Silver Line Spurs Fairfax Connector Changes in Reston

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved changes to 31 Fairfax Connector routes, many of them that serve Reston-area riders who are now using the buses to get to and from Metro’s Wiehle-Reston East station.

“Fairfax County overhauled its Connector service last year in anticipation of the Silver Line and in response to changing needs of our commuters,” said Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova.

“Demand for on time, reliable bus service is rising in Fairfax County. This shift will help meet that demand and we will continue to monitor service and reach out to our residents in order to provide them a safe and reliable trip to Metro, work and home.”

Since the launch of Metro’s Silver Line service in July, Fairfax Connector has been monitoring traffic conditions, schedule adherence, and ridership on routes serving the Dulles Corridor, said Bulova.

The county says that over the past two months, ridership has increased approximately 2 percent on weekdays and 7  percent on weekends. One of the strongest areas of growth are routes connecting Wiehle-Reston East with Reston Town Center, as well as with Dulles International Airport, and the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly.

Here are changes that affect Reston-area riders:

Route 505 – Reston Town Center

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions.
• Departures on routes 505, 981, and 983 will be timed to provide an even spacing of buses between Reston Town Center and the Wiehle Metro station.

 Routes 551,557,559 – Reston South

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions.
• An additional morning rush hour trip will be added on Route 557 departing Reston South Park and Ride at approximately 5:40 a.m.

 Routes 552,554,558 – Reston North

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions.
• An additional morning rush hour trip will be added on Routes 552 and 554.
• The schedule will be revised to improve connections with Route 599.

Route 574 – Reston-Tysons

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions.
• Buses will serve the Tysons Westpark transit station via Spring Hill Road providing connections to Route 401/402, making a trip between Springfield, Tysons, Merrifield, Annandale, and Reston possible by bus.

 Route 585 – Franklin Farm-Reston South

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions.

Route 605 – Fair Oaks-Reston

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions.
• The time between buses will change from every 60 minutes to every 45 minutes on weekdays and from every 60 minutes to every 70 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Buses will travel to and from Fair Oaks Mall via West Ox Road, Post Forest Drive, Government Center Parkway, the Fairfax County Government Center, and Monument Drive.
• Buses will serve Fair Lakes Promenade and Pender Creek via bus stops on Monument Drive at Fair Lakes Parkway.

 Route 950 – Herndon-Reston

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions and to improve Silver Line connections.
• Departures on routes 950 and 980 will be timed to provide an even spacing of buses between Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride and the Wiehle Metro station.
• An additional evening trip will be added in both directions to improve connectivity between Herndon and Reston.

 Routes 951,952 – Sunrise Valley Drive-Sunset Hills Road

• A new schedule will reflect travel times adjusted for current traffic conditions.
• Route 951 buses will serve the US Geological Survey campus on all morning rush hour, midday, and afternoon rush hour trips via Sunrise Valley Drive.

To see exact schedule changes, visit the Fairfax Connector website.

Photo: Fairfax Connector bus/file photo