The OmniRide commuter buses that give Washington workers alternatives to driving themselves through some of Northern Virginia’s worst traffic posted double-digit ridership increases in the past year.
The buses that head to the nation’s capital from Prince William and Stafford counties showed an 18 percent increase in riders for the fiscal year that ended in June compared with the previous year, according to the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission.
The buses carried an average daily load of 8,817 passengers, up from 7,472, along the busy Interstate 95 and Interstate 66 corridors, known for their clogged rush-hour commutes.
The commission credits last summer’s spike in gas prices as the push behind the increase, reflecting the ridership jumps felt by transit agencies nationwide as drivers looked for alternatives to their gas-guzzling vehicles.
But gas prices have since dropped, and PRTC spokeswoman Christine Rodrigo noted that some riders have stuck with the commuter bus service anyway. Though ridership has tailed off from a high of 9,175 daily riders in September to 8,536 in June, the service still had more passengers than before the gas spike.
In addition to fuel price fluctuations, some of the leveling off may have come from the recession, with fewer people having jobs to commute to each day.
Also, Rodrigo said, PRTC discontinued one bus line in May that had low ridership and modified several others. Some riders may have abandoned the bus system when their routes changed.
But the commission received a boost last week from federal stimulus money that will allow it to buy two new buses.
Residents of Prince William and Stafford counties have long sought other options besides driving to jobs near downtown D.C. In addition to the commuter buses, some choose to carpool or take Virginia Railway Express trains. Officials are eyeing other alternatives, including water taxis and the extension of Metrorail train service.
