12/6/19 Thanks to Jasmine, she gave me an idea on something that is going on today. Today and yesterday the Fairfax Connector  went on strike. Why?  Bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, wages and just maybe RESPECT. Now maybe its one of these things, all of these things or something else all together. Whatever is going on, negotiations between both parties failed.   30,000.00 passager will be affected or more. I am sure the number are higher an the actual percentage of people effected is larger. I have ridden the Connector before, but not as much as others so I don't  feel I can comment on that aspect.  Still, as a professional driver,  I have seen what impact the strike has caused in this shirt time.  We will see how long this lasts. I hope problem aside from wages get fixed and BATHROOM BREAK will be part of the new phase going forwards. read more

The buses are late because the bus drivers are chilling doing whatever they want to do so now the patrons are late getting to work and everywhere else. Not even because of traffic. I'm literally watching the 494 bus driver that was here on time take her precious time pulling off. I hate public transportation already. And making ppl late because of whatever reasons is insane read more

Regularly on-time, clean, and safe in my area. One bus driver went above and beyond in front of Fairfax Towne Center when my car stalled on Thursday night and helped me push it into neutral. Thank you, bus drivers! read more

This used to be a reliable way of transportation but now they are over 30+ minutes late on a regular basis and multiple times now the bus driver gets us lost and asks for a passenger for help. It should go back to the discounted fare rate with this level of service and they really need to train each person and have reliable, smart people driving. read more

I use this joke of a company only out of lack of other options. They are almost never on time. Despite this I won't spend 45 seconds at major transit points like the Franconia metro but you will spend 6-8 minutes at a random stop. They care nothing about riders and treat us as a massive inconvenience when we do insane things like pull the cord to request a stop, in fact a lot of times on the 310, the 401 and 322 they will just ignore requests and blow right by stops. But never fear they will pay for their recent raises, after a 13 day strike that cost me 148$ in unbudgeted money with zero warning, they are increasing prices in July thanks to Fairfax County so there is no improvement in sight!!!!! read more

FAIRFAX CONNECTOR IS NOT RELIABLE AT ALL!!! ESPECIALLY ROUTE 952. I was 5 minutes early at the stop waiting when I saw a 952 drop off passengers then proceeded to turn on the "Not In Service" sign and leave not even stopping at the stop. Forget calling dispatch or putting in a complaint because that's useless. They do nothing and couldn't care less. I don't know if this particularly driver doesn't want to work or what but they didn't even stop at the stop. If you need reliable transportation DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER THIS TRANSIT SERVICE! read more

Worst service ever. The drivers run red lights, are unpleasant, and aggressively drive . when they need to stop they slam on breaks. Dont know why FC puts up with this because supervisors at the bus stations see this reckless driving and don't say anything . I rather be in a car with a teenager that just got his/her license than drive with Fairfax Connector read more

So, I feel it's high time to revisit this public transit system. Having been taking it for now going on two years, and having been written up in the WaPo about it ages ago, I feel like it bears some updating. Relative to other bus systems I've been on, Fairfax County has some of the most modern, comfortable, spacious buses I've seen. They far surpass the crappy Metro buses in DC. They're better than the Muni in SF. It's been years since I was on a PACE bus in Chi-town, but I don't remember having fond memories of it. Not that I'm all star struck by the glam of the FFXC, but they're hands down superior. Now let's talk fare hikes. Seriously? I get that the economy is in a recession, but why would you put an additional burden on public transit, of all things? Just freaking tax gas more. Or cigarettes, or even alcohol! Don't they want to promote greater ridership volume? Come on. It's not even a -modest- fee hike. Let's look at the numbers for SmarTrip users. Regular fare: Was $1.00, is now $1.25 - that's a 25% increase. Rail-to-bus transfer: Was $0.50, is now $0.75 - that's a 50% increase! Particularly considering the current cost for POV fuel, does it really make sense to drive the public transit customer base -away- and toward driving their own cars because it's more economical, if less environmentally friendly? I can't speak to the decision-making of the folks who make these calls, but I'm going to hazard a guess that few, if any of them -ever- use public transit. They're probably rolling up to their govie facilities in shiny black Escalades or something else equally offensive (don't -even- get me started on the Georgetown Cupcake Range Rover, ugh). Will I stop utilizing the FFXC as a public transit system? No. It's still just as convenient, and just as timely as it has always been. Reliability counts for a lot to me. But so does value. And as a frugal yellow man, one that's at least somewhat interested in taking little steps to preserve the environment where possible, I'm sincerely annoyed at the county. Okay - I'll get off my soapbox now. read more

I want to give -20 for this guy who's ask everyone to get out the bus cause Tyson's metro was closed and he's not going there I'm asked who's tell him that cause I was checking the website and he just reply on a sarcastic way go there to ask them and report I don't care so we walk 10 minutes on this weather because him ,and guess what nothing is close ??? read more

Fairfax Connector Bus - Horrible - Public Transportation Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Bridget from the customer service was incredibly nice and helpful, but the website's bus stop listings were initially confusing.

Decent bus service, but compared to others I've ridden in the past few years it seems to use older buses and is more expensive. Still, got me where I needed to go. Their website, pbone service, email responses were very helpful when I had questions. read more

So for review #500 I thought I'd do something similar in theme to my first review which was about bus service. Although this experience is entirely different than review #1. I've ridden this bus on/off for about 8 years, generally going from the Herndon area for a long while to West Falls Church Metro and then onto Reston the current last stop of the Silver line metro. This is a great option buses are clean, well maintained. I will say in my years of riding the bus there was only one instance where a bus broke down and we had to board another one. It got me back from snowmageddon a few years ago, where we spent the better part of 4+ hours on the bus. The drivers seemed to be well trained, I haven't experienced any sort of crazy driving on the part of their drivers so I'd say safety is well ingrained in them. This is a much better option than the metrobuses which I generally have had very mixed experiences with . I'd without a doubt recommend this as a solid option for bus service if you live in Fairfax County. read more

The bus service is outstanding and the drivers are very professional. My complaint is the Richmond hwy bus stops. There is always a residency of the same people sitting under the shelters. Homeless or not,they are sitting there mixing drinks and of course smoking weed. When you do get a spot. It smells like you know what. Fairfax police took care of the issue at the bus stop in front of Walmart. Simply said, they shouldn't be able to loiter. Here I was inbthe rain yesterday while they were having a good time. I would recommend that these sheltered bus stops be steamed washed. As a continuous bus rider due to work. It gets annoying. read more

Fairfax Connector Bus - Happy hour at fairfax connect 171 bus stop. - Public Transportation Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Don't know what's going on lately with Fairfax connector, but have been running into the problem of the busses arriving at the stop either too early or extremely late. There also seems to be a big problem with the app, does not work half of the time. I don't own a car and therefore have to rely on public transportation, my only other option is to take a cab which can get expensive read more

I take the line 650 going from Vienna via Chantilly every Saturday. the driver of the bus number 7785 who is former police officer seems to be a very friendly person but also strict about the rules in his bus. Good service as far as I know. read more

The buses NEVER run on the correct time that their text message and website tracker says they are. The buses are either multiple minutes early or they run anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes behind schedule. If you are taking a bus and you have to be somewhere ON TIME then you need to make plans about 2 hours in advance just to make sure you actually can catch the bus and get to where you need to be when you need to be there. It's just beyond pathetic. The only nice thing right now is that it's free. read more

I've been riding the Fairfax Connector since high school, and in general I'm happy with the service. I've had to get to Fair Oaks Mall, Reston Town Center, and home from West Falls Church. In general, they tend to be on time, and very rarely do you come across a grouchy employee. A star off for calling in for timetables, and being told incorrect information (that the line wasn't running in the afternoon when I knew it was, and that the street I was standing on didn't exist...). read more

Beats MetroBus / Ride-On by a loooooooooong stretch. I take the 427 from West Falls Church to Greensboro (Tysons Galleria), and it's SUCH a convenient ride. For those of you who have read my scathing remarks on Metrorail, you will understand that my 4-star review of this transit option is quite miraculous. The buses are clean, well-maintained, and... BEST OF ALL... actually ON TIME. By on time, I mean within a reasonable margin. McLean has some of the worst traffic in the DMV, so it's understandable that the afternoon buses can sometimes be a few minutes off, but it's nothing horrifying by a commuter's standards. My only poor experience is when I got on a 425 by accident because the driver decided to change the signage AFTER I had already boarded, but he was kind enough to point me in the right direction from one of the stops... sure, it was a 15 minute walk (uphill... grumble) but that was probably someone up there confirming my own suspicion that it was high time for a workout... Thumbs up for Fairfax Connector! read more

The Fairfax Connector is a solid bus service to get you from point A to point B. That's all there is to it. Is it perfect? Naw. No public transport is ever perfect but as long as you get to your destination, that's all that matters. That being said, please note there is a strike going on and I don't think it'll end in the immediate future, so please look for other methods to get around. I strongly urge anyone to check the this site for information to see if your bus line is active for a limited schedule or not: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/ Please support the Fairfax Connector by calling your local elected officials. Get them to make the contractors agree to what the operators and employees demand so we can have services running ASAP before the snowfall. They didn't ask for this strike and it is a huge *and very unfortunate* inconvenience to us, the commuters and daily customers, but the situation forced them to strike. read more

I hate riding the fairfax connector to work. I leave at 5:30 am in the morning and I would like to ask why the hell the bus would be late because this has happen twice in less than a month??? There is no traffic out! Also I fight with this bus in the afternoon to make it on time from the metro. I have had some drivers who will let me get on as I am running up to the bus. However, most times they will not let me on even if I am less than 30 secs late and flashing to them I have a metro card. I am moving to another part of NOVA and will be happy to not deal with that part of commute. Now if I could make the Metro a more pleasant ride.... read more

I take the bus to and from the Vienna metro station. The bus is usually on time picking me up in the morning, but in the afternoons.. it's usually 99% late. i'm not sure if it's because of the traffic or what. however, the bus is pretty good for public transportation. it sure beats the crappy metro that i hate riding. read more

Another day Same issue they don't have a drivers that's the reason bus didn't show up instead of the fixing the problem they keep saying the same old same don't bother to call them because you're not gonna get any answers read more

Bus drivers drive like lunatics and don't like stopping at bus stop regardless of whether there is someone present at the bus stop or not. This especially in the case of buses running before 7:00. Even motioning for them to stop doesn't get there attention as they zoom at ridiculous for a metro bus. You would think they get paid more for not picking up their passengers. Woeful and appalling, with the time difference between each bus and the weather they would care to pay attention to bus stops that they are supposed to stop at. You could wait for 20 mins for a bus only for it to zoom by and require you to wait even longer. If the bus stops are just stumps in the damn ground that they forgot there they might as well let us know. read more

I've never ridden the connector bus, but considering the rather questionable maneuvers bus #623 pulled on west bound route 66 around 5:30 on 9/18/08, I won't be getting on any time soon. It's bad enough when cars careen from crowded lane to crowded lane without the benefit of using a turn signal, but it's unconscionable when a multi-rider vehicle does the same thing. read more

Honestly the buses themselves are fine, and the routes that they have available are pretty convenient. The reason I rated them so low is because on multiple occasions (about 4 times) the bus driver did not drive the correct usual route as outlined by the route map. For whatever reason the bus drive chose not to take the express lanes, and instead drove on the normal highway which took about 10x as long to reach the destination (a 20 min ride took over an hour and a half). This caused everyone on the bus to be very late to their destination. The second reason I rated them so low, is because they have a tendency to leave people at the stop and not stop to pick them up. Multiple times I have been standing at the stop, directly underneath the sign, in full unobstructed view of the road, and the bus driver just drove right by me. This seems to be an issue for Fairfax connector and has yet to be permanently remedied. So just make sure you arrive no less than 10 minutes earlier than the departure time of the bus and be in absolute unobstructed full view of the road. That is the only way to make sure you will get picked up. read more

I rode the Fairfax Connector from the Huntington metro station to Mt. Vernon and had a very positive experience when compared to the MetroBus experiences I have had. This particular bus was on time both going there and on the return trip. Much more than MetroBus can say for their buses in my experience! It was clean and well maintained too. On the way back, we ended up at first getting on the wrong bus and the driver was kind enough to help us navigate our way to the correct bus stop. Coming from a city where public transportation leaves a whole lot to be desired, then having a disastrous metro bus experience, I had low expectations but I was quite pleasantly surprised. I would not rule out taking the Fairfax Connector if I need to in the future. read more

Recently, I took the Fairfax Connector 983 route from the Wiehle-Reston station on the Washington Metro Silver line to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It's quite a long trip. However, the driver drove fast, but not reckless. The bus was warm and clean. In addition, there's a free transfer between the bus and the Metro. I wish that this route ran more frequently, but other than that, I have no complaints. read more

The service was great for years until the recent new contract. Now you can no longer depend on a bus showing up at all.

I just started taking the connector last week from west falls church metro to tysons corner. I have been impressed with the service so far. The connector buses are far better then the metro buses. The buses are always on time. I've only experienced a late bus once and it was after work so it didn't matter. Most are new and have nice cushy seats. The drivers are always friendly and helpful. I wasn't sure what stop to get off my first day and the driver was more than willing to help me. Last, they are clean. I could drive to work but I much rather relax on my way to work then sit in traffic and get frustrated. read more

As far as public transportation in the DMV goes, Fairfax Connector is certainly part of it. I generally have no problem on my connection ride from PRTC to FFX Connector at the West Falls Church metro in the mornings. Some of the buses could use an upgrade though ... a couple of times things got a little behind schedule because the rear door of the bus wouldn't close properly. The afternoon buses pick up a little on the late side in front of my office, but we always get to the WFC Metro at or before the designated time on the timetable. Once I accidentally got on the RIBS 2 bus instead of the 952 (totally my error) and the bus was a bit sketchola, but I was able to easily get back to where I needed to go (WFC) at the Herndon-Monroe P&R. They have an extensive, well-designed coverage map that puts other localities (I'm looking at you PRTC) to shame. read more

Back in September of '08 the drivers in southern Fairfax County went on strike because their contract had expired and they refused to renew it without getting pension and health benefits (heaven forbid they take a simple raise and pay for it themselves). Well, Fairfax Connector knew full well in advance about the possibility of a strike but did a damn good job to keep it a secret from customers, so that Monday when the strike began was an utter mess, and numerous passengers were left to stand at the bus stops, not knowing that the buses were never going to come. Service was cut down severely, and there was absolutely no service to our neighborhood. Their website advised us to consider alternate transportation options, such as DASH, REX, and Metrobus, NONE of which serve anywhere near my house. My husband would send angry emails to Fairfax Connector and they would reply, but when he inquired as to why they would keep service in areas where other transportation options were available and not where their bus was the only possible method of transit, they suddenly went MIA. What was laughable was when the drivers would picket in front of the metro station and ask passersby if they were with the drivers...umm, not really. Since the first day of that strike, we haven't given Fairfax Connector a dime, nor do we ever plan to. Their actions tell us that despite environmental factors, I'm better off dropping off and picking up my husband at the metro station every day, so that's what we're doing. We like to believe that the rate hike in January was thanks to our discontinued patronage ;) On top of that, the over-pampered drivers drive like incompetent fools, anyway. Nothing like having to slam on your brakes because a bus driver just ran a stop sign a couple of feet in front of you... read more

May 23, 2019, 463 that starts from Tyson's Corner at 6:15ish, the driver was chatting with a passenger the whole time and drove 2 bus stops past my bus stop even though I had the stop requested. Every day a new story-- read more

I regularly use the 574 bus, which runs from Spring Hill Metro Station to Reston Town Center via Leesburg Pike and Baron Cameron. So far, I am very happy. The buses are very prompt and are almost never late, which is amazing for a municipal bus service (especially with my experience of London and Boston buses). The routes and schedules were updated for the opening of the Silver Line, and so far it seems to have been very well-planned. The drivers are nice and will usually make unorthodox stops for you. The buses are pretty clean and well-maintained. Absolutely no complaints! read more

I've tried twice to email the FFX Connector Bus but their mailbox isn't working. This is the next best thing: Incident: West Falls Church Metro Station/Northside Bus Bays Date: September 12, 2013 Time: 5:30p Bus Line: #427 I feel the incident below needs to be reported. Yesterday the Metropolitan area went thru a rain storm where all of us got pretty wet (I was soaked). I arrived at the West Falls Church Metro Station at 5:25p and que'd up at the #427 kiosk with others. 5:35 p.m. came about and no bus; 5:50 p.m. came about and no bus; 6:05 p.m. came about and no bus. Other buses on other routes came and went several times. When a vacant bus came around the corner and the driver jumped out, the crowd (at this point) almost struck up a halleluiah chorus thinking that the company had brought in a bus for us to use, but that driver ran over to the dispatcher, engaging him in conversation and joking with him. When I approached the dispatcher, he vaguely said, the "bus" (not buses -- as in three missing buses) was stuck in traffic and went back to his conversation. There was not one "I'm sorry for the inconvenience" or "Sorry to keep you waiting". This man was only interested in talking to the other bus driver. Is this any way to run a business? A successful business? I, for one, cannot wait until the Silver Metro Line comes in and I won't have to write the Fairfax Connector -- a company that clearly doesn't care about me. read more

SERIVCE ON Fairfax CONNECTOR has been horrible the last few weeks. Route 463 in Vienna has become completely unreliable. Complete runs are being skipped especially in the morning. Sometimes its the 715 leaving Tysons, other times its the 745. Afternoons are also a problem. Seems the issue is a driver shortage. Call the customers service line when a bus doesn't show up and they will tell you due to a shortage of drivers that run was cancelled. And then they laugh. And tell you you only have to wait another 25 minutes for the next bus. The problem is Fairfax Connector is changing contractors at the end of the month and current employees will loose their sick time. So there is a huge number of employees using their benefits before they run out. You would think a county as wealthy as Fairfax would have handled this situation with more competence. And its the tax paying public paying the price for gross mis-management. By the time this employee work stoppage plays out Fairfax Connector will have lost a substantial part of its ridership. read more

Buses are usually never on time. At stringfellow park and ride, after buses skipped 3 timeslots for pickup, I spoke with a fairfax connector supervisor in his service vehicle while waiting for my bus, he informed me that too many drivers had called off and were having issues with manpower. They need to prevent this from happening again. Especially on a work day (friday) read more

The routes are limited to certain geographic areas, the rides are long because they go in turns and circles rather than straight to your destination (but don't all buses?), and the times are often only during rush hour. Still, I am thankful that a bus route goes through my neighborhood, in case we are unable to drive or carpool. Also, the prices, although they have gone up once over the past several years, are still reasonable compared to, say, what a taxi would cost. The buses are clean. The drivers are usually nice (although I have seen a couple drive away when a passenger is standing right near the doors). On my route I feel safe with my fellow passengers. There is more than enough seating, as many buses are entirely empty or almost empty (maybe not the best use of taxpayers' dollars...). The bus usually shows up on time and is rarely off time by more than a few minutes. I like that there is now a route that goes away from Metro in the morning and toward Metro in the evening, as the route used to go only toward Metro in the morning and away from Metro in the evening. read more

Today was the first day since I started using the Fairfax Connector that the 599 was late (by 12 minutes). Supervisor Nikki let us all board without paying, apologized for the delay, and gave everyone who had already paid at previous stops a name/number to call for reimbursement. I'm very impressed. read more

I've ridden the 651, 652, and the 650 for many years. On the whole, they are very careful drivers (twice I've been on the bus and as a driver turned on a yellow light it turned red midway through). They are also quite friendly and will do their best to help you should you be lost or uncertain of your destination. I've read reviews of how they were passed when waiting for the bus. I have to ask them if was it dark and were they wearing dark clothes? There is no street lighting where I am and a person in a dark coat/sweater is impossible to see in the early morning before sunrise or at night (it happened to me once so now I have a flashlight to shine to get their attention if it's dark). read more

Most of the time on time. Unfortunately drivers are mixed bag of treats... some of them decided not to stop on the bus stop that I sometimes wait on-- why? just because they don't know how to drive and it is easier for them to avoid certain stops then to change two lines in order to turn left on next crossing. One time the bus driver didn't stop on my bus even when I requested him to stop and subsequently asked him to stop--he was scared to change line and stop on requested bus stop... read more