Surge in Commuting Demand
According to GWRC’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program, GWRideConnect, inquiries about ridesharing options have increased substantially. Commuters from Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford are turning to ride-sharing to ease their daily travel.
“We’ve been steadily seeing an increase of people going back to the office, and then it just jumped, jumped a lot,” McKenney said. “A lot of federal workers down here are trying to find a van, trying to find the train. It seems like a lot of people who know where the train and buses are haven’t been calling as much as people looking for vans to areas that maybe the transportation doesn’t go directly to.”
The Role of Vanpools and OmniRide
GWRC functions as the commuter assistance program for the region, helping match riders to appropriate vanpools and other transit options. Vanpools, which are considered a form of transit in Virginia, operate as private-public partnerships with small business owners managing fleets of commuter vans.
“We are the commuter assistance program for the region, and our biggest service is the vanpool matching system. Vanpools are a form of transit in Virginia, but we do a private-public partnership, so the vanpool operators are private companies. They essentially own fleets of vans, maintain them, and rent them out to commuters,” McKenney explained.
OmniRide’s expanded services in Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties have also played a significant role in accommodating the commuter surge. Some OmniRide routes have become so successful that they are reportedly operating at a profit—a rarity in public transportation. “Some of those routes are doing really, really great, and they’re even making a profit,” McKenney noted. “I don’t know how much, but that’s what I’ve heard. Generally, public transportation is a service, not a for-profit thing.”
The Impact of Transportation Infrastructure Expansions
McKenney acknowledged that new transportation developments have influenced commuting patterns. The extension of express lanes on I-95 past Route 3 and the increased presence of commuter buses in the area have made transit options more accessible. “With the new express lanes and expanded bus service, commuters now have more flexibility in planning their routes,” she said. “A lot of interest is in places like the Mark Center in Alexandria, where direct transit options are limited. Vanpools are a great solution for those routes.”
Monitoring Commuter Trends
GWRC regularly tracks commuter lot usage and plans to conduct an additional lot count in early spring to assess changing patterns. “We do an annual commuter lot count, but we’re considering doing another one soon to measure the impact of recent return-to-office policies,” McKenney stated. “After everybody has been sent back and settled into their routines, we may do another count in early spring.”
For additional details on upcoming commuter assistance events and ridesharing options, visit gwrideconnect.org or call 540-373-7665.
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