MCDOT Has New Convenient Stroller Policy in Place
Montgomery County Department of Transportation will be making it more convenient for Ride On passengers with strollers.
Effective immediately, all bus operators on regular Ride On routes will deploy the ramp for this purpose. An MCDOT press release says, as an added convenience, when the priority seating area of the bus is not occupied, passengers may park a stroller there and allow the child to remain seated as long as the stroller wheels are locked and the passenger holds onto the stroller at all times.
“We are pleased to implement this new approach to make life a little easier for our Ride On passengers with young children,” said MCDOT Director Al Roshdieh. “It’s a small step that goes a long way to support families and the friendliness of our community.”
Officials say this open stroller policy is designed to help remove barriers to Ride On use for young families. This comes after noticing the difficulty some passengers faced while trying to hold a young child and attempt to fold a stroller at the same time. Officials also noted that the ability to travel with an open stroller is not guaranteed for all rides. When space is not available in the priority seating area, passengers must remove the child from the stroller, fold it, and place it in a safe location on the bus. At their discretion, Ride On bus operators may ask a passage to move or fold a stroller if it is compromising the safety of others.
The new policy follows a range of industry studies of the components of family-friendly transit. It does not apply to smaller vehicles such as the Ride On Flex due to its more limited seating area.
Passengers are encouraged to provide feedback on the new policy by contacting MC311 online, calling 311 within Montgomery County or 240-777-0311 outside the County (Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.), or following MC311 on Twitter @311MC311.
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