WOODBRIDGE, VA The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) Board of Commissioners has awarded Keolis Transit Services LLC a five-year contract to operate and maintain its OmniRide bus service in Northern Virginia. Keolis will begin operating the OmniRide service on November 1, 2020 and has already begun changeover activities to ensure a smooth transition that will be invisible to riders.
Keolis provides safe, reliable mobility services to millions of passengers in the United States. With the rider experience at the forefront, Keolis carries over 100 million passengers each year on local, commuter, paratransit, and commuter rail services in 12 cities. This includes the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail service, which PRTC co-sponsors with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
“This partnership with Keolis will help OmniRide move forward to evolve our current mobility options for the County as well as look for new opportunities to run safe, efficient and effective public transportation,” said Prince William County Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin, who also serves as PRTC Chair. “We look forward to a successful partnership with Keolis.”
In the competitive procurement process, Keolis impressed PRTC’s evaluation committee with its extensive knowledge of the region as the operator of VRE, its nationally and internationally renowned best practices with bus service, and the in-person interview. Out of three companies that submitted proposals, Keolis also scored highest on the five evaluation criteria.
“Those results assured the evaluation committee that Keolis was the right candidate to take over operations of OmniRide’s commuter, local, and paratransit service. They have the maintenance of our assets, as well as the safety and health of operators and passengers, at the forefront of their business model ,” said Perrin Palistrant, Director of Planning and Operations for OmniRide.” Additionally, the cost model submitted provides PRTC flexibilities to adjust service levels in the future based on service needs, and allows for more control of costs and more predictable budgeting.”
In June 2019 the Commission authorized OmniRide to conduct a new procurement for operations and maintenance contractor services, which currently are performed by First Transit Inc. The new procurement was not due to performance issues with First Transit, but because the contract with First Transit was expiring and OmniRide is required to issue a new procurement. Also, OmniRide wants to further evolve the operations and maintenance contract due to major changes in service design, new technologies, and the planned opening later this year of a new OmniRide maintenance facility near I-66 and the Prince William Parkway. OmniRide thanks First Transit, the organization’s operator since 2003, for its excellent service and partnership over the past 17 years.
OmniRide is an essential mobility provider for residents of Prince William and surrounding counties with local bus service along routes in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park; Express service for commuters between Prince William County and major employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.; and Metro Express which connects riders with nearby Metro Stations. OmniRide is also conducting a pilot paratransit service for riders with disabilities.
For more information on OmniRide services visit www.OmniRide.com or contact Customer Service at 703-730-6664.
About Us
The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), operating as OmniRide, provides a variety of services in Prince William County, Stafford County, the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park including: OmniRide Express and OmniRide Local bus routes; OmniRide Ridesharing for the promotion of carpools and vanpools; and OmniRide Employer Services which helps businesses to implement and expand commuter benefit programs. PRTC also co-sponsors the Virginia Railway Express in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
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