Updated at 5:05 p.m. — Tysons Reporter interviewed FCDOT Director Tom Biesiadny, who provided more information about the driver shortage and advice for bus riders.
The Fairfax Connector currently doesn’t have enough bus drivers.
A service operation alert on the Fairfax Connector BusTracker website today (May 7) says that the shortage is affecting the entire bus system. The alert says:
The Fairfax Connector bus operations contractor is experiencing a shortage of bus drivers which is impacting service delivery. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate our passengers’ patience as the contractor is working diligently to recruit drivers and add staffing, when possible, to minimize further impacts.
Tom Biesiadny, the director of Fairfax County’s transportation department, told Tysons Reporter that work is underway with MV Transportation, the current bus system’s operator, on the shortage.
“We are working with the contractor to make sure we have the staff that is needed to operate the bus system on a daily basis,” he said.
In addition to the contractor hiring more drivers — something that Biesiadny said has always been a challenge in the area, FCDOT is working to figure out which routes will be least impacted by missed or delayed buses.
“What we’re trying to do is to ensure that if there are trips that are going to be missed that we make sure that it’s not affecting the same route all of the time,” he said.
He said that the driver shortage varies day by day, with Fridays tending to be more problematic. “This is a relatively recent problem to the extent it is affecting all of our trips,” he said.
The shortages began about a week after the announcement that Fairfax County awarded a five-year contract to Transdev North America to operate the Fairfax Connector starting July 1.
Biesiadny said that the contractor switch may be one of the causes behind the shortage.
“Anytime you’re transitioning from one contractor to another contractor there are uncertainties in the workforce,” he said. “I wouldn’t discount that. I wouldn’t say that’s the entire reason.”
Some people took to Twitter to share delayed buses — or ones that never showed up at all — have caused transportation headaches.
https://twitter.com/noitsbekki/status/1124003976712785927
https://twitter.com/rnmair121/status/1124287275100246017
461 and 466 not running? People need to get to work but we've spent the last hour waiting for buses that area not coming @ffxconnector????? No communication unless someone calls to complain? We need another provider of public transportation… So frustrating!!!!!!!!!
— Young J Kim (@YoungJ91) May 3, 2019
@fairfaxcounty Fairfax connector bus scheduled for 7.55am to Vienna metro has not showed up for the past 2 days. #FairfaxCounty #FAIL
— narayana sundaram (@narayanais) May 2, 2019
One person noted that the same driver shortage alert popped up earlier this month on Friday, May 3.
Fairfax Connector alert: buses might be late because MV Transportation doesn't have enough bus drivers.
(Is this a short-term thing, just today? Long-term? What are the impacts? I have several questions?) pic.twitter.com/CHp0KPl7Xv
— @[email protected] (@srepetsk) May 3, 2019
The reader who tipped Tysons Reporter off about the shortage also expressed concern for people using alternative transportation in the Tysons-area tomorrow (May 8) — the same day that some Uber and Lyft drivers plan to strike.
Biesiadny stressed the importance of planning trips and using resources like Twitter, Facebook, BusTracker, texting stop IDs to 414-11 and the customer service number as a way for people to find out the bus schedules.
“We’re trying to reach out to passengers but also we also want passengers to reach out to us,” he said.
Photo via Facebook
The Town of Vienna will continue seeking locals’ input on public parking following a returned push to make it easier to park in the town’s central business district.
The meeting set for this Thursday (May 9) will follow up on a March brainstorming session hosted by the Town Business Liaison Committee and Mayor Laurie DiRocco.
About 35 business owners and people helped problem-solve and come up with more than two dozen ideas, including short-, mid- and long-term options, like:
- create a comprehensive parking and marketing plan for Vienna and its business community
- develop clear and improved Town-branded parking signage
- actively enforce two-hour parking on Church Street and for designated short-term parking
- consider financial or property improvement incentives for property owners
- research feasibility of connecting Vienna Metro, Town Green, Tysons Metro (and residential areas) with a trolley
The upcoming meeting will seek locals’ input on the ideas and any new ideas and possible implementation strategies.
The meetings come on the heels of the town’s decision in January to dissolve an agreement to use a four-story commercial building on Church Street as a public parking garage.
Anyone interested in going can head to the Town Hall (127 S. Center Street) at 6 p.m.
A pet store chain recently opened its doors in the Mosaic District.
In March, storefront signs said Kriser’s Natural Pet, a pet store chain featuring natural food, treats and supplies, would open in a spot (2905 District Avenue, Suite 180) between Sweetgreen and Nordine Salon and Day Spa.
The Mosaic District pet store held a grand opening on Saturday (May 4), but with a new name. Recently, Kriser’s East Coast stores rebranded as “Loyal Companion.”
Other nearby locations are in Vienna at 144 Maple Avenue W. and in Tysons at 7505 Leesburg Pike inside the Whole Foods shopping center.
Mysteries and film noir classics will come to the silver screen every week this month at the Mosaic District.
Moviegoers at the Angelika Film Center (2911 District Avenue, Suite 200) can watch a different film every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. Tickets cost $14.50.
The movie options are:
- May 8: “Mildred Pierce” — A woman struggles to support her spoiled daughter after divorcing her husband and starting a successful restaurant business
- May 15: “The Maltese Falcon” — A private detective seeks out his partner’s killer and becomes involved in a search for a priceless 16th-century statuette
- May 22: “Double Indemnity” — A woman seduces an insurance agent into murdering her husband, but then they get suspicious of each other’s motives
- May 29: “The Lady From Shanghai”– A seaman gets implicated in a murder after he starts working on a yacht
From the Mosaic District’s website:
Join us Wednesdays in May for murder, femme fatales and a hard-boiled detective with a hat. With breathtaking cinematography, these Film Noir classics mark an error of smoky landscapes, towering shadows and stupendous mystery.
The self-described “boutique cinema” in the heart of the Mosaic District typically shows independent and specialty films.
Photo via Facebook
A sleep company will soon spring into a new spot in Tysons Corner Center.
Signs up say that Casper will fill the former spot of handbag and luggage store Vera Bradley, which closed on April 26 on the mall’s second level by Macy’s.
Casper sells mattresses, pillows, bed frames, bedding and sleep accessories, including a foam dog bed.
Nearby stores that sell Casper products include Target’s locations in the Mosaic District (2905 S. District Avenue) and Falls Church (500 S. Washington Street).
Casper will join another mattress store in the mall. Shoppers can find Sleep Number on the first level by Nordstrom.
Vienna is no longer a Starbucks-less town.
The drive-thru Starbucks at 367 Maple Avenue E. opened around 7 p.m. on Friday (May 3), but officially opened for the full day on Saturday (May 4), an employee at the store said.
The two other Starbucks on Maple Avenue closed on last Sunday (April 28), leaving Vienna without a Starbucks for four days.
On weekdays and Saturdays, the store opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. On Sundays, the store closes at 8:30 p.m.
Vienna police responded to calls about a “suspicious man” asking for relationship advice following a recent breakup.
The first incident was reported last Friday (April 26) around 3:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of Fairway Drive, NE.
“Officers responded to the report of a suspicious man who was going to residents in the neighborhood seeking relationship advice,” the police report said.
A few days later on Monday (April 29), the man went to a spa at 120 Beulah Road, NE shortly before 7 p.m. and began asking for relationship advice, which made the spa employees feel uncomfortable, according to the report.
“As one of the employees began to call the police, the man ran from the business. Officers located the man who advised that he had recently gone through a relationship breakup and he was looking for advice,” the report said.
The Vienna Police Department confirmed to Tysons Reporter that it was the same man in both incidents.
Photo via Facebook
Vienna MAC Project Moving Forward — “The Vienna Town Council on April 29 voted 5-2 set a June 3 public hearing to discuss town’s fifth MAC application, a proposal by Sunrise Development Inc. to build a senior-living center with ground-floor retail space at 100-112 Maple Ave., E.” [Inside NoVa]
Langley, McLean High School Students Lauded — “The Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce lauded stand-out students, teachers and support-staff members from Langley and McLean high schools May 1 at the organization’s 2019 Education Awards.” [Inside NoVa]
Q&A With Stomping Ground Owner — Nicole Jones shared why Tysons Galleria for her new second cafe — A Taste of Urbanspace. [Arlington Magazine]
Marshall High School Students Making News — Students’ films made the documentary and animation categories in the 2019 Virginia High School League Film Festival, which will be held June 1 in Charlottesville. The Marshall High Architecture, Construction, Engineering Mentor team took home the first place trophy for ACE DC Competition. [FCPS, FCPS]
Rankings Show Virginia Teacher Pay Needs Boost — “Teachers in the District of Columbia are among the best paid in the country, while Virginia teachers have plenty of ground to make up, according to a nationwide analysis published last week by one of the country’s largest education unions… Virginia teachers earned an average of $51,994 a year for 32nd among the states, while starting teacher pay is $40,453 annually, ranking the Commonwealth at 16th.”
Spotlight on Vienna’s Food Scene — “The upscale town of Vienna has become an international food scene–restaurants from Thai, Mexican, American, Japanese, British, and Indian to Chinese, Middle Eastern and Italian–provide a global culinary tapestry.” [Vienna Connection]
The McLean Farmers Market came back to Lewinsville Park today (May 3), selling local fruits, vegetables, baked goods and drinks for the spring, summer and fall.
The farmers market, which features 20 vendors, will take place at 1659 Chain Bridge Road every Friday from 8 a.m.-noon. until November 15. The farmers market will be closed on May 17 due to set-up for McLean Day.
Some of the vendors include Dawn & Dusk Craft Coffee Bar, Grace’s Pastries, Lyn Phipps Plants and Westmoreland Berry Farm. The Master Gardener Plant Clinic at the farmers market will help answer questions about plants.
Shoppers will need to leave their pets at home.
The McLean one is one of several farmers markets in the area. Vienna’s starts tomorrow. FRESHFARM in the Mosaic District started in April.
The Root Collective, an online shoe boutique, will soon bring its footwear to the Mosaic District.
Shoppers can find the shoes for one week at Fair Trade Winds (2905 District Avenue, Suite 125) starting tomorrow (Saturday).
The Root’s online offerings range from $98 flats to $228 boots. Its current “Pair of the Month” is the $228 Lee Boot in the color “chestnut.”
The shoes are ethically made in Guatemala, according to The Root Collective’s website, adding:
At The Root Collective, we partner with small, independent workshops because we believe that’s where the most impact in communities happen. Our goal is to support existing workshops that are run by local business owners… Steady and safe jobs are also fighting gang violence in Guatemala by giving young men and women an alternative to joining the gangs, which are rampant in many communities throughout the country.
The pop-up will run from May 4-12.
Image via Facebook
