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Table of Contents:
About Flash
Flash is a planned bus rapid transit (BRT) network
that will offer frequent, fast, and reliable service. Flash
currently operates on US 29
. Explore the Flash project webpages, listed in the Current Projects section below, which include information about public engagement and project progress.
Learn about how Flash is different than the regular bus service in The Flash Difference section below or read the
Fall 2025 newsletter
Flash Vision
Flash will connect you to the places that matter to you: work, school, healthcare, and transit hubs. Eight Flash corridors are currently planned. The Flash vision network is based on the recommendations of the
Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan (2013)
Watch our explainer video to learn more about Flash
Flash BRT Network Vision Map and Description
Flash BRT Network Vision Map.
View full-size image (use back button to return)
Includes routes that are in service (U.S. 29), in design (Maryland 355 and Veirs Mill Road), and planned routes (North Bethesda, New Hampshire Avenue, Georgia Avenue, Randolph Road, University Boulevard).
Connections to other Flash routes, Metrorail stations, MARC service (Maryland Area Rail Commuter train), the future Purple Line, and park and rides are noted by stop.
U.S. 29 Flash BRT – In Service
Note: Stops are listed from south to north
Silver Spring Transit Center (connections to Metrorail, Marc, future Purple Line, and planned Georgia Ave Flash BRT)
Fenton Street
Four Corners (connection to planned University Boulevard Flash BRT)
Burnt Mills
Some buses serve Oak Leaf Drive, White Oak Transit Center (connection to planned New Hampshire Avenue Flash BRT), and April Lane
Tech Road (connection to planned Randolph Road Flash BRT)
Some buses serve Castle Boulevard and Briggs Chaney Park and Ride
Some buses serve Burtonsville Park and Ride
Future service will extend to Howard County to serve stops at Maple Lawn, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, and The Mall at Columbia Transit Center
Maryland 355 Flash BRT – In Design
Note: Stops are listed from south to north
Friendship Heights Metro Station (connection to Metrorail)
Bethesda Metro Station (connections to Metrorail and future Purple Line)
Cordell Avenue
Medical Center Metro Station (connection to Metrorail)
Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station (connection to Metrorail)
Security Lane
North Bethesda Metro Station (connections to Metrorail and planned Randolph Road Flash BRT and North Bethesda Flash BRT)
Bou Avenue
Halpine Road
Edmonston Drive
Mount Vernon Place
Rockville Metro Station (connections to Metrorail, Marc, and future Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT)
Montgomery College Rockville campus (connection to future Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT)
Shady Grove Metro Station (connection to Metrorail)
South Westland Drive
Education Boulevard
Lakeforest Boulevard
Lakeforest Transit Center
Watkins Mill Road
Gunners Branch
Holy Cross Hospital Germantown
Montgomery College Germantown campus
Seneca Meadows Office Park
Amber Ridge Drive
Milestone Park and Ride
Clarksburg Village Center
Rainbow Arch Drive
Clarksburg Outlets
Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT – In Design
Note: Stops are listed from west to east
Montgomery College Rockville campus (connection to future Maryland 355 Flash BRT)
Rockville Metro Station (connections to Metrorail, Marc, and future Maryland 355 Flash BRT)
Edmonston Drive
Atlantic Avenue
Twinbrook Parkway
Aspen Hill Road
Robindale Drive
Veirs Mill Road/Randolph Road (connection to planned Randolph Road Flash BRT)
Connecticut Avenue
Norris Drive
Wheaton Metro Station (connections to Metrorail and planned Georgia Avenue Flash BRT and University Boulevard Flash BRT)
New Hampshire Avenue Flash BRT – Planned
Note: Stops are listed from south to north
Fort Totten Metro Station (connection to Metrorail)
Sheridan Street
Ethan Allen Avenue
Merwood Drive
Takoma/Langley Transit Center (connections to future Purple Line and planned University Boulevard Flash BRT)
Quebec Street
Northampton Drive
Oakview Drive
Powder Mill Road
Food and Drug Administration White Oak Campus
White Oak Transit Center (connection to U.S. 29 Flash BRT)
Jackson Road
Valleybrook Drive
Randolph Road/New Hampshire Avenue (connection to planned Randolph Road Flash BRT)
Colesville Park and Ride
North Bethesda Flash BRT – Planned
Note: Stops are listed from west to east
Montgomery Mall Transit Center (park and ride)
Rock Spring Park 1
Rock Spring Park 2
Georgetown Square
Tuckerman Lane
Woodward High School
Pike and Rose
North Bethesda Metro Station (connections to Metrorail, future Maryland 355 Flash BRT, and planned Randolph Road Flash BRT)
Georgia Avenue Flash BRT – Planned
Note: Stops are listed from south to north
Montgomery College Silver Spring/Takoma Park Campus
East-West Highway
Silver Spring Transit Center (connections to Metrorail, Marc, U.S. 29 Flash BRT, and future Purple Line)
Cameron Street
Seminary Road
Forest Glen Metro Station (connection to Metrorail)
Dexter Avenue
Wheaton Metro Station (connections to Metrorail, future Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT, and planned University Boulevard Flash BRT)
Arcola Avenue
Glenmont Metro Station/Georgia Avenue (connections to Metrorail and planned Randolph Road Flash BRT)
Hewitt Avenue
Connecticut Avenue
Bel Pre Road
Rossmoor Boulevard
Norbeck Road (park and ride)
Intercounty Connector (ICC park and ride)
Hines Road
Olney Sandy Spring Road
Montgomery General Hospital
Randolph Road Flash BRT – Planned
Note: Stops are listed from west to east
North Bethesda Metro Station (connections to Metrorail, future Maryland 355 Flash BRT, and planned North Bethesda Flash BRT)
Lauderdale Drive
Veirs Mill Road/Randolph Road (connection to future Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT)
Connecticut Avenue
Bluhill Road
Glenmont Metro Station/Georgia Avenue (connections to Metrorail and planned Georgia Avenue Flash BRT)
Glenallen Avenue
Randolph Road/New Hampshire Avenue (connection to planned New Hampshire Avenue Flash BRT)
Fairland Road
Tech Road (connection to U.S. 29 Flash BRT)
Adventist White Oak Medical Center
University Boulevard Flash BRT – Planned
Note: Stops are listed from west to east
Wheaton Metro Station (connections to Metrorail, future Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT, and planned Georgia Avenue Flash BRT)
Amherst Avenue
Inwood Avenue
Arcola Avenue
Dennis Avenue
Four Corners (connection to U.S. 29 Flash BRT)
East Franklin Avenue
Gilbert Street
Takoma/Langley Transit Center (connections to future Purple Line and planned New Hampshire Avenue Flash BRT)
Current Projects
The buttons below link to the project webpages where you can learn about project status, how to get involved or contact the project team, and access maps and other resources.
MD 355
NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE
NORTH BETHESDA
VEIRS MILL RD
US 29 (PHASE 2)
Flash BRT Projects and Status Map.
View full-size image (use back button to return)
Map Description:
Five Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects are underway:
U.S. 29 Flash BRT is in service. Phase 2 of the project, adding dedicated bus lanes on part of the corridor, is in design. U.S. 29 Flash serves Burtonsville, Briggs Chaney, the Food and Drug Administration, White Oak Transit Center, and Silver Spring Transit Center (connection to Metrorail).
Maryland 355 Flash BRT is in design. It will operate between Clarksburg, Germantown, Gaithersburg, Rockville (connection to Metrorail), North Bethesda (connection to Metrorail), and Bethesda (connection to Metrorail).
Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT is in construction. It will operate between Montgomery College Rockville campus, Rockville Metrorail station, and Wheaton Metrorail station.
New Hampshire Avenue Flash BRT is in the planning phase. It will connect Colesville, White Oak, Takoma/Langley, and to the Fort Totten Metrorail station.
North Bethesda Flash BRT is in the planning phase. It will connect the Montgomery Mall Transit Center to the North Bethesda Metrorail station.
The Flash Difference
Flash makes travel simple and stress free.
Frequent service:
Every 15 minutes or less.
Safe connections:
Upgraded sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike paths.
Easy access:
Walk and roll on easily with near-level boarding. Bike racks are on board.
Modern stations:
Lighting, comfortable seating, and real-time arrival updates.
Flash means faster and more reliable trips.
Dedicated bus lanes, giving buses priority at intersections, and longer green lights help you avoid traffic and stay on schedule. Where feasible, intersection improvements on Flash corridors will include queue jumps and transit signal priority.
Queue Jumps
Queue jumps are short lanes at an intersection that buses are permitted to use to bypass congestion.
Queue Jumps Animation Description:
An overhead view shows a signalized intersection with multiple vehicle lanes. Four lanes of moving vehicles are traveling bidirectionally horizontally. A six-lane vertical roadway intersects the horizontal roadway and has several cars and a single bus approaching the stop line. Traffic is backed up in the general‑purpose lanes, forming a queue of cars waiting for the light to change. The bus, however, proceeds off to the right side in a special short lane—this is the queue‑jump lane, a short segment reserved for buses so they can bypass stopped cars and not be stuck behind them when the light turns green.
Transit Signal Priority
Transit signal priority (TSP) is a tool that advances or extends the green light at a signal by a few seconds to allow a bus to continue through an intersection.
Transit Signal Priority Animation Description:
An overhead view shows a signalized intersection with multiple vehicle lanes. Two lanes of moving vehicles are traveling bidirectionally horizontally. A six-lane vertical roadway intersects the horizontal roadway and has several cars and a single bus approaching the stop line. Traffic backs up in the general‑purpose lanes, forming a queue of cars waiting for the light to change. As the bus approaches in the right lane, a sensor in the intersection detects the approaching bus, makes the light turn red for opposing traffic, and makes the light turn green to let the bus through the intersection. The bus proceeds with a special green light allowing it to precede the general traffic which gets their green a few seconds later.
Flash BRT’s benefits go beyond the addition of upgraded transit service.
A system that builds and sustains community connections.
Flash’s pedestrian and bicycle improvements will make it more pleasant to walk and bike around Montgomery County for all types of trips, like heading to work or school, visiting family or friends, or making a grocery run. These upgrades to our transportation system help maintain community vitality.
Better access to jobs, schools, and services—and support for local businesses.
Flash expands access to jobs for workers, supporting a healthy workforce, economic growth, and job opportunities throughout the county and region. Employees will have faster and more reliable transit to get to work—this means employers can attract workers who otherwise would have had too long a commute. Local businesses may also benefit from increased foot traffic and community vibrancy that premium transit service like Flash supports.
A system that works for everyone.
With fast and reliable service all day long, Flash expands access to destinations for early- and late-shift workers. Compared to more typical bus service, Flash’s frequent service enables riders to have more flexibility in their day, knowing it will arrive at least once every 15 minutes. And Flash’s stations and vehicles accommodate all mobility needs with ramps and near-level boarding, whether riders are walking, using a wheelchair, bringing a bicycle on board, or pushing a cart or stroller.
Smarter, cleaner travel for the future.
Flash BRT has technology, comfort, and convenience built into every ride. From real-time information at all Flash stations to smart technology that keeps buses moving faster than regular traffic, Flash is a modern and practical transportation solution. By adding capacity to roads without making roads wider, we are making a long-term investment in Montgomery County’s people, businesses, communities, and environment.
Resources
Ride the Flash on US 29
Current Projects
Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT
MD 355 Flash BRT
US 29 Phase 2 Flash BRT
New Hampshire Ave Flash BRT
North Bethesda Flash BRT
Flash BRT Newsletters
Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Fall 2024
Summer 2024
Videos
Flash YouTube Video Library
Handouts
Flash Detailed Booklet
Flash Facts Flyer – English
Flash Facts Flyer – Spanish
Flash Fact Flyer for Seniors (English)
Contact
Jamie Henson, BRT Implementation Manager,
Jamie.Henson@montgomerycountymd.gov
Flash Calendar
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