Prince William County Commuting Alternatives

While finding homes for clients in Northern Virginia,  we’ve noticed commuting and public education carry the same values for families deciding on where to move.  This includes families considering home searches in Prince William County. We have collected the Prince William County commuting and transportation options to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. to help readers decide if Prince William County will help them navigate to and from work through daily traffic gridlock.

The subject of commuting in Northern Virginia makes most area residents feel irritated to angry.  But with a smart travel plan to work you can survive the Northern Virginia transportation network which is 30 years behind current demand based on my estimates as a life long resident of this region. Some will read this and feel the arrival of Virginia I-95 HOT/HOV Lanes is the practical answer to commuting problems.  We’re betting the problem just moves further south to Garrisonville Road (Exit #143 Route 610) and Prince William County will still experience stop-and-go traffic from volume delays across the Stafford County line during rush hour(s). Below are proven options for commuters traveling from Prince William County.

The view of Interstate 95 north bound traffic at Garrisonville Road (Route 630) in Stafford County.

Interstate 95 at Exit 143 (Garrisonville) during morning hours. This picture illustrates the need for HOT lanes from Garrisonville to Fredericksburg. Commuting options can make your ride to work easier, but it won’t be painless. If you use the Interstate 95 HOT Lanes you can expect delays at the merge in Stafford County. It is usually flowing well through Prince William County during morning and evening rush hours.

Commuter options to Alexandria, Arlington, Crystal City, McLean, Reston and Washington, D. C. from  Prince William County includes OmniRide, OmniLink, Metro Connect, and OmniMatch programs of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, Interstate 95 HOT Lanes, Interstate 66 HOV Lanes, VDOT commuter lots with slug lines located at Interstate 95 exits Lake Ridge/Occoquan (Rt. 123; Exit 60), Prince William County Parkway (Rt. 3000; Exit 158), and Manassas/Dumfries (Rt. 234; Exit 152), and the Fredericksburg and Manassas Lines of the Virginia Railway ExpressManassas Airport is the largest regional airport in Virginia and houses the aviation assets of more than 30 local businesses. A list of commuter programs in the Washington Metropolitan Area including ‘Guaranteed Ride Home’ can be found through Commuter Connections.

Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission Metro Connect buses for Prince William County residents provide commuter service from Prince William County commuter lots in Dale City and Woodbridge to the Metrorail station at Franconia-Springfield. The Metro Connect buses in Manassas transports passengers to Vienna and West Falls Church Metro stations. OmniLink bus destinations include Tyson’s Corner, Pentagon, Rosslyn, Ballston, Crystal City, Navy Yard, and several points in Downtown Washington including Capitol Hill & Union Station.
 
Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission OmniBus local bus service also includes the Cross County Connector Eastbound (Manassas to Woodbridge) and Westbound (Woodbridge to Manassas).

OmniBus providing local rider services at River Run Apartments in Woodbridge. OmniBus offers circular bus routes on AM and PM schedules in Dale City, Dumfries, Manassas, Manassas Park, U. S. Route 1, and Woodbridge/Lake Ridge.

 
The Woodbridge Virginia Railway Express Station on the Fredericksburg Line. The North Woodbridge station is near the intersection of Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1) and Dawson Beach Road. Nearby stations are Lorton Station (Fairfax County) and Rippon Landing (South Woodbridge). Kiss and ride and daily parking is available at all Virginia Railway Express stations. There are many Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) commuter lots in Woodbridge.  You could use the  VDOT commuter lots for slug-lines to take advantage of HOT lanes on Interstate 95. The OmniMatch program, and commuter and van pool incentive programs are another option which can be found through PRTC. The Virginia Railway Express Woodbridge Station is located off Dawson Beach Road in Woodbridge offering another option for the workday commute into Washington, D.C.  Other stations in Prince William County include the Rippon Station at the end of Farm Creek Drive, and the Quantico Station in the Town of Quantico.

Commuting options serving Lake Ridge (Prince William County to Washington, D.C.) can be found here, while links for all regional transportation services are listed here. Commuter lots with bus service from the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) include 3 in Lake Ridge. The complete list of commuter lots, schedules, and bus routes serviced by PRTC can be found here.

PRTC only has until March 2016 to make changes before they’re forced to make some drastic cuts to bus service. Any changes will be implemented in July 2016.

The commuter buses of OmniLink and OmniBus service 7,400 passengers a day, their cross-county services 1,900 a day and their local bus routes service 3,700 residents a day. The commuter services cover 13 routes and the local services cover six routes. There is a $9 million annual shortfall in revenue for these services. It will be a big loss in the lives of commuting Prince William County residents.

OmniRide: Serves both eastern and western districts of Prince William County with transportation service to Tyson’s Corner, Crystal City Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, Washington Navy Yard, Rosslyn, Ballston, and Downtown Washington.

OmniLink: Local bus routes on weekdays in Prince William County areas include Dale City, Dumfries, Lake Ridge, Manassas, & Woodbridge. Saturday service is available in Eastern Prince William County.

Metro Direct: Weekday commuter bus service from Prince William County to Metro Rail stations.

Cross County Connector: Provides transportation between eastern (Woodbridge-Dumfries) and western (Manassas-Manassas Park) districts of Prince William County. The Cross County Connector provides transportation to major shopping centers and government offices.

OmniMatch: Matches commuters with similar commutes and working hours.

The Fredericksburg Line of the Virginia Railway Express commuter train service has two stations in Woodbridge. The Rippon Station and the Woodbridge Station. There is also a station in the Town of Quantico. Service includes stops in Alexandria and Washington, D.C. The Manassas Line also offers delivery to Alexandria and Washington, D.C. with stations for Prince William County residents at Manassas Airport, Manassas Station, and Manassas Park.

There are 15 commuter lots in Prince William County which have connecting services provided by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). OmniLink provides riders with commute destinations and commuter connections throughout Northern Virginia.

Contact us if buying or selling a home in Prince William County is in your future.

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