DASH (bus)

For the Downtown Area Short Hop (DASH) bus service in Los Angeles, see Los Angeles Department of Transportation § DASH. For the Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) bus service in Hartford, see Hartford, Connecticut § Transportation. For the Davidson Avenue Shuttle (DASH) bus service in New Jersey, see Somerset County, New Jersey § Transportation.

DASH

A DASH Gillig Phantom at King Street – Old Town station
Parent	City of Alexandria
Founded	1984
Headquarters	3000 Business Center Drive, Alexandria, VA
Service area	Alexandria, Virginia
Service type	Bus service
Alliance	WMATA
Routes	10 and the King Street Trolley
Fleet	Orion V Gillig Phantom Gillig Low Floor
Daily ridership	13,900 (Q2 2016)
Annual ridership	4,209,500 (2015)
Fuel type	Diesel, Diesel-electric Hybrid
Operator	Alexandria Transit Company
Website	dashbus.com

DASH sign on a lamppost on Duke St.

Driving Alexandria Safely Home (DASH) is the public bus system for the city of Alexandria, Virginia, operated by the Alexandria Transit Company.

The Alexandria Transit Company's DASH system provides safe, reliable, and courteous bus service within the City of Alexandria, and connects with Metrobus, Metrorail, Virginia Railway Express, and all local bus systems. DASH serves all of the Alexandria Metrorail Stations and the Pentagon Metrorail station during morning and evening peak periods.

Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) is a non-profit service corporation wholly owned by the City of Alexandria and currently operates at 85 buses, which also consists of the King Street Trolleys. ATC provides a fixed-route bus service within the City of Alexandria on nine routes and carries more than four million passengers annually. ATC operates transit services within portions of the City of Alexandria and between the City and the Pentagon Metrorail Station. ATC’s purpose is to supplement the regional rail and bus service provided by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and to provide a local bus service to the City of Alexandria.

History

In 1981, in anticipation of the opening of the Metrorail stations and the subsequent reordering of Metrobus service, the City Council authorized a feasibility study for a city-sponsored bus system. In 1982, the study recommended a five-route system, using 18 buses.

In 1983, the City Council developed an RFP (Request For Proposal) for management companies to develop a detailed plan for the operation of transit service in the City of Alexandria. The city chose to establish a non-profit public service cooperation that would be wholly owned by the City. This arrangement provided means by which:

• The transit system could be run as a business-type enterprise, and
• City Council could retain overall policy control yet be free from the day-to-day operation of a transit system.

On October 23, 1983 the City Council set up a Transitional Task Force and, on January 24, 1984, instructed the City Attorney to proceed with the incorporation of a non-profit company. The certificate of incorporation was issued by the State Corporation Commission on January 31, and the organizational meeting of the company was held February 6.

In January 1984, the General Manager employed by the Management Company that was awarded the management contract reported for duty and final preparations began for the opening of revenue service on March 11.

Ridership

DASH carries over 12,000 passengers per weekday within the City of Alexandria, Virginia. The AT8 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 Low Floor diesel-electric hybrid buses, which are 5' longer than the rest of the DASH fleet. These buses went into service in April 2012. Five additional 40' Gillig Low Floor diesel-electric hybrid buses went into service in March 2013. The new 40' buses are used on the AT8 route to reduce crowding. On July 28, 2014, DASH introduced the new AT9 Crosstown Route. The AT9 provides crosstown connections between Mark Center, Southern Towers, Northern Virginia Community College, Bradlee Shopping Center, Shirlington Transit Center in Arlington, Parkfairfax, Arlandria and Potomac Yard.

Fares

DASH's current base fare is $1.60 for riders paying cash or SmarTrip. In 2007, DASH converted its buses to allow the use of the WMATA SmarTrip, an electronic debit farecard. DASH continued to accept and issue paper transfers until they were eliminated altogether January 1, 2013.

Fleet

DASH operates using 79 Buses. All buses are equipped with bike racks.

Manufacturer	Model	Image	Year	Quantity	Notes
Orion International	Orion V	an Orion V on AT5 route	1999-2008	31 (#59-68 retired as of June 2017).	. 68-99
Gillig Corporation	Phantom	A Gillig Phantom at King Street – Old Town station	1996-2007	4	. 100-104
	Low Floor	a Kitsap Transit Gillig Low Floor	2011-2017 200-233
	Low Floor Trolley^	a County Connection Gillig Low Floor Trolley	2011-2015	400-405

^operates under the King Street Trolley branding

Bus routes

Routes	Route Description
AT1	Van Dorn Street station, Eisenhower Avenue - Seminary Plaza
AT2	Braddock Road station – Landmark
AT3	Hunting Point – Shirlington
AT4	Old Town – Pentagon City station
AT3/4	Old Town Alexandria via Parkfairfax Loop
AT5	Braddock Road railway station – Van Dorn Street station
AT6	King Street – Old Town - Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC)
AT7	Nannie J. Lee Center - Landmark Mall
AT8	Van Dorn Street station - Old Town Alexandria
AT9	Potomac Yard Shopping Center - Mark Center
AT10	King Street – Old Town - Potomac Yard Shopping Center
King Street Trolley	Potomac River Waterfront - King Street – Old Town

External links

• Official site