OmniRide riders on I-66 to pay half fares during toll lanes construction

HAYMARKET — Riders on OmniRide commuters buses that travel on Interstate 66 from the Gainesville, Haymarket, and Manassas areas will soon pay half.

The transit agency will launch its new half fare program on May 7 to encourage residents in western Prince William County to take transit as the work on the I-66 E-ZPass Express Lanes ramps up.

From a press release:

Riders will pay half-fares on OmniRide express buses that travel along the I-66 corridor for the duration of the construction, which is expected to last for four years. The discount applies to Manassas and Gainesville OmniRide express buses serving points in Washington, D.C., the Pentagon, and the Tysons Corner Metro Station.

Half-fares on the routes are funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to mitigate congestion along I-66 during Express Lanes construction. The goal is to encourage commuters to use transit rather than driving alone.

One-way SmarTrip fares on OmniRide buses to the Pentagon and points in Washington, D.C. will be $3.45 instead of the regular $6.90 fare, and on buses serving the Metro station will be $1.75 instead of the regular $3.45 fare.

The half-fare buses will serve commuter lots in Haymarket and Gainesville, however, OmniRide encourages new riders to use a commuter lot on Portsmouth Road near the Manassas Mall for its ample parking spaces, and more seating on buses that serve the lot.

The new toll lanes on I-66 outside the Beltway are expected to open in 2022. The lanes will look like E-ZPass Express Lanes in the Capital Beltway between Springfield and Tysons Corner, with separated lanes on each side of the highway for toll payers and transit buses to use. 

The transit system also urges those who work odd schedules to use OmniRide to find a vanpool.