For Senator Toddy Puller (D-36), who has been carrying legislation to improve Route 1 since 1994, the Route 1 transit study meeting held on Monday was a step in the right direction. 

Politicos from Prince William and Fairfax Counties met at the Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission headquarters in Woodbridge to discuss the critical “next steps” for improved services in the Route 1 corridor. 

Representatives present at the meeting included Mount Vernon Supervisor Gerry Hyland, Fairfax Board Chair Sharon Bulova, representatives from Delegate Scott Surovell (who was present on the phone) and supervisor Jeff McKay’s offices. 

Prince William County’s two board supervisors Frank Principi (Woodbridge) and John D. Jenkins (Neabsco) were present in addition to Phil Newell from the office of Delegate Luke Torian (D-52).

The bill that started it all, SJ 292, requests “the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to evaluate the level of study necessary to identify and advance potential public transportation services to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County and the Marine Corps Base at Quantico in Prince William and Stafford Counties.”

No representatives from Stafford County or Fort Belvoir were present at Monday’s meeting.

Amy Inman, from DRPT’s Transit Planning,  compared existing bus services in the Route 1 corridor. The bottom line: an improved transit system is needed to shuttle people from Fort Belvoir to Marine Corps Base Quantico. The problem? Neither county’s bus service overlaps across county lines. 

Inman said that existing corridor transit between the two counties –WMATA’s  “Rex” bus, Fairfax Connector’s Route 171 bus and the PRTC OmniLink – have significant peak and off-peak headway at routes that terminate at either Fort Belvoir or Quantico. 

Representatives all spoke of wanting different transit options available for their communities. Metro rail extension was mentioned at the meeting, as was Principi’s commuter ferry, but the focus remains on bus rapid transit as a means for streamlining the Route 1 corridor. 

Monday’s meeting was the first of many for both counties to convene on a “vision for Route 1.”