Starting July 3, ask PRTC OmniLink for a pickup or drop off at Manassas Park Community Center

Beginning July 3, the Manassas Park Community Center will be an On Demand PRTC OmniLink Bus Stop.

PRTC (Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission) is a public bus transportation system in Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park. Services provided by PRTC include OmniRide, OmniLink, and OmniMatch.

OmniRide offers commuter buses going to DC, the Pentagon, Mark Center and Tysons. OmniMatch specializes in carpooling and vanpooling, and OmniLink is the designation used for local bus service. Remember Link = Local!

In a September 2015 survey, 40% of riders on Manassas OmniLink and Manassas Park OmniLink buses said they ride a PRTC bus 5 days/week, and another 31% ride 1 to 3 days/month. These riders also indicated that the places they travel via PRTC bus are: work 54%, shopping 45%, doctor or medical visit 26%, college or technical school 23%, social or recreational 15%, K-12 school 10%, and other 5%.

“PRTC buses are partially funded by tax dollars because the fare you pay on our buses is a fraction of the cost to operate,” said Christine Rodrigo, Public Relations Specialist for PRTC, “the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, and Prince William County subsidize us so that we can keep our fares reasonable.”

PRTC responded to multiple public suggestions of adding another stop in Manassas Park at the Manassas Park Community Center. This new bus stop will be an On Demand stop. If you are not familiar with what an On Demand stop is, it simply means that the bus will not stop at an On Demand stop unless a rider requests the driver to stop there.

“Our drivers won’t know riders need to stop at the Community Center unless the riders tell them, so we suggest telling your driver right away,” advised Rodrigo.
If you are already at the Manassas Park Community Center, and need a PRTC bus pick up, just call the PRTC customer service department at 703-730-6664 and tell the customer service agent to notify the next bus coming through and it will stop at the Community Center and pick you up.

This new On Demand stop coincides with a slight fare increase for riders from $1.50 to $1.55 one way. The fare increase begins the week of June 26 with the new On Demand bus stop available on July 3.

There will be a $1.55 surcharge for riders using the On Demand stop unless the person qualifies for a reduced fare. If you are over age 60, have a disability or are on disability, or if you have a Medicare card, your bus fare is half price, and you do not have to pay the additional On Demand bus stop fee.

You might think using cash is the best way to pay your bus fare, but the preferred method of payment is to use a SmarTrip card. It is the same SmarTrip card accepted on the metro system.

“When riders enter the bus and swipe their cards, it is much faster than searching for exact change. There are no lines, and the buses are able to stick to their schedules,” Rodrigo pointed out.

You can also use cash, but you must have exact change, as the drivers cannot make change. Fare boxes do not accept pennies. In addition, waiting for riders to stop and count exact change can delay the driver on his route causing delays in pick up for other riders.

“Our goal is to stay on schedule. Our riders need to know that our schedules are reliable because we know that when you are riding the bus, you have a plan. We do all that we can to help you stay on your plan when you are riding our buses,” Rodrigo explained.

Teens who need rides around the Manassas area can get the MyLink Teen Summer Bus Pass. This pass
allows teens, ages 13-19, to get unlimited local bus rides for three months for one low price. Also, teens can use their MyLink pass to get discounted fares when traveling on PRTC buses to nearby Metro stations and to Washington, D.C.

MyLink passes are loaded onto SmarTrip cards making it easy for teens to transfer to Metro trains or other regional transit providers. The MyLink pass is on sale for $30.00 at the PRTC Transit Center in Woodbridge and is valid thru Saturday, September 2, 2017. There is an additional $2 fee to purchase the SmarTrip card.

“We encourage teens to add cash to their MyLink Summer Pass because they will be charged for requesting an On Demand stop, unless they qualify for a reduced fare. The surcharge is $1.50 and will increase to $1.55 after June 26. I explain to teens that the SmarTrip card is like a card that has two pockets inside: one is for the MyLink pass, and the second is for additional cash you deposit for added or unexpected fees,” explained Rodrigo.

During the summer months, teens make up a significant portion of riders on the buses.

“I can’t believe we have been running the MyLink program for ten years,” said Rodrigo, “We see steady teen usage and one teen recently shared he used the pass for several years because it allowed him to be successful in his job because he got where he need to be when he needed to be there.”

Did you know PRTC buses have a bike rack on the bus? Riders can ride their bikes to the bus stop, and then load their bike on the bike rack for no additional charge.

“We survey our riders twice annually so we can gauge their needs. Please help us out by completing the surveys when you ride our buses,” she encouraged.

Manassas Park resident Theodore Awua rides the PRTC bus as needed.

“The buses are always clean, and if I need any assistance, the driver is always kind enough to give me a helping hand,” he said, “I participate in many programs for seniors at the Community Center, and I go there a lot, and now I can use the Community Center On Demand bus stop. I can’t wait!”

All PRTC buses run Monday through Friday and some routes offer Saturday service. Local OmniLink routes serve Dale City, Dumfries, Manassas, Manassas Park, the Route 1 Corridor, and Woodbridge/Lake Ridge. There is also Cross County Connector bus service connecting eastern Prince William with the Manassas area.

The Manassas Park Community Center is located at 99 Adams Street in Manassas Park, VA. Managed by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation, the facility is home to basketball courts, a swimming pool, wellness areas, and 29 special events and programs — many of which are FREE! For more information visit us at

ManassasParkCommunityCenter.com or call at 703-335-8872.