It’s been nearly a month since OmniRide drivers went on strike, leaving those in Prince William and Stafford counties without a guaranteed ride.
Today, Teamsters Local 639 is set to take a vote on a new contract that could end the strike today at noon.
A bus driver strike at OmniRide, the regional transportation commission, is four weeks old, but there are signs of limited restored service.
Buses began rolling this afternoon from the transit center in Woodbridge to serve the route between Horner Road Commuter Lot, near Potomac Mills mall, to the Pentagon.
OmniRide, the regional commuter bus provider, hinted at expanding service in Stafford County and offering service in Spotsylvania County for the first time.
The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star reports the transit service plans to expand its operations in Stafford County from the Staffordboro Commuter Lot off Route 610 in North Stafford to commuter lots on Courthouse Road and off Route 17 and in the county’s central and southern sections, respectively.
Here’s a full list of schedule changes. The biggest on the list — OmniRide Express buses in Prince Willliam and Stafford counties, with service to Washington, D.C. — will not operate today due to an “extreme” shortage of drivers.
We asked Victor Angry, chairman of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, which oversees the operation of OmniRide and Virginia Railway Express trains, about the strike.
Union workers at OmniRide have been on strike for a week.
Negotiations are ongoing, we’re told. As we reported, the strike surprised officials at OmniRide, who agreed to hike the payout to the union by 17% in the upcoming budget.
A strike at OmniRide continued on Friday and will last into the weekend, marking one week of no or limited bus service for riders who rely on the system to get to and from work or around town.
OmniRide says:
Commuter and local busses in Prince William County and commuter buses in Stafford County stopped rolling today when drivers went on strike.
OmniRide passengers were left without a lift to work and play, prompting the agency to cancel multiple routes.
Schedules for Express, Metro Express, and Local routes will change on that date. OmniRide Connect micro transit pilot program is now operating in Manassas Park. It replaces the OmniRide Local Manassas Park route. Some routes operate from the new Balls Ford Road Commuter Lot in Manassas.
The new schedules are available here https://omniride.com/service/schedules/ .
