WOODBRIDGE, VA – OmniRide held a ribbon cutting for new buses on Aug. 23 at the OmniRide Western Facility in Manassas. Members of the Board of Commissioners were in attendance. Remarks were made by Board Chair Victor Angry, OmniRide Executive Director Bob Schneider, and Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) Executive Director Kate Mattice.
Eight of the 15 commuter buses and one of the four local buses were purchased through NVTC’s Commuter Choice program. The commuter buses will be used to serve the Staffordboro Commuter Lot – with transportation to Washington, D.C., and the Pentagon. These buses include custom-designed upholstery, passenger seatbelts, charging stations, brighter destination signs, and an on-board air purifier.
The Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) also purchased three commuter buses and Prince William County funded three local buses and four commuter buses.
“I am so proud to be able to officially introduce one of 15 new MCI commuter buses and four Gillig buses that we are adding to our fleet. The addition of these buses will allow us to maintain an adequate contingency fleet and give customers safe and comfortable rides, as they reduce traffic and improve air quality – which has been our mission for 37 years. The addition of these buses will also allow us to expand and increase the frequency of OmniRide services,” said Schneider.
“I want to thank the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, Prince William County, and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation for their funding assistance, which has made this acquisition possible.”
The Commuter Choice program invests Express Lanes toll revenues in public transit and other multimodal projects along I-66 and I-395/95 in Northern Virginia. The purpose is to improve the reliability and efficiency of commuting in one of the most congested regions in the nation. This funding increases mobility options for residents, supports the regional economy, and is used to support projects that help to reduce congestion and emissions. Since its inception in 2017, Commuter Choice has provided over $31 million to OmniRide for four new routes, enhanced service on six routes, and 13 new buses.
Mattice said, “We know OmniRide provides fast, reliable, and safe trips for our region’s commuters. We’re excited that these improvements make riding better for existing riders and will help attract new riders. It’s also no surprise we’ve seen increases in ridership across OmniRide’s express commuter routes. In fact, the OmniRide services supported by Commuter Choice surpassed ridership targets in the last fiscal year.
Mattice continued, “As our region’s express lanes network grows, we continue to see OmniRide capitalize on new opportunities to serve long distance commuters, beyond new buses with better amenities. OmniRide restructured its express routes along I-66 when the Outside the Beltway Express Lanes opened in late 2022 to serve new commuter lots with direct access to the lanes. Following last week’s opening of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension, we look forward to new OmniRide service this winter that will originate from points further south in the I-95 corridor.”
OmniRide is the operating name for the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission. It has provided mobility services for Northern Virginia for over three decades. This includes Local bus service in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park; Express service for commuters between Prince William County and employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C.; Metro Express which connects riders with Metro Stations; and the OmniRide Connect microtransit and OmniRide Access paratransit services. OmniRide also offers assistance to carpoolers and vanpoolers and coordinates a variety of employer services.
For more information visit www.OmniRide.com.
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