OmniRide Celebrates Vanpool Alliance's 10th Anniversary
OmniRide held a celebration for Vanpool Alliance’s 10th anniversary in April at the OmniRide Transit Center in Woodbridge. Remarks were made by OmniRide Executive Director Bob Schneider, OmniRide Chief Development Officer Joe Stainsby, and OmniRide Vanpool Program Manager Ben Matters. Also in attendance were members of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC), and vanpool vendors.
Vanpool Alliance is a partnership between PRTC, Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), and GWRC that generates additional federal funds for the region's transit. The program collects monthly and annual vanpooling statistics for input into the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) National Transit Database which generates the additional federal dollars. Program participants earn a monthly payment for vans providing this data. Vanpool Alliance has put more than $10,000,000 into vanpooling since the program started.
Vanpool Alliance serves on the Association for Commuter Transportation Vanpool Council to make sure the organization knows about national trends and policy happenings. The organization offers the Vanpool Council as a place to educate and listen to stakeholders so that it can better advocate for the needs of vanpool operators and their riders. Over the lifetime of the program, Vanpool Alliance has worked with 75 individual vanpool companies.
Vanpool Alliance also helps members of the public find a vanpool or carpool as part of OmniRide’s FREE ridematching service. Many carpools and vanpools start at commuter lots within the Prince William area, bound for destinations throughout Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland. A vanpool typically carries between 7 and 15 passengers who pay via SmartBenefits (commuter benefit program) or private payment.
OmniRide is the operating name for the mobility services offered by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). The organization provides Local bus service in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park; Express service for commuters along the I-95 and I-66 corridors to employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.; Metro Express which connects riders with Metro Stations; and OmniRide Connect Microtransit service in Manassas Park and in the Dumfries/Triangle and Quantico areas, which allows riders to be transported in vans that are dispatched on demand. In addition, OmniRide’s Employer Services assists local employers who wish to establish or expand an employee transportation program.
For more information visit OmniRide.com.
About Us
The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), operating as OmniRide, provides commuter and local bus services as well as ridesharing services in Prince William County, the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park. It also co-sponsors the Virginia Railway Express in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.