Happy New Year! We’re only a couple of weeks into 2012, but that does not mean the cars, buses and trains have slowed down. Here is what’s going on — and what will be going on — with transportation in Montgomery County this year.

Montgomery County seeks $1M for bike share program

The county seems to be taking bike sharing seriously. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation recently submitted an application to the state Department of Transportation for a $1 million grant that would fund a bike share program in the downcounty. This development comes off a $1.3 million Federal Transit Administration grant the county recently received for a bike share in portions of Rockville and Shady Grove.

With help from the grant, more than 200 bikes and 29 docking stations will be available there and across communities including Bethesda, Silver Spring, Friendship Heights and Takoma Park — expanding Capital Bikeshare service beyond Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va., where it already operates.A pilot program is expected to begin later this year.

Ride On adds 13 green buses to fleet

Thanks, in part, to $6.55 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds, 13 environmentally-friendly buses have been added to Montgomery County’s Ride On fleet.

With the addition of 12 hybrid electric-diesel buses and one clean-diesel bus, 64 percent of Ride On buses now are eco-friendly. They’ll use 20 to 30 percent less fuel, emit 20 to 30 percent less carbon emissions, and the electric-diesel buses will emit 90 percent particulate matter and 95 percent less nitrogen oxides.

I’m not much of a scientist, but I think those are good things. Especially when more than 25 million people rode Ride On buses last year.

What’s to come

Anybody who has had the opportunity to travel on the Intercounty Connector since it opened almost has either A) noticed police patrol the highway to track speeding drivers, B) been ticketed for speeding or some sort of driving offense, or C) both.

After reading all of your email concerns, I have arranged to travel and talk with officers with Maryland Transit Administration Police this month and even tag along with them while they patrol the ICC. If you have any questions you want me to ask them, relay them to me at nnourmohammadi@gazette.net or bumper@gazette.net before Jan. 20.

Safe travels!