OmniRide and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) celebrated the opening of OmniRide’s Western Bus Maintenance and Storage Facility.
The new facility will allow OmniRide to improve and expand transit services for western Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park residents and the Northern Virginia business community. It will also help to reduce congestion along the I-66 corridor, as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project, impacting the region at large. The project will provide new travel choices and congestion relief across a 22.5 mile stretch of 1-66 from I-495 near Route 29 in Gainesville.
The facility includes eight bays for 100 buses to eliminate driving empty buses from eastern Prince William County, resulting in more efficient service.
Additional benefits of the new facility include improved on-time performance; the ability to introduce new commuting options; the ability to dispatch buses serving western routes directly from the facility; and additional maintenance bays and parking for the OmniRide bus fleet.
Members of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) Board of Commissioners and distinguished guests, including elected officials, were in attendance and gave remarks. Also in attendance were representatives from Keolis North America, which has a contract to operate and maintain OmniRide’s bus service.
“On behalf of PRTC and my fellow board members, I would like to extend my thanks to the NVTA and all funding partners for this beautiful Western Facility,” said PRTC Board Chair Margaret Angela Franklin. “This facility will permit us to provide our western service residents and business community with efficient, reliable and safe OmniRide service, as well as help reduce congestion in the area. Prince William County is very proud to have been a part of this worthwhile project, and the continued expansion of transit services for the region’s residents.”
Groundbreaking for the facility began two and a half years ago. When combining the administrative building, maintenance, fuel area and the bus yard, there is more than 200,000-square feet sitting on the 15-acre property. The building is also eligible for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The total for this project came to just short of $50 million.
“The new facility is more than just a building, as it allows for expanded service and improved on-time performance, resulting in Northern Virginians getting back home to their families faster,” said NVTA Chair Phyllis Randall. “This project demonstrates the regional collaboration it takes to fund multimodal solutions to help alleviate traffic congestion in NoVA.”
PRTC, operating as OmniRide, has provided mobility services for Northern Virginia for more than three decades. This includes local bus service in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park; express service for commuters between Prince William County and employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.; and Metro Express which connects riders with Metro Stations. PRTC also co-sponsors the Virginia Railway Express, in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
The Western Facility is located at 7850 Doane Drive in Manassas.
