ramps from I-66 east to the Inner Loop, with one ramp exiting from the left side of I-66 east and the other exiting from the right. The Dulles Access Road leads to Dulles International Airport , which then changes over to

10028-602: The southern terminus of I-270 Spur, while Outer Loop traffic crosses the spur and enters it from the right. The two carriageways of I-495 temporarily widen to five lanes each until the MD ;190 and Cabin John Parkway interchanges. (MD 190 provides access to the northwestern portion of Washington, D.C., and to the Potomac and Great Falls areas of Montgomery County , while the Cabin John Parkway extends to

10137-407: The speed limit of the Maryland section of the beltway from 55 to 70 mph (89 to 113 km/h) in a bid to reduce traffic congestion on the beltway. The Springfield Interchange in Virginia completed reconstruction in 2007. The eight-year, nearly $ 676-million (equivalent to $ 957 million in 2023 ) project worked to eliminate weaving among local and long-distance traffic between I-95, I-395,

10246-451: The town of Forest Heights to the north at another interconnected interchange. Heading eastward, the beltway's (I-95/I-495) local–express lane configuration ends before it interchanges with various local highways, including MD 5 and MD 4 on either side of Andrews Air Force Base , which the beltway travels near its northern edge. (Both MD 5 and MD 4 extend westward into DC and southeastward into Southern Maryland .) Past

10355-418: The transit agency's 40th anniversary ad. In 2016, between April and May, 40 of the new 40 ft Gillig LF clean diesel buses (44000D-44039D), 1 bus which is 29 ft Gillig LF clean diesel (42000D) and 16 of the 40 ft Gillig LF CNG buses (44040c-44055c) entered service. And with the new buses came the new five-digit numbering system for Ride On, along with the addition of suffixes denoting engines with

10464-407: The two interchanges are little more than half a mile ( 0.80 km) apart. Southbound US 29 is the main route into downtown Silver Spring , continuing into Washington, D.C. Squeezing past Argyle Local Park and Sligo Creek Golf Course , the beltway interchanges with MD 97 northwest of Silver Spring, then follows an alignment formerly known as Rock Creek Parkway . The route twists along

10573-470: The west and the east are among the most frequently used. More scenic routes from the beltway into DC are offered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Virginia side of the Potomac River, the Clara Barton Parkway along the Maryland side of the river, and the Baltimore–Washington Parkway (B–W Parkway), approaching Washington DC from the northeast. Initially, the entire beltway

10682-767: The winter of 2018. These replaced all of the 2003 Orion VIIs and most of the 2004 Orion VII buses. Ride On was award a $ 1.75 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase the county's first four electric buses and charging stations. Ride On is partnering with Proterra, the bus manufacturer, and the Center for Transportation and the Environment, a nonprofit that develops technologies and implements solutions to achieve energy and environmental sustainability. The Montgomery County Department of General Services, which purchases and maintains

10791-648: Was approved. MCDOT Ride On received a $ 4.365 million grant from the FTA to replace diesel buses with 10 new, electric buses on October 1, 2018. Ride On added 26 Gillig 40-foot buses in spring 2019; replacing all the remaining Orion VII's. These buses introduced a brand new paint scheme with a wave pattern and are painted blue, dark blue, light green, and a touch of white. 23 use compressed natural gas (44119C-44141C) and 3 run on clean diesel (44142D-44144D). On April 28, 2019, Ride On announced Ride On Flex, an on-demand bus service that runs in three major metropolitan areas in

10900-399: Was complete, Ride On would see its largest route expansion to date. Numerous routes would be added to accommodate passengers who would utilize the eight new metrorail stations along the western portion of Montgomery County. At that time, Ride On would begin to replace a few WMATA routes that operated in Montgomery County. OBI Orion I 30' foot buses would be introduced that same year to allow for

11009-597: Was forced to merge onto a congested section of the beltway for approximately one mile (1.6 km). As a congestion relief measure, I-295 was extended over the beltway and continued parallel to it so that the two highways were directly connected independent of the beltway. However, these interchanges were redesigned and rebuilt to accommodate the expansion of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and the construction of dedicated ramps to National Harbor. In January 2018, Maryland State Democratic Senator Joanne C. Benson of Prince George's County proposed legislation (Senate Bill 55) to increase

11118-533: Was keep going straight. Lots of resistance from bureaucrats, but eventually we got dual I-95/I-495 signs on the eastern half of the Beltway. In 1989, the I-495 designation was restored to the eastern portion, making it a dual I-95/I-495. Traveling clockwise, the beltway is designated as the " Inner Loop "; traveling counterclockwise, it is designated as the " Outer Loop ". This parlance too has led to its own confusion, with unfamiliar motorists imagining two separate, distinct highway alignments, one some distance inside

11227-554: Was largely developed by the late 1950s. Four Corners is served by Metrobus numbers Z6, Z8, C2, and C4 , as well as Ride On numbers 8, 9, 19, and Flash BRT . Washington Metro service is available on the Red Line at the nearby Wheaton and Silver Spring stations. The Piney Branch Road station of the Purple Line will be built in nearby Long Branch at the intersection of University Boulevard and Piney Branch Road and

11336-546: Was originally numbered 5349. These buses were the only buses to have a big yellow uppercase letter "R" on the back side. On autumn 2011, 12 of the Ride On's 40-foot Gillig Low Floor hybrid buses (5349–5360) and one clean diesel bus (5758) went into service. All 13 of these buses were purchased with funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act . Seven additional 40' Gillig Low Floor hybrid buses (5361–5367), which were also purchased with stimulus funds from

11445-507: Was previously ranked fifth worst in the nation, but recent improvements have taken it off the top 20. Local commuters refer to the Springfield Interchange as "The Mixing Bowl". although this designation is reserved by highway officials for the even more complicated interchange complex adjacent to the Pentagon on the original Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway (currently better-known as I-395) at SR 27 in Arlington . In April 2005,

11554-432: Was realigned onto the beltway, a flyover ramp was built to allow I-95 through traffic to have two high-speed lanes. The interchange between US 50 and I-95/I-495 in Prince George's County was upgraded from a simple cloverleaf to a hybrid turbine interchange. In the beltway's original configuration, I-295 and Indian Head Highway had separate interchanges. As a result, north–south traffic between I-295 and Indian Head Highway

11663-415: Was rerouted onto the eastern half of the Capital Beltway, which lost its designation as I-495 (this was restored in 1989, forming a concurrency of I-95 and I-495 on the eastern half). As a result of this rerouting, the interchange was placed under considerable pressure to cater for a traffic flow that it was not designed to handle. Originally, travelers from southbound I-95 to the Inner Loop had to traverse

11772-414: Was simply I-495, and I-95 was planned to serve Downtown from the south and north, intersecting the beltway in Virginia and Maryland. However, environmental litigation stopped the completion of this plan, and the built portion of I-95 inside the beltway from the south northward into Downtown was redesignated I-395 in 1977. The small built portion from the north was converted into a park-and-ride lot. I-95

11881-452: Was then rerouted (and so signed) along the eastern side of the beltway, with the I-495 designation left only along the western side. In 1989, the I-495 designation was also returned to the eastern portion, with the highway cosigned as I-95 and I-495 along this route. The beltway—here I-95 and I-495 together and four lanes in each direction—travels over the tidal Potomac River on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge between Alexandria, Virginia , and

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