Virginia Breeze

Virginia Breeze
Overview
Owner	Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Locale	Commonwealth of Virginia
Transit type	Bus
Number of lines	4
Number of stations	30
Daily ridership	261
Annual ridership	60,000
Headquarters	Richmond, Virginia
Website	https://virginiabreeze.drpt.virginia.gov/
Operation
Began operation	1 December 2017
Technical
System length	1,220 miles

The Virginia Breeze is an intercity bus service operated by Megabus and was introduced by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The system operates four bus routes from Washington D.C. to many different parts of Virginia.

The service includes stops at Dulles International Airport and Union Station, facilitating connections to planes, trains, and other buses. From Union Station, passengers can access intercity bus and Amtrak services to cities along the Northeast Corridor, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.

History

The Virginia Breeze began operations in December 2017 funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s Intercity Bus Program and Managed by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, it initially offered a single route between Blacksburg and Washington, D.C. Today, Virginia Breeze Bus Lines connects communities throughout the Virginia with four routes. These routes serve the New River Valley, the Shenandoah Valley, the Piedmont Region, the Southern Racing Region, and Northern Virginia.

Routes

The Valley Flyer

The Valley Flyer is the busiest route of the system and runs between Blacksburg and Washington. This route starts at Blacksburg and has 7 intermediate stops, which include: Christiansburg, Lexington, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Front Royal, Dulles International Airport, and West Falls Church Metrorail stationbefore arriving at Washington D.C. Union Station.

The Capital Connector

The Capital Connector runs between Martinsville and Washington. This route starts at Martinsville and has 4 intermediate stops, which include: Danville, South Boston, Farmville and Richmond, before arriving at Washington D.C. Union Station.

The Piedmont Express

The Piedmont Express runs between Danville and Washington. This route starts at Danville and has 8 intermediate stops, which include: Altavista, Lynchburg, and Amherst, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Warrenton, Gainesville, and Dulles International Airport before arriving at Washington D.C. Union Station.

The Highlands Rhythm

The Highlands Rhythm runs between Bristol and Washington. This route starts at Bristol and has 10 intermediate stops, which include: Wytheville, Radford, Christiansburg, Salem, Lexington, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Front Royal, Dulles International Airport and West Falls Church Metrorail station before arriving at Washington D.C. Union Station.

Proposed Routes

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is proposing to add its first east-west line to the state-run service meant to connect underserved rural areas. The new route for Virginia Breeze will run from Virginia Beach to Harrisonburg, the agency said in an announcement Tuesday. The 235-mile trip will take about six-and-a-half hours one way and run 365 days a year, with stops in places like Charlottesville,Richmond, and Williamsburg, among others. The cross-state bus line won’t start until 2025, and the department couldn’t say what a ticket would cost. This is the first line on the Virginia Breeze’s schedule to connect to Hampton Roads. Four existing routes run from cities in southwest Virginia up to Washington D.C.