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Fairfax Connector

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A Fairfax Connector New Flyer D40LFR at Pentagon City Station
LocaleFairfax County, Virginia, U.S.
Service area180 square miles[1]
Service typebus service
Routes85
Stops4,061[1]
Fleet
Daily ridership37,614[1]
Annual ridership10,650,401[1]
Fuel typeDiesel
OperatorMV Transportation[1]
WebsiteFairfax Connector

Fairfax Connector is a public bus service provided by Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, and operated under contract by MV Transportation.[1][2] The first buses rolled out in September 1985 as a lower-cost alternative to the Metrobus service of the regional Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.[3] The original routes connected the southern part of the county (near the Mount Vernon Estate) to the Huntington Metro station which borders Alexandria. This area continues to be the core of the system, and is noted for the number of residents in the Richmond Highway area who use the service at all times of the day.

Fairfax Connector, or simply "The Connector", has since expanded to 50-odd routes spanning much of the county. In 1994, the service was extended to the high-technology industrial areas of suburban Reston and Herndon, located between Washington, D.C. and Washington Dulles International Airport. Along State Route 267 (the Dulles Toll Road), express buses carry commuters from free park-and-ride lots to the Washington Metro system. In June 2009, service was transitioned from the Metrobus 2W, 12-, and 20-series routes to the Connector in the Centreville, Chantilly, and Oakton areas along I-66 and near Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Station.

Fares are paid in cash (exact change), Metrobus weekly unlimited bus "flash" pass, or WMATA issued SmarTrip card.[4] The fare for local routes for riders paying cash and SmarTrip is $1.75. Discounted transfers between local buses to and from Metrorail cost $1.25 and are available only to SmarTrip users. The fare for express Bus 495 (F, G, J, M) is $4.00 cash or $3.65 SmarTrip. The fare for express buses 394, 395 and 981 is $5.35. An express fare of $7.50 is charged on routes 595 and 597. There is no SmarTrip discount for express routes except for 495 buses.[5] A $5 round trip fare or $4.50 SmarTrip with rail to bus transfer is charged for the Wolf Trap shuttle 480 operated by the Connector. As of January 4, 2009, Fairfax Connector no longer issues or accepts paper transfers. Seniors and disabled persons ride on local and express buses 394, 395, 981 for $0.90 ($0.80 with SmarTrip), $2.00 ($1.80 with SmarTrip) on express buses 495 (F, G, J, M) and $7.50 on express buses 595 and 597 or free on all routes with a valid MetroAccess ID card.

Fleet roster

A New Flyer bus services the bus bays at the West Falls Church Metro station.
A Fairfax Connector Orion 5.505 on the 981 parked at Wiehle-Reston East. Wiehle–Reston East Station opened on July 26, 2014 and is currently the western terminus for the WMATA Silver Line. And some Orion V's are still active, but only the 30' and 35'

As of August 2015, the Fairfax Connector fleet roster consists of the following buses:

Order Year Builder Model Length (ft.) Quantity Engine/Transmission
2002 Orion Bus Industries 05.505 30 9
2002 05.502 35 8
2007 NFI D40LFR 40 45 Cummins ISL/Allison B400R
2007 D35LFR 35 16
2009 D40LFR 40 45
2008 OBI 07.502
NG 		30 26
2011 NFI D40LFR 40 68
2012–2013 XD40 40 39 Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R
2012 XD35 35 15 Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R
On Order
2015-2016[6] NFI XD35 35 12 Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R
XD40 40 5 Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R
  • All buses in fleet are Diesel powered.

Bus routes

A typical Fairfax Connector bus stop sign

As of August 2014, the Fairfax Connector bus system consists of 85 routes. The following are the route numbers and names that make up the Fairfax Connector bus system.[7]

Routes Route Description
101 Fort Hunt
109 Rose Hill
151 Engleside - Mount Vernon
152 Groveton - Mount Vernon
159 Engleside Limited-Stop
161 Hybla Valley Counter-clockwise
162 Hybla Valley Clockwise
171 Richmond Highway
231 Kingstowne Counter-clockwise
232 Kingstowne Clockwise
301 Telegraph Road
305 Newington Forest - Silverbrook Road
306 GMU - Pentagon
310 Franconia Road - Rolling Valley
321 Springfield Counter-clockwise
322 Springfield Clockwise
333 Patriot Ridge - Saratoga
334 DLA Circulator
335 Fort Belvoir "Eagle Express"
371 Lorton - Franconia-Springfield Metro
372 Lorton - Alban Road
373 Lorton - Fullerton Road
394 Saratoga - Pentagon Express
395 Gambrill - Pentagon Express
401 Backlick - Gallows Northbound
402 Backlick - Gallows Southbound
422 South Tysons - Greensboro Metro
423 Central Tysons - Tysons Corner Metro
424 North Tysons - Spring Hill Metro
432 Old Courthouse - Beulah
461 Flint Hill - Tapawingo - Vienna
462 Dunn Loring - Navy Federal - Tysons
463 Maple Avenue - Tysons
466 Vienna - Oakton
480 Wolf Trap Express
493 Lorton - Tysons
494 Springfield - Tysons
495 Burke Centre VRE - Tysons
505 Reston Town Center
507 Sunset Hills - Sunrise Valley
551 Herndon-Monroe - Glade - South Lakes
552 North Shore - Lake Fairfax
553 Reston South - Viking - Pinecrest
554 Wiehle Avenue - Center Harbor
557 Reston South - Soapstone
558 Center Harbor - Lake Fairfax
559 Reston South - Glade - Soapstone
574 Reston Town Center - Tysons
585 Reston South - Franklin Farm
599 Pentagon - Crystal City Express
605 Fair Oaks - Reston
621 Penderbrook - Fairfax County Government Center
622 Penderbrook - Fair Ridge
623 Fairfax County Government Center
630 Centreville South
631 Little Rocky Run
632 Westfields Boulevard - Walney Road
640 Stone Road - Westfields Boulevard
641 Centreville South - United Methodist Church Park and Ride
642 Sully Station
644 Centreville (Stone Road) Park and Ride
650 Chantilly
651 Chantilly - Brookfield
652 Chantilly - Franklin Farm
721 Chain Bridge Road - McLean
724 Lewinsville Road
734 McLean - West Falls Church
924 Herndon Parkway - Dranesville Road
926 Worldgate - Dranesville Road
927 Dulles Corner - McNair Farms
928 Herndon Parkway - Elden
929 Centreville Road - McNair Farms
937 Coppermine - Elden
950 Herndon - Reston Town Center - Wiehle
951 Sunrise Valley
952 Sunset Hills
980 Herndon-Monroe - Wiehle
981 Washington Dulles International Airport - Wiehle
983 Washington Dulles International Airport - Udvar-Hazy - Wiehle
985 Washington Dulles International Airport - Wall Road
RIBS1 Lake Anne - Hunters Woods
RIBS2 South Lakes Drive
RIBS3 Hunters Woods - Lake Anne
RIBS4 North Point
RIBS5 Herndon

Former bus routes

  • 5S - Reston-Herndon to West Falls Church station (discontinued in July 1999), was part of the Herndon-West Falls Church Line as a Metrobus route until it was transferred to the Fairfax Connector in 1994
  • 304 - Saratoga (replaced by the 333)
  • 425 - Tysons to Jones Branch (discontinued in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
  • 427 - Tysons to Greensboro Drive (discontinued in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
  • 495F - Burke VRE to Tysons, Full Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
  • 495G - Burke VRE to Tysons, Greensboro Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
  • 495J - Burke VRE to Tysons, Jones Branch Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
  • 495M - Burke VRE to Tysons, McLean Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
  • 555 - Sunset Hills Park & Ride to West Falls Church (discontinued in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened and the Sunset Hills Park & Ride closed)
  • 595 - Pentagon Express (replaced by the 599 in July 2014)
  • 597 - Crystal City Express (replaced by the 599 in July 2014)
  • 904 - Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride to Tysons Corner (discontinued in December 2001; replaced by the 574 between Reston Town Center & Tysons Corner and by the 950 between Herndon-Monroe & West Falls Church station; in July 2014, 574 was truncated to Spring Hill station and the 950 was truncated to Wiehle-Reston East station)
  • 905 - Reston Town Center to West Falls Church station (replaced by the 505 in December 2001; 505 was truncated to Wiehle-Reston East station in July 2014)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Fairfax Connector Facts at a Glance". Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  2. ^ "Fairfax Connector Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)". Fairfax County, Virginia. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  3. ^ Lynton, Stephen J. (1985-09-27). "Fairfax Bus Service to Begin". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  4. ^ "Smartrip Technology On Fairfax Connector Buses". Fairfax County Government. May 2, 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  5. ^ "Fares and Transfers - Fairfax County, Virginia". Fairfax County, Virginia. January 7, 2013.
  6. ^ "Fairfax County Connector Exercises Contract Options From New Flyer". New Flyer. August 13, 2015.
  7. ^ "Fairfax Connector Route Schedules and Maps". County of Fairfax, Virginia. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
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