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History of surface transit in Northern Virginia

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At the same time other small bus lines, the largest being the Alexandria Motor bus line, were competing with the Washington and Alexandria trolley and cutting into its revenue. In 1923 May and the manager of the Alexandria line, L.W.Selfe, were told they would need a franchise from the state. Because
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The AB&W's was formed in 1921 by Robert L. May a DC police officer. He had moved to Barcroft, a few miles from DC and noticed people walking along Columbia Pike and thought it was a sign of a market to be tapped. He made his first passenger "bus" run on June 22, 1921, in a 12-seat Reo Speedwagon,
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opened in 1962 to Easton, MD. In 1969 it made use of the express lanes on the Shirley Highway. In 1973, with revenues dipping, it was sold to WMATA. At the time it was sold, May's son - Beverly C. May - was the president, his parents having died about a decade earlier.
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Selfe shut down while waiting for his franchise, May was given the franchise and expanded his business into Alexandria. He moved his garage to the Del Ray neighborhood and gave his company the AB&W name. The first route was along Columbia Pike, now the
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In 1930 May acquired the MVW&A railway and started to substitute much of the trolley service with buses. That year service south of Alexandria ended when the government bought the right-of-way for the
430:. The first one of these operated by Virginia Stage was to Charlottesville; by 1936, it was operating all four. The company joined Trailways and changed its business name to Virginia Trailways in 1938. 39: 675: 685: 287:
In 1927, May purchased the Alexandria and Suburban Motor Vehicle Company from the Mount Vernon, Washington and Alexandria (MVW&A)Railway. By 1930 he'd expanded service to
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Until 1973, when WMATA began operating buses, the local buses in Northern Virginia were operated by two companies. The AB&W mainly operated along and south of
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opened to Virginia, most of the bus routes have terminated on either side of the Potomac River, where passengers can transfer to the
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charging 15 cents per ride. Business was so good that his wife started driving a converted truck to pick up more passengers.
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separating Northern Virginia from the city, the two systems have evolved largely independently. At present, most major
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in 1924, and in 1927 the two former systems were split. The WA&MV was bought by the owner of the
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The WV&M acquired several routes in the late 1920s, mainly operating west from
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and in 1932 it ended altogether when it lost the right to go into the District.
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Service was expanded to Franconia in 1947, to Springfield in 1950 and when the
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Virginia Trailways, officially Virginia Stage Lines, had lines west on
577:"N. Va. Trolley Stirs Last Echo: Landmark Bows to Fire, Wreckers" 493:"Timetable: Metrobus Route 38B: Ballston – Farragut Square Line" 15: 147:, including all that cross the Potomac, are operated by the 390:, and one south to Richmond via U.S. Route 1, operated by 370:
Greyhound's system once included three lines: one west to
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Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Rapid Transit Company
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Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Electric Railway
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Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Transit Company
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 321:Arlington and Fairfax Motor Transportation Company 55:"History of surface transit in Northern Virginia" 311:Washington, Virginia and Maryland Coach Company 261:Washington, Virginia and Maryland Coach Company 676:Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 524: 522: 520: 518: 516: 500:Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 447:Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 263:(WV&M) mainly operated along and north of 220:and operated until 1939. A third system, the 202:Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway 149:Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 135:system is integrated with that of the city of 650: 426:, and south to Richmond via U.S. Route 1 and 8: 686:Transportation in Arlington County, Virginia 575:Templeman, Eleanor Lee (December 13, 1958). 657: 643: 251:List of Metrobus routes (Washington, D.C.) 226:Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad 163:routes that cross the river (Route 38B). 106:Learn how and when to remove this message 439: 681:Transportation in Alexandria, Virginia 224:(W&OD), began in the 1850s as the 621:This article about transportation in 325:Arlington & Fairfax Auto Railroad 319:. In 1947, the WV&M absorbed the 234:Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad 7: 611: 609: 44:adding citations to reliable sources 222:Washington and Old Dominion Railway 177:Northern Virginia did not have any 159:system, or to one of the few WMATA 629:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by 297:George Washington Memorial Parkway 14: 613: 327:, but closed the route in 1948. 204:(WA&FC) in 1913 to form the 20: 345:Trailways Transportation System 31:needs additional citations for 551:"WASHINGTON DC TRANSIT ROUTES" 1: 691:Virginia transportation stubs 585:. Vol. 23, no. 61. 382:, one west to Winchester via 347:), there were two systems of 218:Arlington and Fairfax Railway 125:Washington Metropolitan Area 206:Washington-Virginia Railway 707: 608: 248: 173:Northern Virginia trolleys 170: 530:"Sad Goodbye to AB&W" 392:Richmond Greyhound Lines 388:Atlantic Greyhound Lines 139:However, because of the 380:Capitol Greyhound Lines 323:, the successor to the 208:. The company entered 555:www.chicagorailfan.com 200:. It merged with the 185:(WA&MV) opened an 601:: Virginia Chronicle. 534:Northern Virginia Sun 341:Continental Trailways 304:Woodrow Wilson Bridge 181:until 1892, when the 40:improve this article 599:Library of Virginia 587:Arlington, Virginia 536:. January 20, 1973. 265:Arlington Boulevard 398:Virginia Trailways 282:Columbia Pike Line 638: 637: 335:Until 1987, when 121:Northern Virginia 116: 115: 108: 90: 698: 659: 652: 645: 617: 610: 603: 602: 596: 594: 572: 566: 565: 563: 561: 547: 538: 537: 526: 511: 510: 508: 506: 497: 489: 483: 481: 473: 471: 469: 463: 457:. Archived from 456: 444: 153:Washington Metro 137:Washington, D.C. 111: 104: 100: 97: 91: 89: 48: 24: 16: 706: 705: 701: 700: 699: 697: 696: 695: 666: 665: 664: 663: 607: 606: 592: 590: 574: 573: 569: 559: 557: 549: 548: 541: 528: 527: 514: 504: 502: 495: 491: 490: 486: 475: 467: 465: 464:on July 4, 2007 461: 454: 450: 445: 441: 436: 420:Charlottesville 418:, southwest to 400: 353:Charlottesville 349:intercity buses 337:Greyhound Lines 333: 331:Intercity buses 313: 273: 253: 247: 242: 179:street railways 175: 169: 133:surface transit 123:is part of the 112: 101: 95: 92: 49: 47: 37: 25: 12: 11: 5: 704: 702: 694: 693: 688: 683: 678: 668: 667: 662: 661: 654: 647: 639: 636: 635: 618: 605: 604: 567: 539: 512: 484: 482:, October 2005 438: 437: 435: 432: 412:U.S. Route 211 404:State Route 55 399: 396: 386:, operated by 378:, operated by 332: 329: 312: 309: 272: 269: 246: 245:WMATA Metrobus 243: 241: 238: 230:steam railroad 171:Main article: 168: 165: 114: 113: 28: 26: 19: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 703: 692: 689: 687: 684: 682: 679: 677: 674: 673: 671: 660: 655: 653: 648: 646: 641: 640: 634: 632: 628: 624: 619: 616: 612: 600: 588: 584: 583: 578: 571: 568: 556: 552: 546: 544: 540: 535: 531: 525: 523: 521: 519: 517: 513: 501: 494: 488: 485: 479: 460: 453: 448: 443: 440: 433: 431: 429: 428:State Route 2 425: 424:U.S. Route 29 421: 417: 413: 409: 405: 397: 395: 393: 389: 385: 384:U.S. Route 50 381: 377: 376:State Route 7 373: 368: 366: 362: 359:and south to 358: 357:U.S. Route 29 354: 350: 346: 343:(part of the 342: 338: 330: 328: 326: 322: 318: 310: 308: 305: 300: 298: 292: 290: 289:Fort Humphrey 285: 283: 277: 270: 268: 266: 262: 258: 257:Columbia Pike 252: 244: 239: 237: 235: 231: 227: 223: 219: 215: 211: 207: 203: 199: 195: 192:line between 191: 188: 184: 180: 174: 166: 164: 162: 158: 157:rapid transit 154: 150: 146: 142: 141:Potomac River 138: 134: 130: 129:United States 126: 122: 118: 110: 107: 99: 88: 85: 81: 78: 74: 71: 67: 64: 60: 57: –  56: 52: 51:Find sources: 45: 41: 35: 34: 29:This article 27: 23: 18: 17: 631:expanding it 620: 597:– via 591:. 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Retrieved 459:the original 442: 401: 369: 365:U.S. Route 1 334: 314: 301: 293: 286: 278: 274: 259:, while the 254: 213: 198:Mount Vernon 176: 119: 117: 102: 93: 83: 76: 69: 62: 50: 38:Please help 33:verification 30: 593:February 5, 589:. p. 1 560:November 7, 476:(4.83  408:Front Royal 240:Local buses 670:Categories 434:References 410:, west on 372:Winchester 249:See also: 210:bankruptcy 194:Alexandria 145:bus routes 131:, and its 66:newspapers 339:acquired 96:July 2009 623:Virginia 505:July 29, 361:Richmond 187:electric 167:Trolleys 161:Metrobus 582:The Sun 468:June 1, 317:Rosslyn 190:trolley 127:of the 80:scholar 474:  374:along 82:  75:  68:  61:  53:  625:is a 496:(PDF) 462:(PDF) 455:(PDF) 416:Luray 87:JSTOR 73:books 627:stub 595:2024 562:2019 507:2019 470:2007 422:via 363:via 355:via 228:, a 196:and 59:news 478:MiB 414:to 406:to 291:. 284:. 42:by 672:: 579:. 553:. 542:^ 532:. 515:^ 498:. 449:, 367:. 267:. 658:e 651:t 644:v 633:. 564:. 509:. 480:) 472:. 109:) 103:( 98:) 94:( 84:· 77:· 70:· 63:· 36:.

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"History of surface transit in Northern Virginia"
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Northern Virginia
Washington Metropolitan Area
United States
surface transit
Washington, D.C.
Potomac River
bus routes
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Washington Metro
rapid transit
Metrobus
Northern Virginia trolleys
street railways
Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Electric Railway
electric
trolley
Alexandria
Mount Vernon
Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway

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