Fairfax Connector

A Fairfax Connector New Flyer D40LFR at Pentagon City Station
Locale	Fairfax County, Virginia
Service area	180 square miles[1]
Service type	bus service
Routes	69
Stops	4,061[1]
Fleet	Orion New Flyer
Daily ridership	37,614[1]
Annual ridership	10,650,401[1]
Fuel type	Diesel
Operator	MV Transportation[1]
Website	Fairfax Connector

Fairfax Connector is a public bus service provided by Fairfax County, Virginia, and operated under contract by MV Transportation.^[1][2] 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 suburban 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 2009, service was transitioned from the Metrobus 2W, 12-, and 20-series routes to the Connector in the Centreville, Chantilly, and Oakton areas along I-66 and near Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Station.

Fares are paid in cash (exact change), Metrobus weekly unlimited bus "flash" pass, or WMATA issued SmarTrip card.^[3] The fare for local routes for riders paying cash and SmarTrip is $1.75. Discounted transfers between local buses to and from Metrorail cost $1.25 and are available only to SmarTrip users. The fare for express Bus 495 (F, G, J, M) is $4.00 cash or $3.65 SmarTrip. The fare for express buses 394, 395 and 981 is $5.35. An express fare of $7.50 is charged on routes 595 and 597. There is no SmarTrip discount for express routes except for 495 buses.^[4] A $5 round trip fare or $4.50 SmarTrip with rail to bus transfer is charged for the Wolf Trap shuttle 480 operated by the Connector. As of January 4, 2009, Fairfax Connector no longer issues or accepts paper transfers. Seniors and disabled persons ride on local and express buses 394, 395, 981 for $0.90 ($0.80 with SmarTrip), $2.00 ($1.80 with SmarTrip) on express buses 495 (F, G, J, M) and $7.50 on express buses 595 and 597 or free on all routes with a valid MetroAccess ID card.

Fleet roster

A New Flyer bus services the bus bays at the West Falls Church Metro station.

A Fairfax Connector Orion 5.505 on the 981 parked at Wiehle-Reston East. Wiehle–Reston East Station opened on July 26, 2014 and is currently the western terminus for the WMATA Silver Line. And some Orion V's are still active, but only the 30' and 35'

As of March 2014, the Fairfax Connector fleet roster consists of the following buses:

• All buses in fleet are Diesel powered.

Bus routes

A typical Fairfax Connector bus stop sign

As of August 2014, the Fairfax Connector bus system consists of 85 routes. The following are the route numbers and names that make up the Fairfax Connector bus system.^[5]

Former bus routes

• 5S - Reston-Herndon to West Falls Church station (discontinued in July 1999), was part of the Herndon-West Falls Church Line as a Metrobus route until it was transferred to the Fairfax Connector in 1994
• 304 - Saratoga (replaced by the 333)
• 425 - Tysons to Jones Branch (discontinued in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
• 427 - Tysons to Greensboro Drive (discontinued in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
• 495F - Burke VRE to Tysons, Full Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
• 495G - Burke VRE to Tysons, Greensboro Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
• 495J - Burke VRE to Tysons, Jones Branch Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
• 495M - Burke VRE to Tysons, McLean Circulation (replaced by the 495 in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened)
• 555 - Sunset Hills Park & Ride to West Falls Church (discontinued in July 2014 when the Metro Silver Line opened and the Sunset Hills Park & Ride closed)
• 595 - Pentagon Express (replaced by the 599 in July 2014)
• 597 - Crystal City Express (replaced by the 599 in July 2014)
• 904 - Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride to Tysons Corner (discontinued in December 2001; replaced by the 574 between Reston Town Center & Tysons Corner and by the 950 between Herndon-Monroe & West Falls Church station; in July 2014, 574 was truncated to Spring Hill station and the 950 was truncated to Wiehle-Reston East station)
• 905 - Reston Town Center to West Falls Church station (replaced by the 505 in December 2001; 505 was truncated to Wiehle-Reston East station in July 2014)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairfax Connector.

• Fairfax Connector website

Fairfax County, Virginia Northern Virginia Washington metropolitan area Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area Administration Fairfax County Public Schools Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Fairfax County Park Authority Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Fairfax County Public Library Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Fairfax County Police Department Fairfax County Sheriff's Office Organizations Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Landmarks Fairfax County Government Center Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Inova Fairfax Hospital Mount Vernon Gunston Hall Tysons Corner Center Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park Great Falls Park Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Washington and Old Dominion Railway Fort Belvoir Transportation Air Manassas Regional Airport Washington Dulles International Airport Roads Fairfax County Parkway Springfield Interchange Virginia State Route 123 Dulles Toll Road (VA 267) Transit Fairfax Connector Silver Line Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line Fredericksburg Line Culture Battles Battle of Chantilly First Battle of Bull Run Second Battle of Bull Run Events Celebrate Fairfax! Education George Mason University University of Fairfax Northern Virginia Community College