About

What is the Route 1 Ride all about? 

The backbone of any region, jurisdiction, or corridor is transportation. If residents, business owners and workers, or visitors cannot get to their destination quickly and inexpensively, economic development stagnates, quality of life declines for citizens, and visitors are unlikely to return.

That’s why the Route 1 Ride was created – an enhanced bus service that serves the Route 1 Corridor, from Mount Rainier to North College Park (location of IKEA). This section of Route 1 is experiencing a renaissance: new apartments and shopping venues in North College Park, residential high-rises and restaurants closer to downtown and the University, a cluster of retail, restaurants, and cultural venues in Hyattsville, and art galleries and schools, artist housing, museums and movement studios in North Brentwood, Brentwood, and Mount Rainier.

Hop on the Route 1 Ride for your usual commute, do errands, and explore the region's arts and recreational amenities. Whatever your interest, the Route 1 corridor is the place to be in the DC Metro area. Avoid the hassles of traffic and parking, get there quickly and inexpensively by taking the Route 1 Ride bus.

Mission/History/Vision

The mission of the Route 1 Ride is to provide fast, efficient, and inexpensive public transportation while assisting in the economic development of the Route 1 Corridor from Mount Rainier to North College Park.

The history of the Route 1 Ride goes back to an on-going need for a full-length corridor service that could transport riders along any part of Route 1 inside the Beltway. With the renaissance of the Corridor, including creation of the Gateway Arts District, new student housing, commercial development, and the continuous need for student transportation, community leaders and elected officials worked with the County’s Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T) to create such a service.  

By modifying an existing County bus route (TheBus, Route 17), this full-length corridor bus service was started! 

With ridership initially low for Route 17, it was obvious this bus service needed to be branded and marketed. Through a collaboration of the seven municipalities along the Corridor, as well as the University of Maryland and several community development organizations, the term “Route 1 Ride” was developed and its logo was designed. Brochures were made to promote the bus service as well as highlight the amenities along the Corridor.  Special placards were created to be located in the front windows of the buses operating on the Route 17 and three buses were wrapped with a unique, artistic design that will be instantly recognizable.

The vision of the Route 1 Ride is a world-class circulator bus system with short headway times that transports residents, visitors, and university students, staff and faculty to any point on the Corridor quickly and inexpensively. This exceptional transportation system will be instrumental in the economic revitalization of Route 1, helping make the adjacent communities prosperous, vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, and enhancing their quality of life.

Partners

The collaborative that created Route 1 Ride is a consortium of public and private partnerships, as we believe that the public sector, private enterprise, and various organizations and institutions working together can produce great communities with a high quality of life and an abundance of amenities. 

Prince George’s County Councilmember Mary Lehman ◦ Prince George’s County Councilmember Eric Olson ◦ Prince George’s County Department of Public Works & Transportation ◦ University of Maryland ◦ Anacostia Trails Heritage Area ◦ Gateway Community Development Corporation ◦ Hyattsville Community Development Corporation ◦ City of Mount Rainier ◦ Town of Brentwood ◦ Town of North Brentwood ◦ City of Hyattsville ◦ Town of Riverdale Park ◦ Town of University Park ◦ City of College Park