Gainesville OmniRide Begins, Service at Manassas Kmart Ends

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — It’s a new day for bus riders in Gainesville area as new service from the Cushing Road commuter lot to Washington officially began this morning.

The Cushing Road lot sits near the intersection of Prince William Parkway (Route 234 Bypass) and Balls Ford Road, and provides drivers with direct access to Interstate 66 east. The service will be free to riders between today and Friday to give commuters a chance to try the service and familiarize themselves with OmniRide Gainesville.

More in a press release: 

Locally, the new Gainesville OmniRide route will pick up and drop off passengers at the Cushing Road Commuter Lot at I-66 and Prince William Parkway. Destinations include the State Department, stops along 14th Street including the Commerce Department, and L’Enfant Plaza. There will be four trips to D.C. in the mornings and four return trips to Gainesville in the afternoon/evenings. See the map and timetable for Gainesville OmniRide buses.

PRTC currently offers the Linton Hall Metro Direct service, which connects Gainesville residents to the West Falls Church Metro Station where passengers can board a Metro train to complete their commutes. PRTC surveys have shown that some Linton Hall Metro Direct passengers will choose to ride the Gainesville OmniRide service instead. As a result, one Linton Hall Metro Direct morning trip and one afternoon trip will be eliminated as of November 4. See the new map and timetable for Linton Hall Metro Direct buses.

With the change, buses will no longer serve a nearby commuter lot at Kmart store on Sudley Road in Manassas. A parking agreement between commuter bus operator PRTC and the owners of the property on which Kmart sits was not renewed and drivers should instead park at a nearby commuter parking lot on Portsmouth Road, said PRTC spokeswoman Christine Rodrigo.

Kmart announced earlier this year the store on Sudley Road would close.

The changes mean the Manassas OmniRide bus that has been providing service between Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. will have one less stop. Those who have been driving to Manassas to park and catch the bus can now drive to the Cushing Road commuter lot and ride the new Gainesville service, said Rodrigo.

The cost to PRTC of leasing 295 parking spaces at Sudley Manor Square has increased by 57% over the past three years. The Portsmouth Commuter Lot, which is owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation, is just 1.3 miles away and has more than 550 unused parking spaces.

Now that some passengers will be parking at Cushing Road to catch the new Gainesville OmniRide service, PRTC has concluded that termination of the Sudley Manor Square lease is appropriate, saving $44,000 annually. The Portsmouth lot is already served by Manassas commuter buses, and PRTC will reroute afternoon/evening trips on Manassas OmniRide buses to serve the Portsmouth Lot prior to serving Manassas Mall.

The commuter bus service also announced the following changes  as part of their annual fall service change:

· Dale City-Navy Yard OmniRide – PM trips renumbered to incorporate a trip added in June;

· Montclair OmniRide – AM and PM trips rescheduled to incorporate new trips added in June;

· Woodbridge-Lake Ridge OmniLink – Minor timetable changes;

· Dale City OmniLink – Minor timetable changes;

· Dumfries OmniLink – Minor timetable changes; and

· Manassas Park OmniLink – Timetable changes

For more information about PRTC’s transportation services, call (703) 730-6664 or visit PRTCtransit.org.