PRTC bus service between Woodbridge and Tysons Corner to continue

The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) OmniRide bus service will continue between Woodbridge and Tysons Corner. The service, which began in 2009 with the start of the I-495 and I-95 Express Lanes project, was in danger of termination as the project ended; but public input prompted PRTC to try and find a way to continue to operate the route to Tysons Corner from Woodbridge.

“Enough people came out to our public hearing and said, ‘You can’t take it away. We need this service,’”said Eric Marx, PRTC director of planning and operations.

The route was originally 100-percent funded by Virginia Megaprojects, a partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), as a way to reduce traffic during the construction of the Express Lanes. As the project neared an end, the service was also scheduled to end along with the subsidy from Virginia Megaprojects.

According to PRTC, savings to run the Tysons OmniRide service came, in part, by reducing the number of daily trips from nine to eight. Fare hikes, which commuters suggested at the public meeting, will also help pay for the service. A one-way ticket from Woodbridge to Tysons Corner now stands at $5.75 with a SmarTrip card and $7.70 if paid in cash. OmniRide destinations in Tysons Corner include Tysons Corner Center, the West Park Transit Center and numerous stops along Greensboro and Jones Branch drives with pickup at the Woodbridge Virginia Railway Express station and the 123/I-95 commuter lot.

The bulk of the funding to pay for operating the Tysons Corner OmniRide route is coming from savings associated with the planned OmniRide service to the Mark Center in Alexandria. Mark Center routes, which are expected to start operating in Fiscal 2016, were to include routing through some Prince William neighborhoods, but PRTC eliminated the local routing portion and will concentrate on serving commuter lots where the majority of the passengers are expected to board. As a result, the Mark Center service will cost less than initially anticipated. DRPT has agreed to shift those savings to keep the Tysons service running.

Also available to the Tysons area is the Manassas Metro Direct, which offers all-day, round-trip service on weekdays between the Manassas area and the Tysons Metro station. The Linton Hall Metro Direct offers weekday rush-hour service connections between the Gainesville and Linton Hall corridor to Tysons Corner. Fares on the Metro Direct are $2.90 one-way with a SmarTrip card or $3.60 cash, according to PRTC.

Marx said the OmniRide and Metro Direct services will continue to reduce wear and tear on commuters. “The biggest advantage is to … take the pain from your commute away. Let somebody else do the driving. Folks do find it cheaper. They find it more consistent and reliable, and people can get other things done while they’re taking the bus.”

More information about PRTC’s OmniRide services is available at http://www.prtctransit.org as is, information on Metro Direct services.