For Immediate Release
September 20, 2018
#T026_18
To celebrate the 2018 Try Transit Week, Fairfax County officials and community partners joined together to kick-off the Justice High School Free Student Bus Pass Metrobus Pilot, and celebrate the recently completed improvements to the Reston-Herndon bus operations facility.
View video of the Free Student Bus Pass event (YouTube - 2:00)
View video of the Herndon-Reston Bus Operations Garage Celebration (YouTube - 1:30)
One Million Student Trips and Counting – Expanding the Fairfax County Free Student Bus Pass Program
On Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, officials from Fairfax County, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), City of Fairfax, and students and staff from Justice High School celebrated the launch of the Justice High School Free Student Bus Pass Metrobus Pilot. This pilot is part of the Fairfax County Free Student Bus Pass Program, a partnership between Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, FCPS and now WMATA, and enable students at Justice High School to ride select Metrobus routes, as well as Fairfax Connector and City of Fairfax CUE buses, for free. Justice High School was chosen for this pilot as the residential neighborhoods in the Falls Church area are mainly served by Metrobus.
Through the Free Student Bus Pass Program, students in Fairfax County have more transportation options to attend before and after school activities, tutoring, sports, clubs, community service, internships and employment opportunities. The program provides year-round free access for middle and high school students in Fairfax County to ride Fairfax Connector and City of Fairfax CUE buses, 7-days a-week from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. Since the inception of the program in August 2015, Fairfax County middle and high school students have taken more than one million trips through this program.
For more information about the program, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/student-pass.
Preparing for the Future – Celebrating Improvements to Bus Operations in Fairfax County
On Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018, officials from Fairfax County, the Town of Herndon, and other stakeholders celebrated the completion of enhancements to the Reston-Herndon Bus Operations Facility, located at 268 Spring Street, Herndon. This major infrastructure project provides for enhancements to the maintenance of the bus fleet; improvements in safety; increased operational efficiencies; and a better employee work environment.
Buses operating from this facility provide service in Reston, Herndon and the Dulles Corridor with access to major employment centers in Tysons, Arlington, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Washington Dulles International Airport. The facility supports bus connections to multiple transit facilities in the area including the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride; Reston North Park and Ride; Reston South Park and Ride; Reston Town Center Transit Center; and the Wiehle Reston East Transit Center serving Metrorail Silver Line. The completed enhancements represent an important investment to future transit connections to the new Metrorail stations constructed as part of the Metrorail Silver Line Phase 2. In anticipation of the opening of the new Metrorail stations, Fairfax County will work with the community to adjust Fairfax Connector bus service to improve connectivity and mobility to key destinations.
Last year, approximately 2.4 million passenger trips were taken on the 31 routes operated from this facility. Some of the key improvements to the 24,500 square foot facility include modernized preventative maintenance bus bays; new bus bays lift systems; new concrete and asphalt paving; improvements to fuel stations; modernized employee work and training areas; modernized inventory and parts storage systems; and enhanced security features. The project was fully funded through commercial and industrial tax and general obligation bonds.
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