Fairfax Connector is a public transit agency owned and managed by Fairfax County, Virginia. The system operates within Fairfax County and connects to WMATA Metrobus, Washington Metro, and the Virginia Railway Express, as well as other local bus systems. It serves several Fairfax Metro stations and the City of Alexandria. Limited service is also provided to the City of Fairfax, Washington Dulles International Airport, and The Pentagon.
History
thumb|200px|A typical Fairfax Connector bus stop sign
1980s
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.
2010s
Major changes began in 2010, when the Reston East Park-and-Ride closed to make way for the Silver Line construction. After the Silver Line opened in 2014, The Connector modified its service, by providing three circulator routes within Tysons Corner, as well as new service to McLean. Many routes were modified to give riders the ability to transfer with the Silver Line and other portions of the network.
On July 1, 2019, Transdev commenced a five-year contract to operate the network with an option to extend for a further 10 years. In December 2019, Fairfax Connector workers operating under Transdev went on strike, reducing system operations to Sunday schedules and impacting approximately 30,000 daily riders.
2020s
On February 22, 2024, Fairfax Connector employees initiated a strike against Transdev, suspending almost all fixed-route services. Regular operations resumed the next month following a new collective bargaining agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union.
Fares
Fairfax Connector fares are paid in cash or via the WMATA owned SmarTrip system. Fares paid using SmarTrip also include free and discounted transfers between various services.
Routes
, the Fairfax Connector bus system consists of 95 routes.
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible font-size: 89%" border="1"
! scope="col" | Route
! scope="col" | Name
! colspan="2" scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | Terminals
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| 101 || Fort Hunt ||Huntington station
|Mt. Vernon Estate & Gardens
|
|-
| 109 || Rose Hill ||Huntington station
|Van Dorn Street station
|
|-
| 151 || Engleside – Mt. Vernon ||Huntington station
|Mt. Vernon Estate & Gardens
|
|-
| 152 || Groveton – Mt. Vernon ||Huntington station
| Mt. Vernon Estate & Gardens
|
|-
| 159 || Engleside ||Huntington station
|Sacramento Dr & Richmond Hwy
|
- Weekday limited-stop peak service
|-
| 161 || rowspan="2" | Hybla Valley Circulator || rowspan="2" |Huntington station
| rowspan="2" |Inova Mt. Vernon Hospital
|
- Counter-clockwise loop
|-
| 162
|
- Clockwise loop
|-
| 171 || Richmond Highway ||Huntington station
|Lorton VRE Station
|
|-
| 231 || rowspan="2" | Kingstowne Circulator || rowspan="2" |Franconia–Springfield station
| rowspan="2" | Van Dorn Street station
|
- Weekday peak service
- Counter-clockwise loop
|-
| 232
|
- Weekday peak service
- Clockwise loop
|-
| 301 || Telegraph Road ||Huntington Station
|Franconia–Springfield station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 305 || Newington Forest – Silverbrook Road ||Lorton VRE Station
|Franconia–Springfield station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 306 || GMU – Pentagon || George Mason University
|Pentagon station
|
- Weekday midday service
|-
| 308 || Franconia-Springfield – Mt. Vernon Hospital || Franconia–Springfield station
| Inova Mt. Vernon Hospital
|
- No Sunday service
|-
| 310 || Franconia Road – Rolling Valley || Rolling Valley Park & Ride
|Huntington station
|
|-
| 321 || rowspan="2" | Greater Springfield Circulator || rowspan="2" |Van Dorn Street station
| rowspan="2" |Franconia–Springfield station
|
- Counter-clockwise loop
|-
| 322
|
- Clockwise loop
|-
| 334 || Newington Circulator || Franconia–Springfield station
|Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
|
- Weekday peak service (and one midday trip)
- Loop service
|-
| 335 || Fort Belvoir "The Eagle" || Franconia–Springfield station
|Fort Belvoir
|
- Weekday peak service
- Loop service
|-
| 340 || Patriot Ridge – Saratoga ||Franconia–Springfield station
|Fort Belvoir
|
- Weekday non-peak service
- Counter-clockwise loop
|-
| 341 || Boston Boulevard – Saratoga ||Franconia–Springfield station
|Saratoga Park & Ride
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 371 || Lorton – Springfield ||Franconia–Springfield station
| Lorton Park & Ride
|
|-
| 393 || Saratoga – Mark Center – Pentagon ||Saratoga Park & Ride
|Pentagon station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 394 || Saratoga – Backlick – Pentagon ||Saratoga Shopping Center, Backlick North Park & Ride
|Pentagon station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 395 || Gambrill Road – Pentagon ||Gambrill Rd Park & Ride
|Pentagon station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 396 || Backlick – Pentagon ||Backlick North Park & Ride
|Pentagon station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 401 || rowspan="2" | Backlick – Gallows ||Franconia–Springfield station
|Tysons-Westpark Station
|
- Northbound service
|-
| 402 ||Tysons Westpark Station
|Franconia–Springfield station
|
- Southbound service
|-
| 423 || Tysons Circulator – Westpark || colspan="2" | Tysons station
|
- Loop service
|-
| 427
| Spring Hill Metro – Farm Credit Administration
|Spring Hill station
|Farm Credit Administration
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 432 || Old Courthouse – Beulah ||Spring Hill station
|Farm Credit Administration
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 461 || Vienna – Oakton || colspan="2" | Vienna station
|
- Weekday loop service
|-
| 462 || Dunn Loring – Navy Federal – Tysons ||Dunn Loring station
| Tysons station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 463 || Maple Avenue – Tysons ||Vienna station
|Tysons station
|
|-
| 467 || Dunn Loring – Tysons ||Dunn Loring station
|Tysons station
|
- Non-peak service
|-
| 480 || Wolf Trap Express ||McLean station
|Wolf Trap Filene Center
|
- Seasonal event service
|-
| 494 || Springfield – Tysons ||Franconia–Springfield station
| Tysons station
|
- Weekday service
|-
| 495 || Burke Centre – Tysons ||Burke Centre VRE station
|Tysons station
|
- Weekday peak only (and one midday trip)
|-
| 507 || Sunset Hills – Sunrise Valley || colspan="2" |Wiehle–Reston East station
|
- Weekday loop service
|-
| 552 || Innovation Center – Wiehle-Reston East ||Innovation Center station
| Wiehle–Reston East station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 553 || Kingstream – Herndon – Fox Mill ||Reston Town Center station
|Kingstream Dr & Kingsvale Cir
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 557 || Reston South – Soapstone ||Reston South Park & Ride
|Wiehle–Reston East station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 558 || Center Harbor – Wiehle ||Wiehle–Reston East station
|Center Harbor Rd & Wiehle Ave
|
|-
| 559
| Reston Town Center – Wiehle
|Reston Town Center Transit Station
|Wiehle–Reston East station
|
|-
| 574 || Reston – Tysons ||Reston Town Center Transit Station
|Tysons Westpark Station
|
|-
| 598
| Reston South – Pentagon – Crystal City
|Reston South Park & Ride
|Crystal City station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 605 || Reston – Fair Oaks ||Reston Town Center station
|Monument Dr Transit Center
|
|-
| 610 || George Mason University – Centreville ||Centreville (Stone Rd) Park & Ride
|George Mason University
|
- No Sunday service
|-
| 615
| Fair Oaks – Greenbriar
|Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
|Monument Dr Transit Center
|
|-
| 622 || Penderbrook – Monument Drive || colspan="2" |Monument Dr Transit Center
|
- Loop service
|-
| 625
| Random Hills – Pender Drive
|Monument Dr Transit Center
|Fairfax County Housing Office
|
- Weekday service
|-
| 630 || Centreville – Monument Drive ||Centreville Park & Ride
|Monument Dr Transit Center
|
|-
| 642 || Stone Road – Centreville North ||Centreville Park & Ride
|Sullyfield Circle & U.S Route 50
|
|-
| 651 || Chantilly – Monument Drive ||Conference Center Dr & Parkstone Dr
|Monument Dr Transit Center
|
|-
| 652
| Chantilly – Franklin Farm
|Sullyfield Circle & U.S Route 50
|Stringfellow Park & Ride
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 660
| Stone Road – Tysons
| Centreville Park & Ride
| Tysons station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 662
| Stone Road – Vienna
| Centreville Park & Ride
|Vienna station
|
- Non-peak service
|-
| 663
| Stringfellow Road – Vienna
|Stringfellow Rd Park & Ride
|Vienna station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 670
| Chantilly – Franconia-Springfield
|Avion Pkwy & Stonecroft Blvd
|Franconia–Springfield station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 671
| Chantilly – Inova Fairfax – Dunn Loring
| Avion Pkwy & Stonecroft Blvd
|Dunn Loring station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 672
| Chantilly – Dunn Loring
|Avion Pkwy & Stonecroft Blvd
| Dunn Loring station
|
- Non-peak service
|-
| 697 || Stringfellow Road – D Street SW ||Stringfellow Park & Ride
|D St SW, Washington, D.C.
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 698 || Stringfellow Road – Vienna – Pentagon ||Stringfellow Rd Park & Ride
|Pentagon station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 699 || Monument Drive Transit Center – Downtown D.C. ||Monument Dr Transit Center
|Downtown Washington, D.C.
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 703 || Pimmit Hills ||West Falls Church station
|McLean station
|
- No Sunday service
|-
| 715 || East Falls Church – Langley ||East Falls Church station
|Langley
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 721 || Chain Bridge Road – McLean ||McLean station
| Beverly Dr & Old McLean Village Dr
|
|-
| 798
| Tysons – Bethesda Express
|Tysons-Westpark Transit Station
|Bethesda
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 803 || Annandale Road ||East Falls Church station
|Annandale
|
|-
| 834 || Little River Turnpike – Pentagon ||Pentagon station
|NVCC-Annandale
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 835
| Braeburn Drive – Pentagon Express
|NVCC-Annandale
| Pentagon station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 901
| Herndon Metro – Centreville
|Herndon station
|Centreville-UMC Park & Ride
|
|-
| 921
| Herndon Circulator
| colspan="2" | Herndon station
|
- Counter-clockwise loop
|-
| 924 || NOVA Loudoun – Herndon – Franklin Farm ||NVCC-Loudoun
|Kinross Cir & Kilbrennan Ct
|
|-
| 937 || Coppermine – Elden ||Herndon station
|Herndon-Harbor House
|
|-
| 950 || Reston Town Center – Herndon Metro ||Reston Town Center Station
|Herndon station
|
|-
| 951 || Wiehle-Reston East – Innovation Center ||Innovation Center station
|Wiehle–Reston East station
|
- Weekday peak service
|-
| 952 || Sunset Hills – Dulles Airport ||Dulles International Airport
|Wiehle–Reston East station
|
|-
| 954
| Sterling Plaza – Herndon Metro
|Sterling Plaza
| Herndon station
|
|-
| 983 || Dulles Airport – Udvar-Hazy Center ||Udvar-Hazy Center
|Dulles International Airport
|
|-
|}
Transportation Association of Greater Springfield
The Transportation Association of Greater Springfield (TAGS) routes were originally operated by Metrobus. Fairfax Connector assumed operations of TAGS on January 4, 2021, maintaining the free weekday circulator service in the immediate Franconia-Springfield area.
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible font-size: 0.89em" border="1"
! scope="col" | Route
! scope="col" | Name
! colspan="2" scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | Terminals
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| 350 || Frontier Drive – Hilton Springfield – Franconia-Springfield Metrorail Station (TAGS)
|Franconia–Springfield station
|Springfield Town Center
|
|-
| 351
| TSA – NVCC Medical College – Franconia-Springfield Metrorail Station (TAGS)
|Franconia–Springfield station
|TSA, NVCC Campus
|
- Peak service
|-
| 352
| TSA – Springfield Town Center – Franconia-Springfield Metrorail Station (TAGS)
|Franconia–Springfield station
|TSA, Springfield Town Center
|
- Midday service
|-
| 353
| Franconia-Springfield Metrorail Station – Metro Park (TAGS)
|Franconia–Springfield station
| Metro Park
|
|}
Reston Internal Bus Service routes
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible font-size: 0.89em" border="1"
! scope="col" | Route
! scope="col" | Name
! colspan="2" scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | Terminals
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| RIBS1 || Lake Anne – Hunters Woods ||Reston Town Center Station
|Lake Anne Village Center
|
- Clockwise loop
|-
| RIBS2 || Reston – South Lakes Drive – Herndon Metro ||Reston Town Center Station
|Herndon station
|
|-
| RIBS3 || Lake Anne – Hunters Woods ||Reston Town Center Station
|Hunters Woods Village Center
|
- Counter-clockwise loop
|-
| RIBS4 || Reston Town Center – North Point ||Reston Town Center station
|North Point Village Center
|
|-
| RIBS5 || Herndon – Reston Town Center || Reston Town Center Station
|Herndon Harbor House
|
|}
Fleet
Fairfax Connector operates a fleet consisting of Diesel, Hybrid, and Electric buses produced by Orion Bus Industries, New Flyer and Gillig. The agency also operates three garages in Newington, Fair Lakes, and Reston. The Fairfax Connector fleet roster consists of the following buses:
|
|-
|150px
| New Flyer<br />Xcelsior CHARGE NG XE40
|2022-2023
| 1000–1009<br /><small>(8 buses)</small>
|
|-
| 150px
| New Flyer<br />Xcelsior CHARGE NG XE35
| 2024
| 1010–1011<br /><small>(2 buses)</small>
|
|-
| align="center" | 150px
|Gillig<br /> Low Floor 29ft
|2024-2025
| 7951–7972<br /><small>(10 buses)</small>
|
- Replacing the Remaining Orion VII NG buses.
|-
|150px
| align=center |Gillig<br /> Low Floor Plus 40ft
|2025
| align=center | 1012-1013<br /><small>(2 buses)</small>
|
|-
| 150px
| align="center" | New Flyer<br />Xcelsior XDE40
| 2025-2026
| align=center | 3000-3015<br /><small>(12 buses)</small>
|
- FCDOT announced that they secured more than $50 million from the FTA for 120 buses.
|-
|
| align="center" | New Flyer<br />Xcelsior XDE35
|TBD
| align=center | TBD<br /><small>(48 buses)</small>
| align=center | Awaiting delivery soon.
|}
Retired Fleet
{|class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align:center;" |-
! Delivered
! Type
! width="70" | Numbers
! Retired
! Picture
! Notes
|-
| 1985-1991
| Bus Industries of America<br />Orion I
| 7700-7761<br>7800-7809
| 2007
| 100px
|
|-
| 1988–1994
| Transportation Manufacturing Corporation<br />RTS-06
| 7941L-7954L<br>7810-7854
|2013
|
|
|-
| 1997-2002
| Orion Bus Industries<br />Orion V
| 8033-8066<br>7903-7927<br>7762-7898
|2017
| 100px
|
|-
| 2003
| Champion<br />Cutaways
| 7928-7930
| 2010
|
|
|-
| 2006
| ElDorado National<br />Aero Elites
| 7931-7940
| 2012
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2 |2007
| New Flyer<br />Low Floor Restyled D40LFR
| 9700–9751
|2024
| align=center | 150px
|
|-
| align=center | New Flyer<br /> Low Floor Restyled D35LFR
| align=center | 9754–9769
|2024
| 150px
|
|-
| rowspan=1 align="center" | 2010
| align=center | New Flyer<br /> Low Floor Advanced DE42LFA
| align=center | 6568-6609
| rowspan=1 align=center | 2024
| align=center |150px
| align="center" |
|}
References
External links
- Fairfax Connector website