Virginia Railway Express is proposing to be a lot more useful and family friendly - with Saturday service and free fares for kids! The upcoming budget is poised to introduce Saturday service on the two VRE routes, which connect Arlington to Manassas and Fredericksburg. This begins the process of making VRE useful for more than just commuting. Arlingtonians could use VRE to safely & sustainably for a day-trip to Fredericksburg breweries, a flight lesson at Manassas Regional Airport, exploring historic Old Town Manassas, and more!
At the same time, VRE is proposing a much-needed fare increase as well as a fare simplification. Children up to age 18 would ride free with an adult, making VRE more approachable for families and the $5 short trip fare would be made permanent. We think this simplification is a positive step forward and VRE's first fare increase in several years is appropriate given the cost inflation we have seen in recent years.
Email publiccomment@vre.org with your support for Saturday service, fare simplification, and the fare increase. Bonus points for including any information on where you would take VRE if their schedule wasn't focused exclusively on commuters. Here's a sample email you're welcome to use if you'd like:
SUBJECT: FY2025 Budget - Support for Saturday Service, Fare Simplification and Fare Increase
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on VRE's proposed FY2025 budget.
I strongly support the introduction of Saturday service, a hugely important first step in making VRE useful for trips beyond commuting. I look forward to the possibility of using VRE for weekend trips to Fredericksburg and Old Town Manassas. As you are scheduling the new weekend trips, please keep in mind the possibility of folks like me from the inner suburbs (like Arlington) trying to use VRE for a day trip or Friday/Saturday trip out to someplace in the outer suburbs (like Fredericksburg or Manassas) as well as folks from the outer suburbs coming into DC for sight-seeing or catching a flight out of DCA.
I support the proposed fare simplification, including the expansion of "kids ride free", the $5 short trip fare, the elimination of the 7 day pass and the overall fare increase.