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Northern Virginia’s local bus systems may collaborate more closely, but several regional leaders are resisting the idea of combining them into a single operation.
The issue resurfaced during a March 24 meeting of the DMV Moves task force, which is developing long-term funding options for Metro and other transit services across the D.C. region.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay strongly defended the independence of Fairfax Connector, describing it as a major transit operation whose leaders need control over local decisions.
“People who run big bus systems need the autonomy,” McKay said. He added that the bureaucracy involved in a consolidated system could become highly complicated.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority launched DMV Moves last year. At meetings late in the year, members considered whether greater cooperation among bus operators could reduce costs, with consolidation raised as one possible approach.
Sen. Scott Surovell, a Democrat representing Virginia’s 34th District, questioned why that discussion had not received more attention. He said he did not feel his comments at a December gathering had been heard.
“We talked a lot about trying to consolidate bus systems and trying to find efficiencies,” Surovell said. “One of the most obvious ways to find efficiencies is to consolidate bus systems.”
Northern Virginia has several locally controlled bus networks operated by contractors, including Fairfax Connector, Arlington Transit, Alexandria’s DASH and Fairfax City’s CUE. The services were generally established to give local governments more authority over routes within their borders while lowering costs compared with Metrobus.
McKay said those systems have developed in different ways and vary significantly in size.
Council of Governments Executive Director Clark Mercer said operators will be expected to work together and identify potential savings. However, he rejected the suggestion that DMV Moves could lead to WMATA absorbing the local networks into Metrobus.
“That is not a goal,” Mercer said. “This has not been an end-around.”
McKay similarly said opportunities for efficiency should still be pursued, provided they do not amount to a takeover.
Arlington County Board representative Matt de Ferranti, who chaired the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission in 2024, also opposed full consolidation while supporting a search for targeted savings.
“I do not think consolidation makes sense or is COG’s goal, but I do believe strategic efficiencies should be thoughtfully considered over the coming years,” de Ferranti said.
He argued that transferring local authority to a regional operator could undermine service, emphasizing Arlington’s need for reliable buses and noting that the system has moved into a new facility as it works to improve operations.
The disagreement comes as the DMV Moves task force approaches its final recommendations for funding and operating mass transit across the region. Its next meeting is scheduled for May 16.