Largest OmniRide service change ever takes effect Monday

As we reported back on Nov. 25, OmniRide Director Bob Schneider says these changes — for the first time — are targeted to those who use the buses to get around town, and not only for those who rely on them to ferry them to and from Arlington and Washington, D.C.

Here’s what OmniRide had to say today about the upcoming changes:

The largest Service Change ever undertaken by OmniRide takes effect on Monday, December 9, 2019. Changes include revised timetables for all OmniRide Express routes, a complete restructuring of bus services in western Prince William County, and the first-ever paratransit service in the areas of Manassas and Manassas Park.

OmniRide updates its schedules twice annually to reflect changes in routing and running times; however this Service Change is unprecedented in size and scope, particularly in the western service area where all routes will be renamed using a numbering system and local buses will follow entirely new routing.

“The Manassas and Manassas Park OmniRide Local routes were designed two decades ago and have undergone only minor changes since then,” said OmniRide Executive Director Bob Schneider. “We’ve restructured these routes to better reflect where our western passengers are starting and ending their trips today.”

Two new transfer hubs are being established in the western area – one in downtown Manassas near the Prince William County Courthouse and the other at the Manassas Park VRE Station. To encourage riders to check out the new routing, fares are free on OmniRide Local routes serving Manassas and Manassas Park through March 15, 2020.

Another major change taking effect on December 9 is the start of OmniRide Access paratransit service in the areas of Manassas and Manassas Park. The paratransit service will be available to people whose disabilities prevent them from using traditional transit. When OmniRide Access begins, OmniRide Local buses in Manassas and Manassas Park will no longer make off-route trips. This pilot paratransit project is expected to improve on-time performance for all riders, including those using traditional bus services.