Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is optimistic about increasing its ridership by introducing Saturday service.
The commuter railroad's CEO, Rich Dalton, told Potomac Local News that he anticipates adding 5,000 and 7,000 new passengers once the Saturday service starts later this year. While the agency budgeted for the new service late last year, its Operations Board is set to vote on its implementation next month.
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Howdy, folks! It’s that time of year again when the good folks over at OmniRide and Prince William County are dusting off their bikes and gearing up for Bike to Work Day! Yeehaw!
Partnering up with the sharpshooters at Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, this annual hootenanny aims to rustle up some awareness about pedaling to work instead of hoofing it in your trusty automobile.
Now, listen up, cowpokes! The first 15,000 riders who mosey on over to one of their pit stops scattered across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia will nab themselves a free T-shirt and some grub to fuel their journey. Ain’t that a deal sweeter than a slice of homemade apple pie?
Roundin’ up the local pit stops for ya:
- Dumfries – Swing by the Simpson Community Center on Main Street from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
- Manassas – Head on down to George Mason University, Freedom Center Boulevard & University Boulevard, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
- Manassas – Swing by the Manassas VRE station on West Street, bright and early from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
- Manassas Park – Don’t forget the Manassas Park VRE Station on Manassas Drive, open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- Woodbridge – If you’re in Woodbridge, hit up the Rippon Landing VRE station or the Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center, starting at 6 a.m.
- Woodbridge – Or hitch your wagon to the Woodbridge VRE station, Tackett’s Mill Park & Ride Lot, or Minnieville Rd, all from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
OmniRide’s hitchin’ their wagon to the Rippon Landing Pit Stop, and their folks’ll be hanging around the Downtown Manassas VRE station, ready to lend a hand.
But hold onto your hats, folks, ’cause the fun don’t stop there. OmniRide’s rustlin’ up a whole month of Bike Exploration! Throughout May, they’re spreadin’ the word about mixin’ bikes and buses like peas and carrots.
They’re showin’ folks how to hitch their trusty steeds to an OmniRide bus and roll into work with the wind at their backs. Them buses even come equipped with bike racks, so you can keep your wheels close by at no extra cost.
In a bold move to accommodate the region’s growing transportation needs, Virginia Railway Express (VRE) has unveiled extensive expansion plans that will transform the commuter railroad landscape by 2050.
The proposal was unveiled at the VRE Operations Board meeting on Friday, March 15, 2024. Backed by financial forecasts and strategic ridership projections, it outlines a comprehensive strategy to enhance service frequency, extend operational hours, and cater to burgeoning populations and evolving travel patterns.
Forecasts indicate a substantial surge in operating costs and revenues by 2050, with projections estimating a 136% increase in operational expenditures and a 63% rise in operating revenues. The VRE Board recommends a significant boost in train frequency, particularly during peak periods on the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. This initiative is anticipated to attract 21,000 weekday users by 2030, with a further expansion to accommodate 4,500 Saturday riders and 3,700 Sunday passengers.
Under the proposed plan, VRE anticipates adding 116 more trains per day, with 68 trains operating on Saturdays and 60 on Sundays. The Fredericksburg line will extend south of Spotsylvania County with a bus service to Hanover County from Fredericksburg. Similarly, the Manassas line will stretch service beyond the Manassas Regional Airport, with a corresponding bus service from Manassas to Culpeper County.
However, future infrastructure constraints loom large, particularly regarding midday train storage capacity in Washington, D.C. Despite identifying a suitable site capable of housing 13 trains, logistical challenges persist, necessitating careful planning to ensure seamless operations. With every six trains arriving in Washington D.C., four will be required to return to Virginia, highlighting the complexities of managing the expanding network.
Ridership forecasts show exponential growth, with an estimated average of 28,100-weekday passengers and 10,820-weekend travelers anticipated by 2050. This represents a 262% increase in ridership since 2014, underscoring the imperative for phased infrastructure development and strategic expansion initiatives.
VRE officials say their transportation service of choice fosters meaningful connections and catalyzes economic opportunities in a safe, sustainable, and equitable manner. However, questions linger regarding the accuracy of population projections amid evolving telework trends, prompting stakeholders to scrutinize the reliability of regional travel models and their adaptability to dynamic socio-economic factors.
In February 2024, VRE saw 6,900 average daily riders, down from 20,000 in February 2020 (a CEO report for February 2020, the last showing its pre-pandemic ridership numbers, has been removed from its website). By comparison, an average of about 4,400 people choose to ride OmniRide commuter buses.
Sarah Romero documented the VRE Operations Board meeting.
Virginia Railway Express: "The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget received final approval Thursday evening, as the second of its two parent commissions voted to adopt the budget and accompanying six-year capital improvement program (CIP)."
"VRE’s FY 2025 operating budget totals $119.9 million, which includes operations, maintenance, and existing debt service. This is an increase of $11.0 million or 10 percent over the FY 2024 operating budget. The budget includes increases to fares of 5 percent and jurisdictional contributions of 14 percent. Both take effect July 1. VRE’s last broad-based fare increase was 3 percent in FY 2020."
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Regional transit providers OmniRide and Virginia Railway Express will modify services for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
In observance of the holidays, OmniRide buses will operate as follows:
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The spending plan attempts to increase lagging ridership and includes Saturday service to Washington, D.C., for the first time since the railroad began operations in 1992. Three round-trip trains will operate on the system's Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. Trains will travel northbound to the capital city in the morning and return south in the evening.
The board also approved VRE’s fare structure changes at its December 15, 2023, meeting at the OmniRide headquarters in Woodbridge. Base fares for FY 2025 will increase by five percent.
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Virginia Railway Express: "Tickets for the Santa Train will be available starting Monday, November 27 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets can be purchased for $5 (cash or check) or $6 (credit card)."
"For a list of in-person ticket sales locations, please visit the following link."
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During the VRE Operations Board meeting on Friday, November 17, 2023, in Woodbridge, the state’s only commuter railway, presented the results of an internal survey showing 94 percent of respondents favor Saturday service and a majority are willing to pay higher fares to get it.
VRE CFO Mark Schofield said that implementing Saturday service would lead to an additional $1 million in operating costs in FY2025. However, the railway’s overall operating costs are expected to decrease by $1.4 million due to other reductions.
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The Center Square: "Taxpayers are picking up more of the higher costs of transit in the U.S. since the pandemic, according to the latest data released by the Federal Transit Administration."
"Total operating expenses of all transit agencies have increased from $50.7 billion in 2019 to $53.7 billion in 2022, according to the FTA data. At the same time, passenger-paid fares plummeted during that time span, dropping from $15.3 billion in fare revenue in 2019 to $8.3 billion in 2022, a nearly 50% drop."
