By Margaret Franklin
Prince William County Woodbridge District Supervisor | OmniRide Commission Chair
As Chair of the Board of PRTC, I understand the importance of providing reliable, safe, and efficient transportation for residents around Prince William County and the D.C. area. The goal of our transit services – The OmniRide and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) – has always been to get residents where they need to go while reducing congestion. OmniRide and the VRE rely heavily on our transit employees to help carry out these goals. Now with COVID-19 critically impacting our economy, our transit workers are even more vital in providing critical transportation services.
As our community faces unprecedented struggles during this pandemic, we are all coming together to lean on and support each other. Many brave community members fill the roles
of essential workers who are lifting us up and taking care of us. They are doctors, nurses, grocery store employees, restaurant workers and delivery workers. We are grateful that our public transit system is still up and running to get these essential workers to and from work. To all of our transportation employees– bus operators, dispatchers, mechanics, security, and frontline operations staff – we are deeply appreciative of your services to our community.
I want to personally thank all OmniRide for the work they continue to do and the sacrifices they are making to keep
our community moving. Thank you for the rigorous daily cleaning of buses and facilities, for encouraging riders to maintain social distancing, and for ensuring the road-worthiness of our buses.
Our transportation employees provide a necessary service to our community, which many of them also call home. We cannot take their service for granted.
Eventually, the stay-at-home order will be lifted, and we will begin to establish a new normal. Yet, many things will remain the same. The congestion will resume on I-95 and
I-66 and we will still need a reliable way to get to work, to medical appointments, the grocery store, and more. OmniRide will be ready to get you where you need to go. Again, THANK YOU OmniRide First Providers!
Recent Stories
On Sunday afternoon, nearly 100 people gathered in a Taco Bell parking lot less than a mile from the clinic’s doors with a shared aim: taking ownership of its now-precarious future.
The project to widen Balls Ford Road between Doane Drive and Ashton Avenue to a four-lane, divided roadway is now officially complete. The county’s Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the parking lot of the General Shale Brick Company last week.
Another round of weather challenges is in store today as a robust cold front approaches. The front will bring gusty winds and low relative humidity.
Join us on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., for the dedication of the Town of Occoquan’s LOVEworks sign in River Mill Park (415 Mill Street, Occoquan), designed by artist Darby Leondra. This event is free and open to the public.
To celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week (May 6-10, 2024), Clean Air Partners is working with A Few Cool Hardware Stores to exchange DC, Maryland and Virginia residents’ gas-powered lawnmowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers at select Ace Hardware locations in the region. DMV residents who turn in their gas-powered lawn tools will receive a FREE Ego Power+ replacement including batteries and chargers, while supplies last.
Compared to gas, electric lawn equipment can reduce emissions, noise pollution, health risks and maintenance costs and time. The program aims to remove about a hundred gas-powered polluting tools from yards in the greater Baltimore-Washington region.
The exchanges will take place the weekends of May 17-19, 2024, and May 31-June 2, 2024, at A Few Cool Hardware Stores network of employee-owned Ace Hardware stores in the DC and Baltimore metro areas. To participate and get your free Ego Power+ lawn tool, sign up at https://qrco.de/CAPExchange to reserve your tool and select your trade-in date and location.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges? Do stress and anxiety seem to dominate your thoughts? At Peaceful Mind Solutions, we understand that navigating mental health can be daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Our team of compassionate therapists is here to guide you on your journey toward inner peace and emotional well-being. With a client-centered approach, we tailor our therapy sessions to meet your unique needs and goals. Whether you’re struggling with depression, coping with trauma, or simply seeking personal growth, we provide a safe and supportive space for healing and growth.
Embark on a path of self-discovery with our comprehensive range of therapy services, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, and holistic approaches. Our experienced therapists are dedicated to helping you cultivate resilience, develop coping skills, and foster a greater sense of self-awareness.
Free Irish Music Concert
Welcoming Spring with music from the Emerald Isle, the New Dominion Choraliers offer a FREE concert on Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Presbyterian Church of Dale City.
Joined by Legacy Brass and members of Old
Spring Ceili: An Irish Music Festival
The New Dominion Choraliers of Prince William County and McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance invite you to join them at our Ceili, a grand celebration of Irish music and dance.
A gathering of performance groups throughout Prince William County
