OmniRide rolls out service change for all routes, new website

WOODBRIDGE – OmniRide is introducing new ways for travelers to connect with Virginia Railway Express, implementing a service change for all routes, and launching a rebuilt website this month.

OmniRide will begin operating two free temporary shuttle services on Tuesday, May 28, to help commuters impacted by Metro’s decision to close six Blue and Yellow Line Metro stations in Northern Virginia for the summer.

While repairs are being made to all Metro stations south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, OmniRide will offer free shuttles connecting Dale City and Lake Ridge with nearby Virginia Railway Express (VRE) stations.

Shuttles will connect stops along Dale Boulevard with the Rippon VRE station and connect multiple stops in Lake Ridge with the Woodbridge VRE station. Although the shuttles are free, riders will pay the standard VRE fare.

Both shuttle routes will offer four morning trips that will be timed to meet specific VRE trains. In the afternoons and evenings, shuttles will pick up riders from all VRE trains.

“Metro’s summer shutdown is going to have a big impact on our roads. Instead of adding more solo drivers to I-95, look at all the available options you have,” said OmniRide Executive Director Bob Schneider.

Among those alternatives are:

• OmniRide Express buses to destinations in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.
• OmniRide free shuttles to VRE
• OmniRide Ridesharing services that help people find carpools and vanpools

“We’re looking at this summer as an opportunity to help area residents make transit their first choice for commuting,” Schneider said.

OmniRide is also rolling out a Service Change for all its Express and Local bus routes on Tuesday, May 28.

OmniRide updates its schedules twice a year because the time required to travel between destinations changes, some bus stops must be relocated, and the streets traveled may change.

Other highlights of the upcoming Service Changes include:

• Relocating Express bus stops along 14th Street for routes that serve Washington, D.C.
• A new 7:30 p.m. weekday trip on the Prince William Metro Express route from the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station to the OmniRide Transit Center
• A new stop for the Haymarket OmniRide route at the intersection of Heathcote Boulevard and Old Carolina Road

Last, OmniRide has launched an entirely rebuilt website which is optimized for viewing on smartphones.

The website features a user-friendly homepage with large icons to help viewers quickly find the information that’s most frequently sought out: route schedules, the trip planner, and service alerts. The site also provides a more prominent presence for OmniRide Ridesharing as more people consider carpools and vanpools.