New commuter bus service from eastern Prince William County to Mark Center begins today.
Commuter buses will take riders from neighborhoods in Dale City and Lake Ridge to Mark Center, the federal employment hub in Alexandria that is the home to the Department of Defense’s Washington Headquarters Services, and other Department of Defense agencies.
Four trips in the morning and afternoon will be offered to commuters on the both the Dale City and Lake Ridge routes.
The Dale City route will start at the Dale City Commuter Lot at Dale Boulevard and Minnieville Road. It will serve stops along Dale Boulevard before traveling to the Mark Center.
The Lake Ridge route will offer four morning trips starting at the Tacketts Mill Commuter Lot and will also serve the Lake Ridge Commuter Lot, stops along Old Bridge Road, and the Gordon Boulevard / Route 123 Old Bridge Commuter Lot. Its final local stop before heading to the Mark Center will be the I-95/Route 123 Commuter Lot.
Free bus fares will be offered on the first day of service, and afterwards Mark Center passengers will pay the standard OmniRide commuter bus one-way fare of $6.20 with a SmarTrip card or $8.30 cash.
Timetables for the new routes are available online.
The buses will travel the E-ZPass Express Lanes on Interstate 95 and 395. A new direct access ramp from the express lanes to Mark Center opened earlier this month. While Mark Center opened five years ago, it wasn’t until the completion of the ramp that officials decided it was time to serve the federal center with commuter buses and expanded transit options.
The cash-strapped Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission will operate the new Mark Center service using its OmniRide buses. Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation will pick up the full tab for the cost of the new service, as it has for similar services like Tysons Express bus that began service during the construction of E-ZPass Express Lanes on the Capital Beltway.
New buses will be used for the new Mark Center service, and should arrive this spring, according to as press release. Until then, spare OmniRide buses will be used on the new routes.
