FRED to adjust City routes October 6, 2008.

Effective October 6, 2008, FRED proposes to make a series of adjustments to City routes (F2, F3, F4 and VRE feeder service).  In addition to the adjustments to the above-cited routes, FRED will add a new "Downtown Loop," which will become the F5. Key changes are described below.  Neew schedules are available at FRED Central and will be handed out on FRED buses during the month of September.

Questions or comments may be addressed to:  Arnold Levine, FREDericksburg Regional Transit, 1400 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22405; allevine@fredericksburgva.gov; 540.372.1222 x209.

F1: No changes.

F2: FRED Central-Cowan Blvd-Rte 1-Lee's Hill Center. The downtown (second) leg of the current F2 will be dropped (that service will now be provided by the new F5).  The first leg of the current F2 will add the Park & Shop Giant and move the stop at the Townsend Square Apartments out to the turn lane at the intersection of Townsend Blvd and Rte 1.  The revised F2 will have hourly service instead of every-other-hour service.

F3: FRED Central-Lafayette Blvd-Lee's Hill Center.  The downtown (second) leg of the current F3 will be dropped (that service will now be provided by the new F5). The first leg of the F3 will continue to serve the same points, but will do so hourly from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.

F4: FRED Central-UMW-Tidewater Trail-Mayfield-Train Station-Fall Hill-Mary Washington Hospital. The F4 will continue to serve all points it currently serves, but will add one more mid-day run, meaning that it will operate hourly from 8:30 am to 4:40 pm and every other hour between 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm.

F5 (new Downtown Loop): FRED Central-UMW-Train Station-Parking Garage-Visitor Center-Mary Washington Hospital. The F5, Downtown Loop, will provide hourly service to points formerly served by portions of the F2 and F3 including: FRED Central, UMW, the train station, Princess Anne St., Caroline St., the downtown parking garage, the Dorothry Hart Community Center, Fall Hill Ave. and the high school, the Fredericksburg Shopping Center, the Park & Shop Shopping Center and the Mary Washington Hospital Campus.

Visitors who park at the downtown parking garage will be able to ride FRED's City routes for free upon showing their parking stub.  Upon request at the Ben Franklin stop at the corner of Caroline and William streets, FRED will also make a special loop back to the parking garage for riders who prefer not to catch the return bus on Princess Anne St.

VRE Feeder Service.

Idlewild Service. FRED will serve Idlewild with only one bus - to be designated the VF1 - rather than two.  This means that FRED will meet all departing VRE trains except train #304 departing at 6:10 am and Amtrak trains 84 and 86.  FRED will continue to meet all arriving afternoon/evening VRE trains but will not meet Amtrak trains 95 and 93/83.

Cowan Blvd. Service. FRED will use one bus - to be designated the VF2 - to serve Cowan Blvd and Princess Anne St. and the train station. In the morning, the new VF2 will meet all VRE trains but will not meet any Amtrak trains. In the afternoon/evening, the VF2 will meet VRE trains 303 (5:15 pm), 305 (5:45 pm), 307 (6:25 pm), 309 pm (6:55 pm), 311 (7:35 pm) and 313 (8:15 pm) but will not meet the early VRE train, the 301, or any Amtrak trains.

FRED sets new monthly ridership record in August.

FRED ridership continues to set new records.  FRED boarded 46,517 passengers in August, setting a new monthly ridership record and exceeding August 2007's ridership by 36 percent.   During the first eight months of 2008, FRED carried 326,639 passengers, an increase of 37 percent over the first eight months of 2007. FRED's surge in ridership can be attributed to the dramatic rise in gasoline prices, our continued low fares, the opening of the new attractive FRED Central, the addition of VRE feeder services in the City and Spotsylvania County, new marketing campaigns and favorable press coverage, and increased frequencies on selected routes.

FRED welcomes all of our new riders and appreciates the continued support of our long-time patrons and government and civic partners.

Welcome aboard!

FREDericksburg Regional Transit accepts Metrocheks for the purchase of Monthly VRE Passes.

Monthly passes can be purchased using Metrocheks at FRED Central (located at 1400 Jefferson Davis Hwy in Fredericksburg) during our normal operating hours.   The Geroge Washington Regional Commission (GWRC), located at 406 Princess Anne Street, will accept Metrocheks for our Monthly Passes on the last two days of every month.  Their hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday.

Days FREDericksburg VRE monthly fare cards can be purchased with Metrocheks at GWRC:

     Sept. 25th and Sept. 26th

     Oct. 30th and Oct. 31st

     Nov. 27th and Nov. 28th

     Dec. 18th and Dec. 19th (a week earlier because of the holiday)

 We will only sell one month at a time.  For example, in March, you can buy April’s pass.  Please fill in your name on the back of the Metrochek at the time of purchase.  For more details, contact us at 540.372.1222 or email at allevine@fredericksburgva.gov.

The Sunken Road and Marys Heights. Scene of intense fighting during the December 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg.  While there, also visit the adjacent Fredericksburg National Cemetery.
Closest FRED routes: F2, F3, F4.