Driving Alexandrians Safely Home (DASH) is the public bus system for the city of Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...

, operated by the Alexandria Transit Company, a non-profit organization wholly owned by the city.

History

DASH was founded in 1984 with a fleet of 17 buses by the City of Alexandria to supplement Metrobus service within the city. In its first year of operation, DASH carried less than one million passengers. Today, DASH carries over 4 million passengers a year and has a fleet of 63 buses.

Ridership

DASH carries roughly 14,000 passengers per weekday within the City of Alexandria, Virginia. The AT 8 route, which runs through the Duke Street corridor, is DASH's busiest route with about 3,000 rides per weekday. In 2011, DASH ordered three new 40' Gillig hybrid buses, which are 5' longer than the rest of the DASH fleet. The new 40' buses will be used on the AT 8 route to reduce crowding.

Fares

DASH's current base fare is $1.50 for riders paying cash or SmarTrip. DASH still issues and accepts paper transfers, which were discontinued completely by Metrobus and many other area transit agencies on January 4, 2009. In 2007, DASH converted its buses to allow the use of the WMATA SmarTrip

SmarTrip

SmarTrip is a plastic contact-less stored-value smart card used for payment within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system in Washington, D.C...

, an electronic debit farecard. Beginning August 8, 2011, DASH will accept Mark Center Department of Defense ID cards on its entire system.

Fleet

The DASH bus fleet roster (current as of September 2008) consists of the following (Note: all of these buses are 35' in length):

• 1996 Gillig Phantom (40-43) - most units retired
• 1998 Gillig Phantom (44-53)
• 1999 Gillig Phantom (54-58)
• 1999 Orion
  Orion Bus Industries
  Orion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States, is a bus manufacturer based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and established by the Government of Ontario in 1975...
  
   V (59-68)
• 2001 Orion V (69-76)
• 2004 Orion V (77-90)
• 2007 Gillig Phantom (100-103)
• 2008 Orion V (91-99) - Replaced some of the 1996 Gillig Phantoms

As of July 2011, the DASH fleet consists of 63 buses. In early 2011, 15 Gillig low-floor hybrid buses were ordered by DASH. The 2011 order included:

• 10 buses to be used on regular DASH routes (Seven 35' buses, three 40' buses)
• 5 buses to be used on the King Street Trolley service, which DASH expects to take over in early 2012. These 5 buses will be specially outfitted to look like trollies.

Routes

Below is a list of DASH bus routes:

• AT1 - Van Dorn Metro/Eisenhower Avenue Metro/Seminary Plaza
• AT2 - Lincolnia/Braddock Road Metro via Old Town
• AT2X - Express service: King Street Metro to Mark Center
• AT3 - Park Fairfax/Pentagon Metro to Hunting Towers
• AT4 - Park Fairfax/Pentagon Metro to Old Town
• AT5 - Landmark/Van Dorn Street Metro/Braddock Road Metro to Old Town
• AT6 - Northern Virginia Community College
  Northern Virginia Community College
  Northern Virginia Community College, often abbreviated NVCC and colloquially as NOVA, comprises several locations in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., and is both the second largest multi-campus community college in the United States and the largest educational institution in the...
  
  to King Street Metro/Eisenhower Avenue Metro
• AT7 - Duke & Ripley to Lee Center via Old Town
• AT8 - Landmark/Van Dorn Street Metro to Old Town
• AT10 - Potomac Yard to King Street Metro

All DASH routes run in both directions. The 2X is an express service, which has no intermediate stops between King Street Metro and the Mark Center Station transit center.

Future plans

Starting August 8, 2011, DASH will begin operating express service (no intermediate stops) between King Street Metro station and Mark Center in anticipation of the opening of the 6,400 employee Department of Defense BRAC building.
DASH also plans to assume the King Street Trolley service, which the City of Alexandria currently contracts out.