GWRideConnect News

On the morning of Friday, May 29, 2026, the routine looked much the same as it did back in the fall of 1981.

Commuters arrived at the Stafford County park and ride lot off Courthouse Road before sunrise. Some carried coffee, others settled quietly into familiar seats. There was conversation, but there was also reflection. Everyone understood that they were witnessing the end of an era.

For 45 years, a van owned by Maria Costa carried riders between the Fredericksburg region and Washington, D.C. Through changing administrations, rising fuel prices, historic snowstorms, national tragedies, and a global pandemic, the route had endured. Thousands of trips had begun exactly this way.

This one would be the last.

When the van returned home that evening, it marked the end of what is the longest-running continuous vanpool route in the GWRideConnect database and the longest-running continuous route serving FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC.

The story of the route began nearly half a century earlier, not with a transportation plan or a business strategy, but with a commuter searching for a better way to get to work.

In 1979, Costa accepted a position with the FBI. Like many Fredericksburg-area residents who worked in Washington, she faced the challenge of commuting long distances each day. At the time, she and her husband owned only one vehicle. She tried using a private commuter bus service but found the experience so frustrating that she began considering whether she could continue working in Washington at all.

A coworker introduced her to a vanpool operated by a man known as Cotton. The arrangement immediately improved her commute and demonstrated the value of shared transportation. A short time later, when federal workforce reductions created early retirement opportunities under the Reagan administration, Cotton decided to leave government service. Before retiring, he offered Costa the opportunity to purchase the van and continue operating the route.

The decision was not without risk. Her husband worried about the responsibility, maintenance costs, and the possibility of breakdowns along Interstate 95. Costa understood those concerns, but she also understood how important the service had become to the people who depended on it. She purchased the van for $5,000 and assumed responsibility for the route, beginning a chapter of her life that would last more than four decades.

The early years of the vanpool reflected a different era of commuting. Riders paid $25 per month for a seat. Interstate 95 carried less traffic, and transportation technology was far simpler than it is today. There were no navigation apps, electronic toll systems, or sophisticated vehicle safety features. Success depended on planning, reliability, and commitment. Costa built the route’s reputation on all three.

What distinguished the vanpool was not simply its longevity but its continuity. Vanpool routes are designed to adapt. They change destinations when employers relocate, alter pickup points as riders move, and often change routes altogether when commuting patterns shift. Costa’s route remained remarkably consistent. For decades, it continued transporting riders between Stafford County and federal offices in Washington, creating a level of stability rarely seen in commuter transportation.

That stability attracted riders who often remained for years and, in some cases, decades. Among them was Bruce DeLash, who joined the vanpool approximately 25 years ago after hearing about it from a coworker. What began as a practical commuting arrangement gradually evolved into a partnership that would help sustain the route through its later years. As Costa transitioned into retirement from federal service, DeLash assumed much of the responsibility for maintaining daily operations. He coordinated riders, managed vehicle maintenance, scheduled repairs, and ensured the vanpool continued operating with the dependability that had become its hallmark.

Over time, the vanpool became something more significant than transportation. Riders spent hours together every week sharing stories, discussing work, celebrating milestones, and supporting one another through life’s challenges. Together they celebrated weddings, graduations, retirements, the births of grandchildren, and countless additional milestones in one another’s lives. The relationships formed during thousands of shared miles transformed the van from a vehicle into a community. The vanpool group was able to forge those bonds even though, as DeLash confirmed, the favorite activity of riders was sleeping. DeLash also confirmed that the best way to find riders was either word-of-mouth or using GWRideConnect’s free ride matching service.

The route’s history also intersected with moments that shaped the nation. On January 13, 1982, Costa delayed her departure from Washington to purchase fried chicken for her riders. The brief stop altered her schedule just enough that she later wondered whether it had kept the van from being on 14th Street Bridge when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the Potomac River. Nearly twenty years later, both Costa and DeLash were working in Washington on September 11, 2001. As smoke rose from the Pentagon and the region struggled to respond to the attacks, the commute home took hours. Yet the following morning, the vanpool returned to service. The riders still needed to get to work, and the vanpool continued doing what it had always done. The vanpool also continued operating throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a dependable commute during one of the most uncertain periods many commuters had ever experienced.

The route also survived the countless challenges that rarely make headlines but define the reality of commuting. Severe snowstorms, traffic incidents, construction projects, flying debris, and mechanical issues all became part of the story. Costa’s daughter, Tanya, recalls winter mornings when family members helped push the van through snow covered neighborhood roads before dawn so it could reach the plowed main roads and continue its trip to Washington. If the van could make it to the park and ride lot, the day’s commute would proceed.

As transportation evolved, so did the vehicles. The first van Costa purchased cost approximately $5,000. The final van cost roughly $67,000 and included technology that would have seemed unimaginable when the route began. Backup cameras, remote start systems, advanced safety features, and smartphone connectivity reflected how dramatically commuting had changed over four decades. Yet the qualities riders valued most such as reliability, trust, and community, remained exactly the same.

By 2026, however, the route faced a challenge that every successful enterprise eventually encounters. Costa’s health limited her ability to remain active in the business. DeLash was preparing for retirement after decades of service. Finding a successor willing to assume responsibility for operating the vanpool proved increasingly difficult. The route that had survived snowstorms, economic downturns, terrorist attacks, and a pandemic was finally confronting the reality of succession.

When the final trip concluded on May 29, riders reflected on far more than a commute. They looked back on decades of friendships, shared experiences, and the comfort of knowing that someone would be there every morning before sunrise. For DeLash, who had spent a quarter century helping guide the route, the day was especially emotional. The end of the vanpool felt more like saying goodbye to family.

A blue moon rose over Virginia the weekend the vanpool made its final trip. Because it is uncommon, a blue moon has long symbolized something extraordinary. A continuous vanpool route operating successfully for four and a half decades is also a rare phenomenon. Yet unlike the blue moon, whose appearance lasted only one night, the impact of Maria Costa’s vanpool will continue long after the final ride home.

This vanpool’s legacy can be measured in numbers: more than 3.5 million vehicle miles removed from Virginia’s roads, over 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide kept out of the atmosphere, and decades of reduced congestion, lower fuel consumption, fewer tire particulates, and less wear on the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure. But those statistics are only part of the legacy. The vanpool also carried friendships, conversations, quiet mornings, celebrations, and countless moments of everyday life. It gave riders something increasingly difficult to find in today’s modern world, and that is consistency, trust, and a sense of community.

Ultimately, Maria Costa’s greatest accomplishment was never simply operating a vanpool. She created a service that people depended on for nearly half a century and proved that one person’s commitment can benefit hundreds of commuters and an entire region. The George Washington Regional Commission will recognize Maria Costa’s distinguished service in vanpooling during its Board meeting on Monday, August 24, 2026. Community members are invited to attend as the Commission honors a legacy that impacted many commuters in the Fredericksburg region and celebrates the longest running continuous vanpool route in GWRideConnect’s history.

Pictured above from left: Bruce DeLash, Tanya Costa, Maria Costa

Roundtrip special event trains to serve L’Enfant, Union Station for fireworks on the National Mall and other festivities

Alexandria, Va. – The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is making it easy to celebrate Independence Day and the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation in style this year, with the return of VRE Fireworks Trains on Saturday, July 4, 2026. These special event trains will provide roundtrip transportation to and from Washington, D.C. on VRE’s Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite beginning June 1 until tickets are sold out.

Ticket holders will board at select stops along either the Manassas or Fredericksburg Lines for an express VRE trip up to L’Enfant or Union Station. Trains will arrive in the District of Columbia around 5 PM and depart south around 11 PM, after the conclusion of the fireworks show on the National Mall, offering a seamless way to experience this time-honored tradition without the headache of traffic and the hassle and expense of parking downtown.

“I am thrilled to announce the return of VRE Fireworks Trains this year, after a hiatus of over a decade,” said VRE Chief Executive Officer Katie Choe. “It’s fitting that, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our United States, we also embrace and recognize the full mosaic of contributions and innovations that have shaped the success of our great nation. Transit, such as VRE, has opened doors of opportunity for so many. In that spirit, VRE Fireworks Trains are continuing to connect our communities by providing more opportunities to celebrate this monumental occasion,” she added.

Tickets are priced at $20 per adult and $10 per child under 12. Riders will also receive a commemorative LED “sparkler” to provide some patriotic flair and fun for the whole family.

VRE will also run full service on Friday, July 3. Whether traveling for your typical commute or experiencing the numerous celebrations aligned with the America250 celebrations, VRE can get you there!

Learn more about VRE Fireworks Trains, including schedules and guidelines for attending events on the National Mall, at vre.org/fireworkstrains.

VRE, the nation’s 13th largest commuter rail service, connects Central and Northern Virginia with the District of Columbia. VRE is recognized for its provision of safe, reliable, convenient, and comfortable transportation. Its two lines, Manassas and Fredericksburg, serve 19 stations,

including two – L’Enfant and Union Station – in D.C. Additional information, including fares and schedules, is available at http://www.vre.org.