Fairfax Connector
Encyclopedia
Fairfax Connector is a public bus
service provided by Fairfax County, Virginia
, and operated under contract by MV Transportation
. 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
. 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 suburb
an 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 of 2009, service was transitioned from Metrobus routes 2W, 12- and 20-series routes to the Connector in the Centreville, Chantilly, and Oakton areas along I-66 and near the Vienna Metro Station.
Fares are paid in cash (exact change), Metrobus weekly unlimited bus "flash" pass, or WMATA
-issued SmarTrip
card.
The fare for most routes is $1.70. Riders using SmarTrip receive a discounted fare of $1.50. Discounted transfers between buses and to and from Metrorail are available only to SmarTrip users. An express fare of $7 is charged on routes 380, 595 and 597; there is no SmarTrip discount for express routes. A special fare of $5 is currently in effect for detoured route 380 while renovations occur at the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station parking deck; SmarTrip bus to bus and bus to rail discounts have been reinstated for the route during the detour. A $5 round trip fare is charged for the Wolf Trap shuttle operated by the Connector. As of January 4, 2009, Fairfax Connector no longer issues or accepts paper transfers. Seniors and disabled persons ride for $0.85 ($0.75 with SmarTrip), or free with a valid MetroAccess ID card, on all routes.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service provided by Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, and operated under contract by MV Transportation
MV Transportation
MV Transportation, Inc., based in Fairfield, California., is the largest private provider of paratrasit services and the largest privately-owned transportation contracting firm in the United States...
. The first buses rolled out in September 1985 as a lower-cost alternative to the Metrobus
Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)
Metrobus is a bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Its fleet consists of 1,480 buses covering an area of in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. There are over 300 bus routes serving 12,216 stops, including 2,398 bus shelters. In fiscal year 2009,...
service of the regional Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
. The original routes connected the southern part of the county (near the Mount Vernon Estate
Mount Vernon (plantation)
Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was the plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. The mansion is built of wood in neoclassical Georgian architectural style, and the estate is located on the banks of the Potomac River.Mount Vernon was designated...
) to the Huntington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
station which borders Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. 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 suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an Reston
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
and Herndon
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
, located between Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...
. Along State Route 267 (the Dulles Toll Road), express buses carry commuters from free park-and-ride lots to the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
system. In June of 2009, service was transitioned from Metrobus routes 2W, 12- and 20-series routes to the Connector in the Centreville, Chantilly, and Oakton areas along I-66 and near the Vienna Metro Station.
Fares are paid in cash (exact change), Metrobus weekly unlimited bus "flash" pass, or WMATA
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
-issued SmarTrip
SmarTrip
SmarTrip is a plastic contact-less stored-value smart card used for payment within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system in Washington, D.C...
card.
The fare for most routes is $1.70. Riders using SmarTrip receive a discounted fare of $1.50. Discounted transfers between buses and to and from Metrorail are available only to SmarTrip users. An express fare of $7 is charged on routes 380, 595 and 597; there is no SmarTrip discount for express routes. A special fare of $5 is currently in effect for detoured route 380 while renovations occur at the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station parking deck; SmarTrip bus to bus and bus to rail discounts have been reinstated for the route during the detour. A $5 round trip fare is charged for the Wolf Trap shuttle operated by the Connector. As of January 4, 2009, Fairfax Connector no longer issues or accepts paper transfers. Seniors and disabled persons ride for $0.85 ($0.75 with SmarTrip), or free with a valid MetroAccess ID card, on all routes.
Fleet roster
the Fairfax Connector fleet roster consists of the following buses:| Order Year | Builder | Model | Length (ft.) | Fleet Series (Qty.) |
Engine/Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | TMC Transportation Manufacturing Corporation Transportation Manufacturing Corporation was a bus manufacturer based in Roswell, New Mexico.The company was formed in 1974 by Greyhound Bus Lines to manufacture Motor Coach Industries vehicles... |
RTS II | 40 | 7810-7854 (45) |
DDS 50G/Allison V731 |
| 1998 | OBI Orion Bus Industries Orion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States, is a bus manufacturer based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and established by the Government of Ontario in 1975... |
05.501 | 40 | 7855-7869 (15) |
DDS 50G/Allison B400R |
| 1998 | 05.503 | 30 | 7903-7912 (10) |
||
| 1999 | 05.505 | 30 | 7913-7917 (5) |
||
| 2000 | 05.501 | 40 | 7782-7799, 7870-7890 (22) |
||
| 2001 | 05.505 | 30 | 7918-7927 (10) |
||
| 2001-02 | 05.502 | 35 | 7891-7898 (8) |
||
| 2007 | NFI New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:... |
D40LFR | 40 | 9701-9753 (53) |
Cummins ISL Cummins Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems... /Allison B400R |
| 2007 | D35LFR | 35 | 9754-9769 (46) |
||
| 2009 | D40LFR | 40 | 9601-9612 (12) |
||
| 2009 | OBI | 07.502 NG |
35 | 9770-9795 (26) |
|
| 2010 | NFI | D40LFR | 35 | 9613-9643 (31) |
|
| 2011 | XD40 | 40 | 9646-9677 (31) |
Cummins ISL9 Cummins Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems... /Allison B400R |
|
- All buses in fleet is Diesel powered.