Virginia to continue to fund Saturday buses to Metro until spring

Virginia Megaprojects will continue funding Saturday bus service between eastern Prince William County and the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station through mid-May 2014.

The news came in a press release from Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC).

The Saturday bus service started in September as a three-month pilot program to address congestion on I-95 during weekends when the HOV lanes are closed for construction of the I-95/I-395 Express Lanes.

Rides are free to give drivers added incentive to leave their cars behind and help to lessen the traffic congestion. The Saturday bus service was initially set to end in December 2013 but will now continue through May 17, 2014. 

Virginia Megaprojects is a collaboration of the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. 

“Saturday Prince William Metro Direct service has proven to be a success with an average of 400 passenger trips per day,” said PRTC Executive Director Alfred Harf. The high ridership mark was set on Nov. 16 when 471 passengers rode the bus, he added.

The Saturday Prince William Metro Direct service offers trips starting at 7:35 a.m. and ends at 10 p.m.  Buses run every 45 minutes between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., and every 90 minutes at other times.

Locally, buses pick up and drop off passengers at Potomac Mills Mall and the PRTC Transit Center, where passengers also can transfer to OmniLink local buses serving eastern Prince William County. 

A map and timetable for the Saturday route are available at PRTCtransit.org.

PRTC also operates its Prince William Metro Direct service Mondays through Fridays.  Regular one-way fares for the weekday service are $3.60 cash or $2.90 when paying with a SmarTrip card.

For more information about PRTC’s services, call Customer Service at (703) 730-6664 or visit PRTCtransit.org.