Skip to main content

Flash!

 

Today’s the day!

Howard County welcomes Flash transportation services connecting HoCo to MoCo. 



Flash is not simply some cute name made up by a marketing department in Montgomery County. A Flash bus is a particular kind of bus that does specific things and meets specific community needs. Here’s an introductory video that lays it out for you. And there’s more on their website.

Flash Bus Rapid Transit Overview - - Montgomery County Department of Transportation 

As described by MC DOT: The Flash is a fast and frequent Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network that functions similarly to a light rail system on rubber tires. It’s a relatively new approach to public transit. In Montgomery County the Flash is operating two lines:


But wait - - there’s more!  Check out the last sentence in this paragraph:

Montgomery County's Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ® service will be extended into Howard County along the US 29 corridor on September 8, 2026. This pilot program will be used to observe the service levels and demand needed to meet the County's goals of fully implementing a BRT system in Howard County and the region. If successful, a further extension to Long Gate in Ellicott City is possible, as well as BRT along other corridors in Howard County.

The more I researched this today, the more excited I got. I found myself thinking at every step: this is what good government does. 

We’ve been awash with good government naysayers both at the national and local level for so long that delving into this project actually felt like a meditative experience for me. 

Breathe in: this is what good government does. 
Breathe out: this is what good government does. 

Now here’s a laugh for you. And it’s at my expense. In reading about this in Columbia Patch this morning I was a bit disgruntled that the article contained no information about cost. I felt that this was an unhelpful omission. Was it an assumption of privilege to think that Howard County riders wouldn’t care about the financial aspect? 

I decided to make it my business and find this out to share with my readers. When I got to the end of the article I discovered that another reader had a question:

Is it profitable?

I heaved a sigh and responded:

How will they know until they run the service? 

And off I went to learn more about the new Flash service in Howard County, where I discovered the following:




Q: How much will it cost to ride Flash?
A: The Flash service will be FREE as Montgomery County transit service is fare free.

Well, alrighty, then. And I thought I was so smart.* For that matter, good luck to Mr. Q who wants to know if it’s profitable.

What does it mean for a public service to be “profitable”? Does it meet community needs? Does it enhance, improve, enable greater participation in a successful community life?

This is what good government does. 




*But, really now: why wouldn’t the article promote the information that Flash is FREE?





Comments

  1. Julia A. McCreadySeptember 9, 2026 at 4:51 AM

    Please do not submit comments here. This function will be disabled shortly. Use the link above instead. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

F ³: Who Belongs at the Library?

  One of these things is not like the others One of these things doesn't belong Can you tell which thing is not like the other By the time we finish our song?* Did you guess which thing is not like the others? Did you guess which thing doesn't belong? If you guessed this thing is not like the others Then you're absolutely right.  Our library promotes equity. Our library promotes literacy for adults who have come here from many places. Our library promotes accessibility to materials and opportunities. Our library is hosting multiple Harry Potter themed events?  Tell me this isn’t so. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, has and continues to use the profits from those books to advocate for laws that diminish the rights of trans people. She has and continues to use her fame to influence public opinion to view and treat trans people negatively. In short, Ms. Rowling is using the Harry Potter book series to make transgender people around the world less safe....
1 comment
Read more