New commuter bus route links Gainesville directly with the Pentagon

A new state-funded commuter bus route linking Gainesville directly with the Pentagon started in December. In addition, Manassas OmniRide commuter bus service was split into two separate routes - one serving Washington, D.C., and the other serving the Pentagon.

The split benefits all Manassas OmniRide passengers by providing:
• More reliable on-time performance;
• Shorter travel times to and from D.C.;
• Increased rider capacity without higher operating costs; and
• A better chance of having a seat on afternoon/evening trips leaving the Pentagon because buses will be starting the route at that point.
In addition, the Manassas-Washington route will offer service to a new destination: L’Enfant Plaza.

Some Gainesville and Haymarket residents were driving to Manassas to catch an OmniRide bus to the Pentagon, according to a news release from The new Gainesville-Pentagon OmniRide route will be offered by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), which provides commuter and local bus services and encourages ridesharing in Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

The Gainesville-Pentagon route has four weekday trips in the mornings and four return trips in the afternoon/evenings from the Limestone Road Commuter Lot with overflow parking available at the Gainesville United Methodist Church. This new route complements PRTC’s existing Gainesville-Washington route which serves the Cushing Road Commuter Lot. The new Pentagon route does not stop at Cushing Road due to a lack of additional parking capacity there.

“OmniRide is providing new options for commuters. By offering direct routes to Washington and the Pentagon from both Manassas and Gainesville, we’re giving passengers in western Prince William the ability to choose the departure time and location that works best for them,” Frank Principi, PRTC board president, was quoted as saying in the press release.

All funding for the new route is from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) as part of its efforts to move more people and reduce traffic congestion on I-66 Inside the Beltway, said Christine Rodriego, PRTC spokesman.

PRTC updates its schedules twice annually to reflect current running times and changes in routing.  PRTC now has a total of 18 commuter bus routes and seven local bus routes in the Prince William County area. Updated maps and timetables for all PRTC routes are available.

For more information about PRTC’s services, please contact our Customer Service Office at 703-730-6664 or visit PRTCtransit.org.