Prince William County will get new funding to plan for a new shuttle service to serve the George Mason University Science and Technology Campus near Manassas.
The campus is the Prince William County hub for the Fairfax-based university. In addition to the school, the area surrounding campus, Innovation Park, is filled with technology companies, and the FBI Northern Virginia Regional Headquarters.
The county has long envisioned Innovation Park to become a center of activity in the county since the local government purchased the land for development in the late 1990s. Since then, the county has been selling off portions of the property to firms it thinks will will create jobs.
The shuttle would not only service the Innovation Park area but would also serve a new transit bus the could be built. That hub would replace a Virginia Railway Express station that had been slated to be built near the Science and Technology Campus. The project was killed at the same time VRE decided not to build a rail extension to Haymarket.
Paolo J. Belita, with the Prince William County Department of Transportation, provides more details about the upcoming shuttle bus study.
As part of the [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board] Transportation/Land-Use Connections (TLC) Fiscal Year 2021 Program, the county will be receiving $55,000 in technical assistance for the Innovation Shuttle study.
The proposed project is a feasibility study to determine the capital infrastructure and operational needs to implement a shuttle service. The project will enhance access to the Innovation Regional Activity Center and high-capacity transit station and will provide a new transit option for multimodal connections to rail and bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure in this Transit Access Focus Area.
The proposed final product will be a planning study that includes the following:
•Overview of existing data on land use/road network and future land use and mobility plans in the Small Area Plan
•Ridership projections based on existing and future population and employment
• Map of recommended shuttle stops and routes based on prioritized origin-destination points
• Proposed shuttle capacity and service frequency based on ridership projections
• Planning level concepts for shuttle stops (including proposed pull off areas
• Signage
• Lighting
• Shelters (and other proposed passenger amenities)
• Planning level cost estimates for proposed capital infrastructure and operations
• Analysis of the feasibility of using autonomous vehicles for the proposed service
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Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), the second-largest school division in Virginia, announced the closure of all schools and offices for Monday, January 6, 2025, due to a Winter Storm Warning. The announcement, posted on the division’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, “Due to Winter Storm Warning, all Prince William County Public Schools and Offices will be closed Code Red on Monday, January 6, 2025 (exception: Inclement Weather Employees). Weather conditions will be monitored throughout Monday and an update will be provided as needed.”
The closure affects more than 90,000 students enrolled across the division’s 100 schools, including elementary, middle, high schools, and specialty programs. PWCS serves a diverse and growing population, providing a range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities for students in Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Under the Code Red designation, only designated inclement weather employees are required to report to work. The school division emphasized that it will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the day on Monday and provide further updates if necessary.
Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, citing snowy conditions as the reason for the closure. The announcement on the division’s website stated, “All Manassas Park City Schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 6th, due to snowy conditions. Code RED for employees.”
The closure affected more than 3,000 students enrolled in the city’s four schools, which include Cougar Elementary, Manassas Park Elementary, Manassas Park Middle School, and Manassas Park High School. MPCS serves the small, tight-knit community of Manassas Park and provides a range of academic and extracurricular programs designed to meet the needs of its students.
A Code RED designation means that all school employees, except those specifically designated for inclement weather duties, are not required to report to work.
Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, due to forecasted inclement weather. The announcement, shared on the district’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, noted, “Manassas City Public Schools will be closed Jan. 6, 2025, due to forecasted inclement weather. Code BLUE for employees.”
The closure affects approximately 7,000 students across the city’s nine schools, including five elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school. MCPS serves the city of Manassas with a variety of academic programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
The Code Blue designation means that employees are not required to report to work unless specifically notified by their supervisors. Further updates regarding school operations will be provided through the district’s official communication channels, including its website and social media accounts.
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the largest community college in Virginia and one of the largest in the nation, has declared a “Code Purple” for Monday, January 6, 2025. All classes and services will be conducted online, with no in-person operations at any of the college’s six campuses or satellite centers.
The announcement, made on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, “All #NOVA campuses are operating virtually. Classes and services are online only.” The move impacts more than 70,000 students enrolled across the college’s campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield, and Woodbridge.
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