The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is currently mulling a decision to shut down the Ride-On bus 42 that services many CESJDS students.

If the decision to shut down the bus is made, JDS students who live in Potomac and take the bus will need to find a new way to get home.

JDS falls on the edge of District 1, which encompasses Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac and Garrett Park. Montgomery County councilmember for District 1 and Chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Roger Berliner, said in an email interview that he thinks that service during “peak hours” will be preserved. This would mean that the bus would run around the time of dismissal, so that students would be able to get home.

The proposed cut of the 42 bus was because Montgomery County was facing a budget shortcoming of $50 million for fiscal year 2016, which spans from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

The 42 bus was one of the lowest profiting buses, and it only got back 6 percent of its operation costs from the bus fares. The complete elimination of the 42 route would save $704,000 because maintaining the bus service all day is very expensive when not very many people are paying bus fares. The JDS students do not help the performance of the bus, because students ride free on Ride-On buses.

The proposed cut of the 42 Bus is part of a $4 million dollar cut in transportation services throughout the county. Berliner said that he supports existing and future modes of transit such as the purple line, yet the cuts had to be made.

“I think we all had to make cuts to programs that we did not take any pride in cutting,” Berliner said.

Currently the 38 Bus stops at the Boiling Brook Parkway and Rocking Horse Road bus stop, right next to the Upper School campus at 3:51p.m. and the 42 Bus comes at 4:05p.m. Both take students to the White Flint metro and the 42 bus continues on to Potomac, MD.

Freshman Doron Polonetsky would be highly affected by the cancellation of the bus, since he takes the bus almost everyday to his Potomac home. Polonetsky said that only 4 or 5 students consistently take the bus all the way to Potomac from school.

Because of all the pushback the Department of Transportation has received since announcing the proposed cuts, there were two forums scheduled on Sept. 17 and 24 where the proposed cut of the 42 bus as well as other issues were discussed.

“We do care what residents think, and I do think their opinions will have an impact on the ultimate decision,” Berliner said.
Polonetsky attended the first forum on Sept. 17. He said that the vast majority of people there spoke in favor of keeping the bus. The supporters cited lower performing buses and the fact that the 42 services students, as reasons to keep the 42 and cancel other routes.

Berliner said that the Department of Transportation will make a recommendation to the County Executive Isiah (Ike) Leggett sometime in the next few weeks, and then Leggett will make the final decision. Berliner reiterated that he expects Leggett to save the peak service.