Traffic

The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, PRTC, had a memorable year in 2011 as the agency celebrated its 25th anniversary and saw ridership increase by 7 percent – the largest annual increase in three years.

PRTC provides commuter and local bus services for residents of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park. In 2011, PRTC’s OmniRide and Metro Direct commuter bus services carried more than 2.3 million passengers – a 6% increase over 2010. At the same time, PRTC’s OmniLink and Cross County Connector local bus services carried more than 1 million passengers for the first time in its history – a 9% increase over 2010. When all services are combined, PRTC carried more than 3.4 million passengers on its buses – a 7% increase over 2010, and the largest annual increase since 2008 when gas prices surpassed $4 per gallon and area residents stepped up their search for ways to save money.

High Occupancy Toll lanes are scheduled to open by the end of the year, leaving transportation officials with the task of educating drivers about what they are and how to use them.

They started this week with a new name for the lanes. Instead of HOT lanes, the 14-mile stretch of the Capital Beltway between Springfield at Dulles Toll Road will simply be called 495 Express Lanes.

Metro is working on its continuing effort to rebuild its system this weekend, prompting some changes to your commute if you’re headed to Washington during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.

Track work will be conducted on the system’s Blue and Orange lines, closing the Federal Center and Capitol South stations.

The commuter railroad is out with its proposed $88.7 million fiscal year 2013 operating budget that requires not only the approval of the VRE Operations Board but also the local jurisdictions that fund the service, like Prince William and Stafford counties.

The fare increase would equal about 30 cents more on the railroad’s most expensive fares, which now are $10.30 if the train is taken from Fredericksburg to Washington’s Union Station, $8.45 if ridden from Manassas to Washington.

Paving work is being performed to improve the roadway surface on the bridge approaches in Stafford, as well as repair pothole patching on the bridge.

Work will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Woodbridge, Va. – If you take OmniRide or OmniLink commuter buses to work or school, the holidays will bring changes to their normal schedules.

See those changes and get more info by clicking here.