Call-prep brief · checked 2026-08-01
Montgomery County Department of Transportation (Ride On)
Grade F · 41.7 / 100
Down 0.4 points since 2026-07-31 (F to F).
For this call: lead with the grade and the three fixes below, then confirm the feed is current and the NTD details line up. Each fix is framed as a next step, not a failure.
What changed since the last check
- Correctness no change
- Freshness down 1.7
- Rider experience no change
Top three things to fix
Re-generate shape distances in your export; flag to your vendor if it persists.
Some trips have stop times whose distances along the route go backwards. Apps can show buses jumping backwards or mis-order stops.
Effort: Usually an export-tool fix, not hand editing.
Add fare_attributes.txt (or Fares v2 files) with your fare structure. If your service is fare-free, ask to have it marked fare-free instead.
The feed contains no fare information. Riders see 'fare unknown' in trip planners and can't budget their trip; visitors are most affected.
Effort: A small file for most flat-fare systems.
Use mixed case for stop names and headsigns (e.g. 'Main St & 2nd Ave', not 'MAIN ST & 2ND AVE').
Some rider-facing names are in ALL CAPS or all lowercase. ALL-CAPS stop and headsign names are harder to read in apps and are read awkwardly by screen readers.
Effort: Often a bulk fix in your scheduling software.
Finding handoff
Move one finding to a recheck
Select one finding. Copy the request, make the change in the feed-producing tool, then compare the next complete run.
- Feed evidence
- Some trips have stop times whose distances along the route go backwards.
- Next action
- Re-generate shape distances in your export; flag to your vendor if it persists.
- Recheck
- Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.
Copy handoff text
- Feed evidence
- The feed contains no fare information.
- Next action
- Add fare_attributes.txt (or Fares v2 files) with your fare structure. If your service is fare-free, ask to have it marked fare-free instead.
- Recheck
- Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.
Copy handoff text
- Feed evidence
- Some rider-facing names are in ALL CAPS or all lowercase.
- Next action
- Use mixed case for stop names and headsigns (e.g. 'Main St & 2nd Ave', not 'MAIN ST & 2ND AVE').
- Recheck
- Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.
Copy handoff text
NTD GTFS readiness: Needs attention
This feed is close to NTD-ready. 1 validator error to resolve.
- Published Ready
- Published at a public URL.
- Valid Needs attention
- 1 validator error to resolve.
- Current Ready
- Service data covers the next 35 days.
- agency_id provided Ready
- agency.txt provides agency_id. For RY2026, keep one stable value for each NTD reporter represented in the feed and crosswalk each value on the P-50 form.
agency_id equals NTD ID (optional): Not checked yet. This feed provides agency_id. For RY2026, keep one stable value for each NTD reporter represented in the feed and crosswalk it on the P-50 form. The value does not need to equal the five-digit NTD ID; we do not have that ID on file, so the optional equality comparison is not checked yet.
Key facts
- Feed URL
- https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/Resources/Files/GTFS/RideOnGTFS.zip
- Last checked
- 2026-08-01
- Service window
- 35 days of service data remain. Last service date 2026-09-05.
- Feed version
- 13-May 3, 2026_20260423
- Location
- Maryland
Part of the Maryland portfolio: see where this agency sits among the state's feeds before the call.
A data-quality and completeness read to support an agency conversation. Not an official compliance determination. Rubric v1.3, validator 8.0.1.