Fairfax Connector

A Fairfax Connector New Flyer D40LFR at Pentagon City Station
Locale	Fairfax County, Virginia, U.S.
Service area	180 square miles[1]
Service type	bus service
Routes	85
Stops	4,061[1]
Fleet	Orion New Flyer
Daily ridership	30,500 (Q2 2016)[2]
Annual ridership	9,348,500 (2015)[3]
Fuel type	Diesel
Operator	MV Transportation[1]
Website	Fairfax Connector

Fairfax Connector is a public bus service provided by Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, and operated under contract by MV Transportation.^[1][4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7] 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 August 2015, the Fairfax Connector fleet roster consists of the following buses:

Order Year	Builder	Model	Length (ft.)	Quantity	Engine/Transmission
2002	Orion Bus Industries	05.505	30	9
2002		05.502	35	8
2007	NFI	D40LFR	40	45	Cummins ISL/Allison B400R
2007		D35LFR	35	16
2009		D40LFR	40	45
2008	OBI	07.502 NG	30	26
2011	NFI	D40LFR	40	68
2012–2013		XD40	40	39	Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R
2012		XD35	35	15	Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R
2015–2016[8]	NFI	XD35	35	12	Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R
		XD40	40	5	Cummins ISL9/Allison B400R

• 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.^[9]

Routes	Route Description
101	Fort Hunt
109	Rose Hill
151	Engleside – Mount Vernon
152	Groveton – Mount Vernon
159	Engleside Limited-Stop
161	Hybla Valley Counter-clockwise
162	Hybla Valley Clockwise
171	Richmond Highway
231	Kingstowne Counter-clockwise
232	Kingstowne Clockwise
301	Telegraph Road
305	Newington Forest – Silverbrook Road
306	GMU – Pentagon
310	Franconia Road – Rolling Valley
321	Springfield Counter-clockwise
322	Springfield Clockwise
333	Patriot Ridge – Saratoga
334	DLA Circulator
335	Fort Belvoir "Eagle Express"
371	Lorton – Franconia-Springfield Metro
372	Lorton – Alban Road
373	Lorton – Fullerton Road
394	Saratoga – Pentagon Express
395	Gambrill – Pentagon Express
401	Backlick – Gallows Northbound
402	Backlick – Gallows Southbound
422	South Tysons – Greensboro Metro
423	Central Tysons – Tysons Corner Metro
424	North Tysons – Spring Hill Metro
432	Old Courthouse – Beulah
461	Flint Hill – Tapawingo – Vienna
462	Dunn Loring – Navy Federal – Tysons
463	Maple Avenue – Tysons
466	Vienna – Oakton
480	Wolf Trap Express
493	Lorton – Tysons
494	Springfield – Tysons
495	Burke Centre VRE – Tysons
505	Reston Town Center
507	Sunset Hills – Sunrise Valley
551	Herndon-Monroe – Glade – South Lakes
552	North Shore – Lake Fairfax
553	Reston South – Viking – Pinecrest
554	Wiehle Avenue – Center Harbor
557	Reston South – Soapstone
558	Center Harbor – Lake Fairfax
559	Reston South – Glade – Soapstone
574	Reston Town Center – Tysons
585	Reston South – Franklin Farm
599	Pentagon – Crystal City Express
605	Fair Oaks – Reston
621	Penderbrook – Fairfax County Government Center
622	Penderbrook – Fair Ridge
623	Fairfax County Government Center
630	Centreville South
631	Little Rocky Run
632	Westfields Boulevard – Walney Road
640	Stone Road – Westfields Boulevard
641	Centreville South – United Methodist Church Park and Ride
642	Sully Station
644	Centreville (Stone Road) Park and Ride
650	Chantilly
651	Chantilly – Brookfield
652	Chantilly – Franklin Farm
721	Chain Bridge Road – McLean
724	Lewinsville Road
734	McLean – West Falls Church
924	Herndon Parkway – Dranesville Road
926	Worldgate – Dranesville Road
927	Dulles Corner – McNair Farms
928	Herndon Parkway – Elden
929	Centreville Road – McNair Farms
937	Coppermine – Elden
950	Herndon – Reston Town Center – Wiehle
951	Sunrise Valley
952	Sunset Hills
980	Herndon-Monroe – Wiehle
981	Washington Dulles International Airport – Wiehle
983	Washington Dulles International Airport – Udvar-Hazy – Wiehle
985	Washington Dulles International Airport – Wall Road
RIBS1	Lake Anne – Hunters Woods
RIBS2	South Lakes Drive
RIBS3	Hunters Woods – Lake Anne
RIBS4	North Point
RIBS5	Herndon

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

1. "Fairfax Connector Facts at a Glance". Archived from the original on 2015-09-01. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
2. "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2016" (pdf). American Public Transportation Association. August 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-14 – via http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/ridershipreport.aspx.
3. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2015" (pdf). American Public Transportation Association. March 2, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-19 – via http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/ridershipreport.aspx.
4. "Fairfax Connector Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)". Fairfax County, Virginia. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
5. Lynton, Stephen J. (1985-09-27). "Fairfax Bus Service to Begin". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
6. "Smartrip Technology On Fairfax Connector Buses". Fairfax County Government. May 2, 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
7. "Fares and Transfers - Fairfax County, Virginia". Fairfax County, Virginia. January 7, 2013.
8. "Fairfax County Connector Exercises Contract Options From New Flyer". New Flyer. August 13, 2015.
9. "Fairfax Connector Route Schedules and Maps". County of Fairfax, Virginia. Retrieved February 6, 2013.

External links

• Fairfax Connector website