Fairfax Connector route changes for Reston and Herndon approved

As phase two of the Silver Line nears completion, Fairfax County is adapting other transportation options to accommodate the new service.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proposal yesterday (Tuesday) to update Fairfax Connector bus routes in Reston and Herndon. The changes will maximize efficiency and the number of riders, according to board chair Jeff McKay.

County staff combed through more than 1,700 comments about the bus plan, which was developed in three rounds before and during the pandemic. Michael Felschow, who runs the planning division of the county’s transit services division, told the board that staff read through all comments and attempted to make changes as necessary.

“This is a pretty significant redo of many of the routes in the Reston and Herndon area,” said Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, noting that the county discovered the service was being used to get around Reston and Herndon, not just to and from Metro.

Under the plan, the county added four new routes, altered 19 existing bus routes, and eliminated 12 bus routes.

Here are the new routes:

• 615 Fair Oaks Hospital – Greenbriar – Fair Oaks Mall: Serving as a connection between Fair Oaks Hospital and Fair Oaks Mall, the route offers Restonians more connections to Fair Oaks.
• 901 Herndon Metrorail Station – Centreville: The route is intended to improve connectivity between Herndon, Centreville and Chantilly.
• 921 Herndon Circulator: This route serves as a loop through the town, connecting downtown Herndon and historical areas to the Herndon Metrorail Station. It also serves Parcher Avenue, Spring Street and Van Buren Street, which are not currently served by public transit.
• 954 Sterling Plaza – Herndon Metrorail Station: All-day service is provided between Sterling Plaza and the Herndon Metrorail Station. More connections are also offered along Herndon Parkway and Crestview Drive.

The county’s website offers a full breakdown, including the justification for the changes.

The changes will go into effect when the new Silver Line stations open. A firm opening date for the long-delayed Silver Line expansion has not yet been set. Officials estimate that trains could begin rolling in late spring.

The eliminated and modified routes are listed after the jump.

Eliminated routes

• 505 Reston Town Center
• 551 South Lakes
• 554 Reston North: Wiehle Avenue
• 556 Bennington Woods
• 559 Reston South: Glade – Soapstone
• 585 Reston South: Franklin Farms
• 926 Worldgate – Dranesville
• 927 Dulles – McNair Farms
• 929 Centreville Road
• 980 Herndon – Monroe
• 981 Dulles Airport – Wiehle
• 985 Dulles Corner – Wall Road

Modified routes

• 507 Sunset Hills – Sunrise Valley
• 552 Innovation Center Metrorail Station – Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station
• 553 Kingstream – Herndon – Fox Mill
• 557 Reston South – Soapstone
• 558 Center Harbor – Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station – Reston Tow Center Metrorail Station
• 574 Reston Town Center – Tysons
• 599 Reston North – Pentagon Express
• 605 Reston – Fair Oaks Mall
• 924 Northern Virginia Community College Loudoun – Herndon – Franklin Farm
• 937 Coppermine – Elden – Herndon Metrorail Station
• 950 Reston Town Center Metrorail Station – Herndon Metrorail Station
• 951 Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station – Innovation Center Metrorail Station
• 952 Sunset Hills – Dulles Airport
• 983 Dulles Airport – Udvar-Hazy
• RIBS 1 Lake Anne – Hunters Woods
• RIBS 2 Reston – South Lakes Drive
• RIBS 3 Hunters Woods – Lake Anne
• RIBS 4 Reston Town Center Metrorail Station – North Point
• RIBS 5 Herndon