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There were three ways to win! Congratulations to:
Trivia ContestDuring the month, the public could participate in a PRTC Trivia Contest for the chance to win a PRTC prize pack worth more than $125 in donated prizes! Congratulations to Emily Turnage, who answered all 10 Trivia questions correctly. Because several people had all the correct answers, Ms. Turnage's name was selected at random. Giving BackIn appreciation for the support of the community at large, PRTC also wished to take this opportunity to give back to those in need within our service area. From Tuesday, September 27 through Thursday, September 29, we asked you to donate a small item on board any PRTC bus or at the PRTC Transit Center. The donated items will be distributed to ACTS and SERVE, two local organizations that provide, food, shelter and other important services to families in need. Passengers and staff donated a total of 1,170 items. While we fell short of our 2,500 item goal, we are still proud of the effort and thankful for everyone's support. Donors received a Free Ride Coupon and an entry form for a chance to win a PRTC gift pack valued at more than $250 (one coupon and entry form per person). Congratulations to Carol A. Viergutz, whose name was selected at random as the winner of the Community Give Back drawing!
A Look at PRTC Through the YearsThe Early YearsThe inaugural meeting of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission was called to order on August 6, 1986, at the Log Cabin Restaurant in Stafford County. At that time, the primary goal of the agency was to establish commuter rail service, or the Virginia Railway Express. In 1990, PRTC assumed responsibility for operating the COMMUTERIDE commuter bus service and ridematching program for car and vanpoolers from Prince William County. By the fall of 1990, PRTC's average daily ridership exceeded 2,500. The early 1990s were filled with planning for the Virginia Railway Express and the local bus service that would later be named OmniLink. In June 1992, the first VRE trains rolled down the tracks, providing service to 16 stations. By 1995, PRTC had feeder bus service on four routes serving the VRE stations. OmniLink local buses began operating in the spring of 1995 along three corridors, expanding travel options for many area residents. At the time, OmniLink was considered a unique “flex-route” system, allowing buses to serve locations up to ¾ mile off the standard route. By fall of 1995, OmniLink expanded service, starting two more routes to serve Manassas and Manassas Park. In late 1997, the agency moved to the current Transit Center; for the first time, administrative, operational and mechanical functions were under the same roof. The garage and bus yard provided ample space to maintain and store PRTC's fleet of 77 buses, with room for growth. New services were established in the late 1990s - Cross County Connector and Prince William Metro Direct - and OmniRide services were expanded in response to increased demand during Mixing Bowl construction. Meanwhile, OmniLink switched to a more convenient, automated scheduling system for reserving off-route trips. Record-Breaking GrowthIn 2000, OmniLink ridership nearly doubled when the service extended its hours of operation. Meanwhile, PRTC's overall average daily ridership surpassed 5,000. The year 2000 was also a milestone year for VRE, with ridership hitting 10,000 average daily riders. In 2000 and 2001, PRTC began the modernization of its fleet with the arrival of 13 new OmniRide buses and 16 OmniLink buses, providing a more comfortable ride for passengers. In just a few short years, PRTC went from having one of the oldest bus fleets in Virginia to having a fleet with an average age of just four years old. Continuing to steadily grow, in December of 2002, OmniRide surpassed a calendar-year record by carrying more than 1 million passengers. In 2003, PRTC's overall average daily ridership surpassed 7,500, fueled in part by the addition of Saturday OmniLink service along three routes. A sixth OmniLink route began operation along the Route 1 corridor in 2005, and PRTC introduced OmniRide service to Rosslyn and Ballston in 2006. In 2007, bicycle racks were installed on all local and Metro Direct buses - a convenience for passengers wanting to ride their bikes on both ends of their trip. VRE began making improvements to Crossroads Yard and dedicated new parking garages at the Manassas Station and Burke Centre in 2007 and 2008. Continued ExpansionPRTC began accepting SmarTrip cards in 2008 - a simple electronic form of payment that has benefited numerous regional transit providers and their customers. In 2009, PRTC began operating Tysons Express, a direct service between Woodbridge and Tysons Corner funded by Virginia Megaprojects to help mitigate traffic during HOT lane construction. The agency also updated its image in 2009 with a new set of bold, easy-to-read bus-stop signs to replace the faded ones that had been on the streets for more than 10 years. In February 2010, PRTC and VRE welcomed a new member - Spotsylvania County. Between 2005 and 2010, VRE purchased 71 Gallery-style rail cars; the last of 20 new locomotives is expected to be delivered this month as well. And on February 16, 2011, VRE reached a milestone record of 20,000 riders a day, and has been maintaining that number ever since. Looking to the FutureToday PRTC's fleet is comprised of 139 buses. Average daily ridership for FY 2011 totaled 13,190, and OmniRide alone is projected to soon cross the threshold of 10,000 average daily passengers. Plans are currently in the works for a real-time passenger information system, as well as a new facility on the western side of Prince William County. PRTC also is continuing to look into the possibility of operating commuter service from Haymarket. VRE will continue to work with its board and state officials to try to bring service to the Gainesville/Haymarket area. In addition, VRE will be expanding parking and seating as funds become available. A new VRE station will be constructed in Spotsylvania County, possibly as early as 2013. PRTC has come a long way in 25 years and anticipates bigger and better changes for the future to meet the needs of our growing community. Here's to 25 years of moving you forward! See Our History in PicturesBrowse through our photo gallery at some memorable images over the past 25 years. Special thanks to all of our sponsors!Premier Sponsors:
Other Sponsors:
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