CUE Bus (City. University. Everyone.,[5] formerly City-University-Energysaver) is a bus service operated by the City of Fairfax, Virginia, and is completely separate from the Fairfax Connector bus service run by Fairfax County. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 945,900, or about 4,500 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.
 | |
 A CUE Bus at George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virginia in November 2009 | |
| Parent | City of Fairfax |
|---|---|
| Locale | Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. |
| Service type | Bus service |
| Routes | 2 |
| Stops | 186 [1] |
| Fleet | Gillig[2] |
| Daily ridership | 4,500 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[3] |
| Annual ridership | 945,900 (2023)[4] |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Diesel-electric |
| Website | cuebus.org |
Routes and services
editCUE operates two loop routes between George Mason University and the Vienna Metro station, each running in both directions for a total of four named routes. The Green loop, consisting of routes Green 1 (clockwise) and Green 2 (counterclockwise) operates on the east side of Fairfax, while the Gold loop, consisting of routes Gold 1 (clockwise) and Gold 2 (counterclockwise) operates on the west side.
In addition to providing service to GMU and Vienna Metro, the CUE serves all major activity centers in the City of Fairfax, including downtown, Kamp Washington, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Circle and Fair City Mall.
In 2009, the City of Fairfax partnered with Montgomery County, Maryland, in the purchase of new buses. As a result, six 35-foot, low-floor Gillig Hybrid buses were added to the fleet in August 2009. These new buses are expected to consume much less fuel, as they operate off an electric engine when operated at 35 MPH or lower, and 35 MPH is the maximum speed limit in Fairfax.[6] These buses are now retired as of May 2022.
The CUE Bus system owns and operates twelve 35-foot, low-floor Gillig clean diesel buses in its fleet, half of which replaced the remaining 30-foot Gillig Phantom buses in the fall of 2015, the other half entered service and replaced the hybrid buses in May 2022.
Zero-Fare Pilot
editIn 2020, CUE stopped collecting fares to reduce passenger contact during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained zero-fare after that point. In January, 2022, the City Council approved a plan to formalize a 3-year zero-fare pilot program that would make CUE free to ride through June, 2025.[7][8] In Spring of 2022, CUE was awarded a Transit Ridership Incentive Program grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation that allowed the City to extend the pilot program for an additional year, making CUE free to ride through June, 2026.
Fleet
editAs of May 2022[update], CUE's fleet is entirely diesel-fueled.
| Image | Builder and model |
Model year | Length | Numbers (Total) |
Vehicles in service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gillig Low Floor BRT |
2015 | 35 ft (11 m) | 833–838 (6 buses) |
6 |
|
2022 | 839–844 (6 buses) |
6 |
Retired fleet
edit| Year | Builder and model | Numbers | Year retired |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Transportation Manufacturing Corporation T-30 CityCruiser |
801–803 | 1997 | |
| 1986 | Bus Industries of America Orion I (01.502) |
804–808 | 1998 | |
| 1987 | 809 | |||
| 1990 | 810–814 | 2003 | ||
| 1997 | Gillig Phantom 30' |
815–816 | 2009–2010 | |
| 1998 | 817–820 | |||
| 2003 | 821–826 | 2015 | ||
| 2009 | Gillig Low Floor BRT HEV |
827–832 | 2022 |
References
edit- ^ "Appendix A: Listing of Bus Stops and Shelters". Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "Fairfax CUE Transit Development Plan: Fiscal Years 2011–2016" (PDF). Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "City of Fairfax, VA : CUE Bus Rider Information". City of Fairfax, Virginia. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "CUE Bus Adds Six Hybrid Buses to Fleet". City of Fairfax, Virginia. Archived from the original on 2015-04-06. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ "Minutes of the regular meeting of the Fairfax City Council on January 25, 2022". www.fairfaxva.gov. City of Fairfax, VA. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ "CUE Zero-Fare Pilot". www.fairfaxva.gov. City of Fairfax, VA. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
External links
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