Metro News Release

For immediate release: February 8, 2005

Public hearing for restructuring Fairfax County Metrobus routes

A public hearing will be conducted by the Metro, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 16, to receive and consider comments, suggestions and alternatives from the public on the proposed restructuring of Metrobus routes in Fairfax County, VA. The hearing will be located at the Sully District Governmental Center, Richard Frank Room #2, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, VA.

Metrobus has served the Centreville area since 1986, and as population in the area increased, park and ride lots were constructed and bus service expanded to accommodate the increasing number of riders desiring to access Metrorail at Vienna. During the past two decades, Metrobus expanded from one line and one route to four lines and eight routes, serving 1,600 daily riders on weekdays between Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station and the Centreville area of western Fairfax County via the I-66 HOV lanes. Service is operated primarily during peak hours only, with some early afternoon and evening trips provided to accommodate customers on flexible work schedules.

Through the years, Metrobus and Fairfax County have implemented various service and fare initiatives to encourage additional riders and also remove single occupant vehicles from the congested I-66 corridor during peak hours. With continuing development in the Centreville area, Metro and Fairfax County have collaboratively determined that new opportunities exist to attract more riders and consequently remove vehicles from I-66. Additionally, the closure of the parking lot at Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station for the Metro West development project will displace commuters currently utilizing the parking lot. Fairfax County has expressed a desire to have adequate transit alternatives in place when the parking facility closes to divert these commuters to existing park and ride lots and use Metrobus to access Metrorail at Vienna.

The proposed service restructuring plan has been developed by Metro and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. The goals of the plan are to: 1) provide an increased level of service to underutilized park and ride lots; 2) serve new markets such as the townhome developments on Centreville Farms Road, as well as provide later evening service to Centreville area; 3) rationalize the route structure by having buses which serve the Stringfellow Road Park & Ride Lot use the Stringfellow HOV ramp, as well as restructuring routes serving the Sully Station and Little Rocky Run areas; and 4) improve schedule adherence by shortening routes such as Little Rock Road-Vienna Line. The proposed changes represent an overall service increase of 19 percent. The proposed changes include:

12A:Centreville-Fair Lakes-Vienna Line

This new route will operate in the early afternoon and evening from Vienna to Centreville Methodist Church Park & Ride Lot via Fair Lakes, Stringfellow Road and Centreville (Stone Road) Park & Ride Lots, replacing the current early afternoon and evening 12E trips at 1:32, 3:10, 7:50 and 8:31 p.m.

12C,D: Centreville North Line

After restructuring this route, it will serve Sully Station and the western section of the Westfields office park, replacing portions of current routes 12R and 12S. Bus service will be discontinued via Awbrey Patent and Newton Patent Drives.

12E,F: Centreville South Line

After restructuring this route, it will provide service to Trinity Centre and extend service via New Braddock Road and Union Mill Road to Braddock Road, replacing the southern portion of present route 12L. Early and afternoon bus service will be discontinued via St. Germain Drive and Field Encampment Road.

12L,M: Little Rocky Run-Vienna Line

After restructuring this route, it will operate via the Stringfellow HOV ramp, Stringfellow Road Park & Ride Lot, Centreville Farms Road and Pickwick Road to Little Rocky Run. Bus service will be discontinued on Braddock Road between Old Centreville and Pickwick Roads.

12R,S: Stringfellow Road-Vienna Line

After restructuring this route, it will provide service via Stringfellow HOV ramp and Stringfellow Park & Ride Lot, starting and ending service at Park Meadow Drive and Westfields Boulevard in the eastern section of Westfields. Sully Station and the western section of Westfields will be served by the restructured routes 12C and 12D.

Following the public hearing, Metro staff will review the testimony presented both written and orally, and prepare a report with recommendations to the Metro Board for its consideration and appropriate action. The Board may change or reject the proposal or staff recommendations with or without alternatives being provided. Implementation of the proposals outlined in the public hearing docket is dependent on the Board. If approved by the Board, the recommended service changes would be implemented in June.

Comments will be accepted verbally and in writing at the public hearing or via e-mail. All organizations or individuals desired to be heard with respect to the proposed service restructuring plan can present their views. To establish a witness list, individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to be heard at the public hearing are requested to furnish, by Friday, February 11, their name, address, telephone number and organization affiliation, if any, to: Harold Bartlett, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 or via public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com. Please submit only one speaker’s name per letter and refer to Hearing No. 517, Docket B05-2 in the heading.

The hearing is being conducted in a location accessible to persons with disabilities. Any individuals with a disability who require special assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, to participate in the public hearing should contact Leen’da Chambliss at 202-962-2596 or TDD 202-638-3780 no later than Friday, February 11.

News release issued on February 8, 2005.