WASHINGTON 鈥� Students and staff at schools such as Virginia Tech, VMI and James Madison University as well as others who live along Interstate 81 will have a new option for trips to and from the D.C. area when a new intercity bus service launches Dec. 1.
The 鈥淰irginia Breeze,鈥� a name alluding to one of the official state songs, begins as a federally funded pilot program with stops at:
- Virginia Tech鈥檚 Squires Student Center
- Christiansburg鈥檚 Falling Branch Park and Ride
- Lexington鈥檚 Food Lion in Stonewall Square
- Staunton鈥檚 Martin鈥檚 on Richmond Ave.
- Harrisonburg鈥檚 Godwin Transit Center at JMU
- Front Royal鈥檚 Crooked Run Park and Ride
- Dulles International Airport
- The West Falls Church Metro
- Union Station in D.C.
A bus will leave Blacksburg at 8 a.m. each morning to arrive at Union Station at 2:30 p.m. A southbound bus will leave Union Station at 9:20 a.m. each day to arrive in Blacksburg by 3:40 p.m., Virginia鈥檚 Department of Rail and Public Transportation said.
The 56-seat buses will include free Wi-Fi and power outlets, and will be provided through Coach USA, the same company that owns Megabus.
One-way tickets between Blacksburg and Union Station are expected to cost around $50, although prices will vary based on the day of the week and time of year.
Tickets must be purchased online. The website for the service is expected to launch soon.
