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People who live and work in Tysons Corner now have a way to go out to lunch or run errands during the day without hopping in the car.

The new Tysons Connector shuttle bus service started on Monday as part of the congestion relief plan for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail construction. The shuttle will be in place at least until the four Tysons Corner rail stations open in 2013. Fairfax County can opt to continue to fund the service beyond that time.

Rail project officials hope the buses will take some midday traffic off the roads, according to Marcia McAllister, communications manager of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. This is the first test of whether the massive Tysons workforce will be willing to use transit.

"People in Tysons are not as comfortable with using transit," McAllister said. "We hope people will start to change their minds."

Free shuttles will run every 10 minutes on two routes, both of which start and end at the Tysons-Westpark transit station, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays.

Tysons Connector 1 will have multiple stops on Greensboro Drive before heading down to MicroStrategy and the Tysons Corner Center shopping mall, then returning up the other side of Greensboro.

Tysons Connector 2 goes east on Jones Branch Drive, with stops at the large office campuses on that road and the Hilton McLean. There are three stops on Westpark Drive and one on Park Run Drive, followed by stops at both the Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center.

"We're really viewing it as a great way for people to get to and from the mall, especially during the holiday season," said Hillary Zahm, senior development manager for Tysons Corner Center owner Macerich.

The mall tried to lure shuttle riders Monday by giving away $10 Chipotle gift cards to the first 150 riders to get off at the mall stop.

"We really wanted to bring attention to it," Zahm said. "[The shuttle] is a great plus for us and for Tysons overall."