All Aboard the Free Ride Express (Paid for by MoCo Taxpayers)

Let me break some groundbreaking Montgomery County news to you straight from the land of hybrid Subarus, artisanal hummus, and $9 lattes: starting June 29, Ride On buses across the county will be 100% free.

No, not “free” as in “donated by Elon Musk as a social experiment.”
“Free” as in my retired grandparents in Chevy Chase and the uber generous taxpayers in Montgomery County get to foot the bill so everyone else can ride around town like it’s County-sponsored UberPool.

According to the County’s official PR spin (also known as The MoCo Show article), this “zero-fare” policy is all about equity and accessibility. You know, the usual buzzwords used when Montgomery County politicians do something wildly inefficient but want it to sound morally virtuous. It’s like they took a course in advanced budgetary gaslighting.

Let’s review how we got here.

Step One: Jack Up Fees and Property Taxes

While the County Council raises everything from permit fees to property tax rates, they pat themselves on the back for being “progressive.” Translation: working families and retirees who own property are punished—because clearly, if you managed to buy a home in Montgomery County, you must be a secret millionaire who deserves to be squeezed like an organic lemon.

Now imagine you’re my Grandma Sylvia, a retired schoolteacher who made every dime count. After decades of public service, her reward? Paying extra so 22-year-old Chad can ride to his gig at the weed dispensary for free on Ride On Flash.

Step Two: Give Away the Buses

Ride On, Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex, Ride On Flash… You name it, it’s free now. Everyone hops on, no questions asked. You know what else is free? The illusion of fiscal sanity in Montgomery County.

What they’re not telling you is that these buses cost money to run. Fuel, maintenance, driver salaries, pensions, the whole thing. That $1.00 fare—remember that? Gone. Along with any pretense that the people actually using the service should contribute to it.

But Don’t Worry, It’s for “Equity”

This is the part where we cue the press conference and some councilmember from Takoma Park utters the sacred phrase: “Mobility justice.” Apparently, it’s now “unjust” to expect someone to pay $2.00 to ride a government-subsidized bus—but it’s perfectly fine to stick the bill to fixed-income seniors, working parents, and small business owners.

It’s amazing how progressive compassion always seems to require your credit card.

Sarcasm Alert: Let’s Celebrate!

Let’s all cheer for the new Montgomery County motto:
“Everyone rides free, unless you pay property taxes—then congratulations, you’re now funding the free rides.”

Maybe we can expand this policy to Whole Foods next. No checkout. Just ring up your groceries and let a retired nurse in Potomac pay for them.

Heck, why stop there? Maybe we should let everyone live rent-free in downtown Bethesda while the rest of us pitch in to keep the lights on. Oh wait—that sounds like current housing policy.

The Conservative Case for Reality

Let me channel a bit of sanity here: Want to help low-income residents? Great. Issue bus vouchers. Create reduced fare programs. Use means testing like we do for, oh I don’t know, every other public benefit.

But this across-the-board “free for all” model? It’s lazy policymaking dressed up as justice. It’s feel-good politics that make donors and activists happy—while punishing the people who actually keep this county running.

Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a free ride. Someone’s paying for it. In Montgomery County, it just happens to be my grandparents.

And yours.

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Endnotes

1. Montgomery County to Launch Ride On Overhaul and Zero-Fare Policy Starting June 29, 2025
   MoCoShow.com, June 13, 2025.
   https://mocoshow.com/2025/06/13/montgomery-county-to-launch-ride-on-overhaul-and-zero-fare-policy-starting-june-29
   (Official county announcement citing “equity,” “accessibility,” and “transit modernization” as justifications for the new policy.)
2. Montgomery County FY25 Approved Budget Summary
   Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget, May 2025.
   (Details the increased property tax rates and fees imposed for the 2025 fiscal year, including across-the-board hikes for homeowners.)
3. Ride On Flash and Ride On extRa Fact Sheets
   Montgomery County Department of Transportation, 2024.
   (Breaks down costs per rider and operational expenses for various Ride On services.)
4. U.S. Census Data – Montgomery County Demographics (2023)
   U.S. Census Bureau.
   (Reveals that over 18% of Montgomery County residents are over the age of 65, many of whom live on fixed incomes.)
5. “Free Transit: Not So Free” – Washington Policy Review
   Volume 12, Issue 4, Winter 2024.
   (Analysis of how “zero-fare” policies often shift burdens to taxpayers and disproportionately benefit urban professionals over actual low-income residents.)
6. “The Economics of Fare-Free Public Transit” – Urban Institute Policy Brief
   July 2023.
   (Argues that targeted fare subsidies or vouchers for those in need are more cost-effective and equitable than universal zero-fare programs.)
7. Property Tax Assessment Trends – Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation
   2023–2025 Reports.
   (Shows year-over-year property assessment increases in areas like Chevy Chase, Bethesda, and Potomac, contributing to higher tax bills.)

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Ian Schwartz is a contributor to Direct Line News.   Contact Ian at Ian.Schwartz@mcgopclub.com

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