New OmniRide express offers faster trips to Tysons Corner

December 6, 2009 12:36 am

ANEW express bus began operating between the Woodbridge Virginia Railway Express station and Tysons Corner last month, operated by OmniRide. I rode it on the second day of service to give it a try, even though I don't work in Tysons.

Tysons, a major employment and shopping area, is a whirlpool of traffic at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax County, with the Capital Beltway and Dulles Toll Road along two sides. Despite sidewalks and some crosswalks with pedestrian signals, it's hostile to anyone on foot or bicycle and barely accommodating to bus riders. Discouraged from any other means of transportation, the bulk of Tysons commuters and shoppers travel by car, making for a trip that can be nearly as difficult as any other choice.

Although it's only about 55 miles from Fredericksburg, Tysons is a difficult rush-hour drive and a very long trip by public transportation. Two Metrobus routes already connect VRE with Tysons Corner: the 28A and B from King Street in Alexandria and the 23A from Crystal City. Each runs about every half-hour, and each is scheduled for around one hour to cover the distance of about 15 miles. VRE riders can use these buses for free by showing their VRE tickets. Counting transfer times, this takes two hours or more one way from Fredericksburg.

The new OmniRide service is a little faster. For one thing, Woodbridge is only about 40 minutes from Fredericksburg on VRE, 30 minutes on Amtrak. Four rush-hour trips leave the station four to 14 minutes after VRE trains arrive (a four-minute connection is a bit tight). The bus stops at the commuter lot at State Route 123 and Interstate 95 and then runs express to Tysons. From there it's scheduled to take 50 minutes to reach the first stop in Tysons, only about 25 miles away. I was surprised that an express bus would average only about 30 miles per hour for the nonstop portion of its trip. I learned why once we left Woodbridge. We scooted up the I-95 HOV lanes and reached the beltway in about 20 minutes. Once on the beltway, which has no HOV lanes, we were in stop-and-go traffic, with no time advantage over the rest of the traffic. After we passed a dump truck stopped in the middle lane I thought things might get better, but it was still slow going all the way to Tysons. However, we arrived at the first stop 23 minutes early.

The bus spends 25 more minutes winding its way around Tysons Corner, making about 15 stops, pausing at just about all the major office buildings. Overall, the trip from Fredericksburg is a good half-hour faster than via VRE and local Metro-buses.

The OmniRide bus is more comfortable than a Metrobus, too; it has upholstered seats and Wi-Fi. It has no toilet, though--something to consider on a trip that approaches two hours total. If you can't wait another hour, you'd better use the one on the train before getting off.

The fare until April is $3 one way or $2.40 with a SmarTrip card. VRE commuters with a monthly ticket ride free to Tysons and pay the one-way fare returning. Exact fare is required, and in April the fare will double.

For now, the OmniRide express is an incremental improvement. However, the high-occupancy toll ("HOT") lanes under construction on the beltway will provide an express route for buses along this very segment of the highway where the Tysons express now gets stuck in traffic. They should reduce the trip time considerably and make the service more reliable.

What about the Metrorail line under construction to Tysons? When it opens in a few years, it probably won't offer a faster trip from Fredericksburg. VRE passengers will be able to transfer to this Metro line at L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, but that's a 40-minute ride on VRE beyond Woodbridge, and from L'Enfant Plaza it will take more than half an hour on the Metro to reach Tysons Corner.

Metrorail service to Tysons will be an improvement, but for daily commuters to Tysons Corner, once the HOT lanes open, VRE plus OmniRide looks like the way to go.

Steve Dunham of Spotsylvania County commutes on Virginia Railway Express to Arlington. He chairs the board of directors of the Virginia Association of Railway Patrons. Write him c/o Commuter Crossroads, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401, or e-mail
Email: sgdunham@verizon.net.