FAQs

If you lose or find an item on an OmniRide bus, please contact Customer Service at (703) 730-6664 or fill out this lost and found form.

OmniRide evaluates our services twice a year in order to make any necessary adjustments to the routing, bus stops and individual trip times.

Your bus fare will depend on your destination and the method of payment. Those traveling locally pay less than those traveling outside the Prince William County area. Reduced fares are offered for those who are 60 or older, those with a disability and those with a valid Medicare card. Check out the fare pages for OmniRide Express and Metro Express buses and for OmniRide Local and OmniRide East-West Express buses.

You have three options:

• Stand at a bus stop. You can find the bus stops nearest to you by speaking with a Customer Service Agent at (703) 730-6664. The Rider Tools section on our website's homepage and the TripPlanner will also provide you with bus stop locations. Each bus stop has a sign that names which bus routes serve that location and the route destinations. See the bus schedules.
• Use an on-demand stop, which is a location that OmniRide Local buses serve upon request. Learn more about on-demand stops.
• Schedule an off-route trip on an OmniRide Local bus. Learn more about off-route trips.

Traffic conditions change every day due to accidents, construction, detours and other events. OmniRide dispatchers will re-route buses when possible to avoid congestion and stay on schedule. When trips are consistently late, OmniRide's Operations Department reviews data and will adjust the schedule, if necessary, at the next Service Change.

At this time, OmniRide does not have the funding necessary to offer more frequent service on weekends. 

All OmniRide buses accept SmarTrip, a rechargeable farecard. It's a convenient way to pay your fare without worrying about having exact change. You can add value to your SmarTrip card (using cash, credit or debit) at Metro stations, online or at sales locations throughout the region.  Get instructions to add value to your card on the bus.

If you have trouble using your SmarTrip card on the bus, you will have to pay for your trip with cash. If you have questions or problems using your SmarTrip card, contact Metro at (888) 762-7874 or visit SmarTrip.com. Here are a few tips to help keep your card working:

• Make sure your SmarTrip card is kept flat and remains clean and dry.
• To prevent your card from becoming demagnetized, keep it away from portable electronic devices and don't allow the card's magnetic strip to come into contact with the strip on other cards.

You can use the Rider Tools on our homepage to help plan your trips, including finding the closest stop to your location, route and fare information. If you need further assistance, call (703) 730-6664, Monday – Friday, 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM (except holidays) and a Customer Service Agent will be happy to assist you.

• VRE monthly pass holders who board an OmniRide bus at a VRE Station or at the bus stop nearest to a VRE Station may ride OmniRide for FREE. When riding an OmniRide bus to get to a VRE Station, the applicable bus fare is required.
• All other VRE pass holders are required to pay the applicable bus fare when traveling to and from VRE Stations.

OmniRide Local buses can go up to ¾ mile off the standard route to pick up and drop off passengers. These trips are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to ensure the bus service is reliable for all customers. Passengers who are not eligible for reduced fares must pay an off-route surcharge. Off-route trips are only available on OmniRide Local buses; all other OmniRide buses serve regular bus stops only. To schedule an off-route trip, speak with a Customer Service Agent at (703) 730-6664.

All OmniRide Local and OmniRide East-West Express buses have bike racks below the front windshield, as do most OmniRide Metro Express buses. OmniRide Express buses do not have bike racks. The bike racks can accommodate two bicycles at a time. There is no additional charge for using the bike rack. Passengers are responsible for loading and unloading their bikes. Learn more about OmniRide's bike racks.

OmniRide's commuter and local bus services have different policies for holiday service. Learn more about commuter bus service holidays and local bus service holidays.

Occasionally OmniRide services are impacted by bad weather, road closures and other events. If buses are operating normally, no notice or advisory is posted. If service is being altered, OmniRide will:

• Post an alert at OmniRide.com
• Send a Rider Express email and/or text message. Sign up for Rider Express
• Record a message at (703) 730-6664.
• Submit announcements to local television and radio stations, depending on time and circumstances.

The most important rule is to be courteous and treat others as you would like to be treated. For those who have never used public transportation before, and for those who need a refresher course, OmniRide has designed an OmniRights campaign for the safety and convenience of all our riders.