Prince William commuter buses (Lake Ridge, Independence: home, parking, metro)

[Grsz11]

I'm wondering if anybody familiar with the PRTC DC commuter buses can help me out. I need to travel from Lake Ridge to the Capitol Hill area. PRTC has a Capitol Hill route, but it only runs once in the AM and PM. Does anybody know if the bus fills up? I would be getting on between Tacketts Mill and the Rt. 123 lot. Also, are the buses generally overly crowded? I guess my concern is I wait for the bus and it is full and I don't have another way to get where I need to go.

[ArtyGuy]

I can only offer this. I travel down Old Bridge around 6:15 every morning on my way to FT Belvoir. I see the various buses all the time. They are never packed full by the time they hit 123.

[Fundman]

I have been riding the Omniride bus from Lake Ridge to DC every day for over 5 years. The morning buses almost never fill up.(The afternoon buses are more crowded because many people who slug in the morning take the bus home at night.) And even if it was standing room only, that would only happen when the bus reached the last stop (I-95 commuter parking lot). The largest numbers of people get on at the last two bus stops (Old Bridge/123 commuter lot and I-95). Since there are fewer buses that go to Capitol Hill I know of people who take the regular Lake Ridge-Washington bus and get off at 14th& Independence or F street and walk a few blocks to the subway.

[Grsz11]

Originally Posted by Fundman

I have been riding the Omniride bus from Lake Ridge to DC every day for over 5 years. The morning buses almost never fill up.(The afternoon buses are more crowded because many people who slug in the morning take the bus home at night.) And even if it was standing room only, that would only happen when the bus reached the last stop (I-95 commuter parking lot). The largest numbers of people get on at the last two bus stops (Old Bridge/123 commuter lot and I-95). Since there are fewer buses that go to Capitol Hill I know of people who take the regular Lake Ridge-Washington bus and get off at 14th& Independence or F street and walk a few blocks to the subway.

That's what I was thinking. I could get the bus to downtown that runs more frequently, especially at night and get off at 14th/Indep. and use the Smithsonian metro.