PRTC to Introduce New Bus Trips

Dale City commuters will have more options available to them for bus rides into Washington, D.C. beginning Monday.

The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission is adding two morning trips to its routes, one that will go to the Washington Navy Yard and one to the Pentagon.

The Navy Yard trip will run between the D-303 and D-304. PRTC said that this trip is also expected help relieve overcrowding on the Rosslyn OmniRide R-2 trip by closing a 30-minute service gap between Horner Road and the Pentagon. The Pentagon trip will run between the D-201 and D-301.

PRTC said the additional trips will help relieve some of the overcrowding on current bus routes. The commission received four new federally funded buses that were initially planned to replace four buses that PRTC said are "retirement age." Instead, the commission will keep three of the old buses to add the new trips.

New rides are also being added for Montclair, with one new morning trip and three new afternoon trips.

PRTC plans to add other new trips beginning on Aug. 22. Those new trips will be announced on Aug. 15.

According to PRTC, budget restraints on expansion of services will soon be eased by scheduling efficiencies, using higher fare revenues that budgeted, and using budgeted "contingency hours" to fund extra trips.

For more information and full bus schedules, see the PRTC website.