As Virginia studies how to improve Interstate 95, Prince William County and OmniRide are also looking at how to improve six commuter lots along the highway.
The commuter lots toured:
- Horner Road in Woodbridge (the state’s largest)
- Telegraph Road (across from Horner)
- Route 234 in Dumfries
- The Old Hechinger Lot at Route 123 and Old Bridge Road (Hechinger was big-box hardware store that predated Home Depot’s entry to the area)
- The barely used commuter lot at Route 123 and I-95.
Some of the noted, needed fixes include updated bus shelters that need to be modernized to better protect people from rain, unused shelters and newspaper boxes removed, and a new naming system for the commuter slots to make it easier for users to understand the differences between the lots. A new smartphone app is also suggested.
“If we truly want to get people on public transit, we need to remove the obstacles preventing them from using it,” said Occoquan District Supervisor Ruth Anderson, who is also the OmniRide Commission Chair.
Commuters tend to park closest to the bus stop, sometimes illegally on concrete medians, to avoid walking long distances to the bus stop. All this while some of the spaces furthest away from the bus stops go unused.
At Horner, OmniRide Director Dr. Bob Schneider suggested implementing a new phased morning pick up system for the buses, shifting pick up locations in at different spots inside the lot so to encourage drivers to use all of the parking spaces more evenly.
Here’s a full list [PDF] of those commuter lot suggestions. Anderson hopes the state will incorporate some of these into their study of the I-95 corridor.
Officials from the Virginia Department of Transportation joined county and OmniRide leaders on the commuter parking lot tour held Aug. 9, 2019.
Featured photo: An SUV is parked on a grassy island at the Route 234 commuter lot in Dumfries.
