Metro News Release
For immediate release: March 27, 2009
Metrobus service to move from Arlington to new Fairfax County bus garage
Arlington bus garage closes and new West Ox facility opens Monday
About 100 Metrobuses will be moving from a cramped World War II-era bus garage in Arlington to a brand new 33-acre bus facility in Fairfax County, Va., this weekend.
On Monday, Metro will begin running 19 bus lines in northern Virginia out of the West Ox facility at West Ox Road between Route 29 and Route 88. Seventy-five Fairfax Connector buses will begin operating out of the facility in June.
“This new state-of-the art bus facility will provide critical infrastructure and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Metrobus and Fairfax Connector buses,” said Metro Board Member Catherine Hudgins. “With transit use at record highs, this is good news for Fairfax County and northern Virginia."
The entire facility encompasses 130 acres of which 33 acres make up the bus maintenance, administration, cleaning facilities and employee parking. There also is room for future expansion to accommodate another 150 buses. A county 9-1-1 call center, emergency management and operations center, Virginia State Police Division 7 headquarters and Virginia Department of Transportation Smart Traffic Center also will be located on the campus.
Construction of the nearly $70 million county bus project began in January 2007. Metro’s portion accounts for nearly $35 million as part of a 75-year lease with the county.
“This is a good investment,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe. “Instead of spending money to update a 1940s-era small bus garage in a busy retail and residential area, we are getting a 21st century maintenance and operations facility with room to grow.”
Metro has an agreement to sell the four-acre Arlington bus garage to Shooshan Company for at least $20 million. The developers plan to turn the property into an office, residential and retail project.
The following Metrobus lines and routes will operate out of the West Ox facility:
Wilson Blvd. – 1A,B,E,F,Z
Fair Oaks-Dunn Loring – 1C
Washington Blvd. – 2A,B,C,G
Tysons Corner-Dunn Loring – 2T
Vienna-Oakton – 2W*
Centreville South – 12A,E,F,G*
Centreville North – 12C,D*
Little Rocky Run-Vienna – 12L,M*
Stringfellow Rd.-Vienna – 12R,S*
Chain Bridge Rd. – 15K,L
GMU-Tysons Corner – 15M
Kings Park – 17A,B,F,M
Kings Park Express – 17G,H,K,L
Orange Hunt – 18G,H,J
Burke Centre – 18P,R,S
Chantilly-Greenbriar – 20F,W,X,Y*
McLean Hamlet-E. Falls Church – 24T
Tysons Corner-W. Falls Church – 28T
Alexandria-Fairfax – 29K,N
*Fairfax Connector will take over the 2W, 12’s and 20’s in June 2009, operating out of West Ox garage. The Connector will also operate some of its other routes out of West Ox.
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News release issued at 11:46 am, March 27, 2009.