Score for Commuters: Tysons Bus Spared

Tysons bus fares to rise Dec. 1; changes planned for Mark Center bus

 

A commuter bus from Prince William County to Tysons Corner survived the chopping block

But riders will soon pay more to use the five-year-old Tysons Express bus service. And the service on the newly planned bus from Prince William to Alexandria’s Mark Center, home to a massive federal building, won’t be as robust as originally planned.

The bus to Tysons Corner carries riders from the Woodbridge Virginia Railway Express station and commuter lot at Route 123 and Interstate 95 to Tysons via relatively new 495 Express toll lanes.

The bus service was fully funded by Virginia’s transportation department while the lanes were being built as a way to get more cars off the road during construction. With the I-495 lanes being open for nearly two years and construction complete, funding for the bus was going to be cut completely.

But the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation stepped in to keep the wheels turning.

“The decision is sure to please the dozens of Tysons Express passengers who attended a September public hearing and sent comments to PRTC urging the agency to find a way to retain a route that many describe as indispensable to their daily commute,” said Christine Rodrigo, a spokeswoman for the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, the agency that operates the Tysons Express bus.

Riders currently pay “promotional” fares of $3.60 for a one-way trip on Tysons Express, or $2.90 if riders use a SmarTrip card. Starting Dec. 1, fares will increase to $7.70 if paid with cash or $5.75 with a SmarTrip card.

PRTC also plans to begin operating a new commuter bus service from Prince William to the Mark Center in Alexandria in 2016. Original plans for the new service had the bus traveling to neighborhoods in the county and commuter lots to pick up passengers.

Now, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will shift funds from the Mark Center bus to the Tysons bus to help cover the ongoing cost for the bus.

Rodrigo said PRTC had previously made plans to modify the routing of the new Mark Center bus from picking up riders at commuter lots and not in neighborhoods.

“We looked at our ridership information and saw that few people would board the bus in the neighborhood locations, and having the bus make that run would only add to our operating cost and add to the time the bus would be on the road,” said Rodrigo.

The Tysons bus uses HOV lanes on I-95 to get to the 495 Express Lanes. The HOV lanes are also being converted into toll lanes — a process that is expected to be completed by December.

The 95 Express Lanes open, all vehicles will need an EZ-Pass or EZ-Pass Flex to use the lanes. Vehicles with three or more occupants will not be charged a toll but vehicles with under three occupants may use the lanes for a fee.

The 95 Express Lanes will carry motorists from Garrisonville Road (Route 610) in North Stafford to Edsall Road in Alexandria, just before the Mark Center.