OmniRide announced it will begin operating two new express bus routes starting Nov. 4 from the Staffordboro Commuter Lot with service to L ‘Enfant Plaza and the Pentagon.
Fares on the new Stafford routes will be free through Dec. 31, 2019. This is the first time in its 33-year history that OmniRide has launched bus service with an origin point outside the Prince William County area.
The two new routes received a green light from the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), as part of the Commuter Choice program on the I-395/95 corridor. The CTB approved a slate of 10 recommended transit and multimodal projects worth $19 million that will help improve the commute on I-395 and I-95. Funding for the projects is being provided by Transurban, which will make an annual transit payment to the commonwealth.
In Stafford, Va., OmniRide Route 543 will offer four morning trips and four afternoon/evening trips serving the 14th Street corridor and L’Enfant Plaza. OmniRide Route 942 will offer four direct trips to the Pentagon in the mornings and five return trips in the afternoon/evenings.
Along with the new Stafford routes, several other OmniRide service enhancements received CTB funding approval yesterday including:
· Continued funding for four trips that were added to the Dale City – Rosslyn/Ballston route;
· Increased service during rush hours on Route 1 local buses; and
· Additional trips on Prince William Metro Express buses, which connect eastern Prince William County with the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station.
“People in our area need alternatives to driving alone on congested roads. Using toll revenues to enhance OmniRide’s existing bus services and adding new routes is going to help everyone’s commute,” said Prince William Supervisor Ruth Anderson, who also serves as chair of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, which oversees OmniRide.
