Virginia’s Fairfax County Department of Transportation awarded Transdev a five-year contract, plus 10 option years, to operate its fixed-route bus service, known as “The Fairfax Connector.”
The base amount of the contract (start-up and first five years) is approximately $443 million. Transdev will provide operations and maintenance services transporting some 30,000 passengers each day across 89 routes in Fairfax County. This extensive service contract covers 10 million miles per year with 730 employees and 308 vehicles and will be operated out of three different facilities located within the County.
Transdev will assume responsibility for operating the service on July 1 and has already started preparing for the transition.
The company plans to supplement Fairfax County’s robust investment in technology, facilities, and operational sites with several new initiatives. These include rigorous programs to audit and improve the passenger experience, as well as quality management programs to ensure high standards in daily service delivery. A senior Transdev manager will lead the project as the dedicated area GM and will be supported, at each of the three locations, by a division manager and managerial staff in safety, maintenance, and operations.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
Rolling out in electric yellow and seafoam blue, the first battery-electric buses purchased from GILLIG will begin serving riders in south King County on February 2.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at HDR, MCTS, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.
While their comprehensive analysis of bus stops focused on Massachusetts, the researchers are excited about the generalizability of the findings and application to other locations.
CEO Nat Ford’s address offered a look at highlights from 2025, with a focus on the future and the innovative ways the JTA is shaping mobility in Northeast Florida.
