Fairfax County Commuter Services (FCCS)

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8:00 AM-4:30 PM M-F
703-877-5900 TTY 711
4050 Legato Road, Suite 400
Marcus Moore
TDM Liaison and Program Manager

What We Do

Fairfax County Commuter Services (FCCS) is a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that advocates alternatives to drive-alone commuting for residents and employees in the County.

Fairfax County Commuter Services Web BannerWelcome to Fairfax County Commuter Services (FCCS), a program of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. FCCS helps:

  • commuters find the right travel options to ease their trip to the workplace; 
  • employers to offer commuting perks, benefits and support to their employees, and recognition programs to be seen as a leader in forward-thinking HR and sustainability initiatives; 
  • developers to create commuting options for future residential and commercial tenants; and
  • residential properties to encourage alternate transportation modes to their residents.

In addition to providing free technical support to agencies and developers, FCCS has dedicated staff to help commuters navigate the transportation options to make life quicker, less stressful and healthier. Is public transit an option for you? Need to know where the nearest park-and-ride lot is located? Looking to beat those HOV tolls? Need a guaranteed ride home? Please email FCCS staff or call 703-877-5900 to get started today!

For Commuters

Calculating the cost to commute is not a linear formula of 2 + 2. There are:

  • Direct Costs: Tolls, Tickets/Passes/Fares, Parking, Gas
  • Indirect Costs: Vehicle wear and tear
  • Time: Direct but expensive? Local with traffic lights? Traffic conditions? 
  • Environmental Concerns
  • Stress/Convenience

For some, the extra effort of slugging pays off with a free commute on HOV lanes. Others would prefer to read or relax while someone else does the driving on transit. We've spelled out some commuting options below, including alternate commutes and non-commutes (teleworking). 

Nervous about leaving your car and needing to get home in an emergency? Register for Commuter Connections Guaranteed Ride Home program and leave the worry with us!

In addition, see the American Public Transportation Association's commuter tools:

 

Trains

In Fairfax County, two train systems serve commuters:

  1. Metrorail, with four lines:Metrorail
    1. Silver Line - Dulles Airport/Loudoun/Tysons 
    2. Orange Line - Vienna/GMU
    3. Yellow Line - Huntington
    4. Blue Line - Franconia/Springfield
  2. Virginia Railway Express, with two lines:
    1. Fredericksburg Line
    2. Manassas Line
  3. For regional connections, Amtrak utilizes VRE stations at Burke Centre (Manassas Line) and Lorton (Fredericksburg Line)
Buses

Two primary bus operators serve Fairfax County commuters:

Additional bus service can be found in:

Parking

Fairfax County recently opened two commuter parking garages, allowing commuters to park for free and catch Connector and Metrobus service from Monument Garage in Fairfax and Springfield Garage on Old Keene Mill Road in Springfield. 

The County also operates nearly 30 free park-and-ride lots to encourage commuters to take transit or rideshare.

Commuters can find paid parking garages at Metro Stations (operated by WMATA) for $4.95/day at Innovation Station, Van Dorn, Vienna/Fairfax - GMU, West Falls Church and Wiehle-Reston East.

carpoolFor commuters who are seeking options that includes driving, Fairfax County Commuter Services encourages ridesharing, including slugging, carpool and vanpool.  

Carpooling may happen among neighbors, co-workers or even strangers! Fairfax County facilitates "slugging," a type of ridesharing where commuters meet at a central location and drive together from its park-and-ride lots. The new parking garages in Springfield and Monument (Fairfax) have dedicated lanes for slugging. From Springfield, sluggers generally drive to the Pentagon, NW Washington (State Department) and SE Washington (Navy Yard), allowing carpoolers access to the HOV lanes for free. For more information, including a link to the Commuter Connection ridematching database, visit our Carpooling page

VanpoolVanpooling is a popular option, especially among commuters who travel long distances. Vans may be owned, leased or provided by an employer. For more information and resources on how to start a vanpool, visit our Vanpooling page.

Check out the Commuter Connections' Pool Rewards incentive program to help kick start your ridesharing journey today! 

 

 

bike 66 trailDo you bike to work?  Do you bike to transit and take your bike with you on the bus or train?  Or do you use a bike room or bike locker at a parking garage or park-and-ride lot? Do you use Capital Bikeshare to help with that first mile/last mile of your commute? FCDOT has plenty of resources for people who bicycle and walk as part of their travels - visit the Active Transportation page for more information.

 

One way to alleviate congested roadways is to change the time of "rush hour." Aside from telecommuting and hybrid schedules, here are some innovative ways organizations are allowing their employees to beat the Beltway blues:

  • Flexible work day (start and leave early or late) to avoid peak travel
  • Compressed work week - logging 80 hours in 9 days instead of 10

Image of person working from home

For Employers

The Fairfax County Employer Services Program will help your business and employees find transportation solutions that will not only make your company more successful but improve the economic vitality and quality of life for the entire region. The Employer Services Specialist will work on-site with you to help you realize the bottom-line benefits of commute alternatives.

How Your Company Benefits from Commute Alternatives:

  • Improved employee productivity
  • Improved morale
  • Easier recruitment and retention
  • Reduced parking and office space needs and costs
  • Easier access and traffic flow at work site
  • Reduced absenteeism and late arrivals
  • Public recognition as a good corporate citizen

How Your Employees Benefit from Commute Alternatives:

  • Reduced commuting time and expenses
  • Reduced wear-and-tear on personal vehicles
  • Less stress
  • More productive time while riding to and from work
  • Flexible work schedules
  • Access to HOV lanes

How Your Community Benefits from Commute Alternatives:

  • Easier travel on streets and highways
  • Increased economic vitality
  • Economic development benefits
  • Cleaner air
  • Improved overall quality of life

Join the Partnership for a Stress Free Commute

SmartBenefits® "Plus50"  - Get a free $50 SmarTrip® card and try commuting by transit.

Post commute alternative information on your Web site, intranet, newsletter, and employee bulletin board.

The Employer Services Program can provide helpful services to your company free of charge:

  • Development of tax-free commute benefit programs (SmartBenefits®)
  • Development of a telework program
  • On-site transportation assessments
  • Confidential employee commute surveys
  • Mapping of employee residence patterns
  • Computerized ridematching
  • Corporate relocation assistance
  • On-site rideshare promotions and displays
  • Help with carpool and vanpool formations
  • Assistance in implementing alternative commute programs and incentives
  • Coordination with nearby companies to establish commuter programs
  • Training an on-site Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC)
  • Development of incentive programs
  • Transit schedules, route maps and park-and-ride information.
  • New employee commute options information
  • Assessment of parking options
  • Program follow-up and evaluation

SmartBenefits® "Plu$50" is an incentive program that offers employees a free $50 SmarTrip® card just to try transit. You may be eligible if you are new to bus or rail service and do not already own a SmarTrip® card.  The "Plu$50" program will send you a SmarTrip® card via your employer and works with the employer to load the free $50 benefit. 

Learn more here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/commuter-services/smartbenefits-plus50

Take the survey here to see if you qualify for SmartBenefits® "Plu$50".

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation partners with Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC) to recognize employers who have excelled in implementing green commuter programs, including ride-sharing, transit benefits, biking and walking, teleworking, alternate work schedules and other strategies. Fairfax County was recently featured in a BWC Webinar, view the video here. 

Learn more here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/commuter-services/bestworkplaceforcommuters

For Developers

TDM Bike RoomAs the Fairfax County community grows, it is important to mitigate the effects and impacts of development in the county, including how they relate to transportation and traffic. Fairfax County works with developers to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips being taken by improving access to transit, providing facilities for biking and walking, and encouraging ridesharing. Implementing these strategies can lessen the traffic impacts of new developments, all while making our community a safer, cleaner, healthier and more equitable place to live.

To learn more about Transportation Demand Management (TDM), visit

For Residential Properties

Fairfax County recognizes condos, apartments, HOAs and other neighborhood developments that have provided their residents with solutions to encourage smarter commutes. 

Benefits to becoming a Commuter Friendly Community include:

  • Increased property values
  • Vibrant neighborhoods
  • Enhanced safety and health
  • Promotion to potential tenants

For more information about participation levels and certification, visit the Commuter Friendly Communities page.

Questions?

Contact the Fairfax County Commuter Services team (703-877-5900) to get started today!


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