Community Corner

DASH Celebrates 29 Years of Safe Travels

Riders on DASH Tuesday will receive a small gift of appreciation.

The Alexandria Transit Co. on Tuesday will celebrate 29 years of Driving Alexandria Safely Home (DASH).

Customers who ride DASH on Tuesday will receive a small gift of appreciation for their support over the years as part of Customer Appreciation Day.

ATC, a nonprofit owned by the city of Alexandria, initiated the DASH system on March 11, 1984.  The system started with four routes and a new fleet of 17 30-foot buses. The system quickly outgrew the smaller buses as more and more people started riding DASH and liking what the service offered.

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Today, the transit company operates nine routes with 73 buses and the King Street Trolley with five trolleys. DASH carries four million customers annually.

"The system has grown threefold since its inception, while ridership has grown fourfold," said Sandy Modell, ATC general manager, in a news release. “By providing a back to basics approach with clean buses, friendly drivers, and reliable service, we have attracted and retained a very strong customer base.”

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Over the past year, DASH's achievements include the implementation of 10 new hybrid buses and five trolleys. ATC began operating the King Street Trolley, which has led to a 65 percent increase in ridership in comparison to the same period last year. ATC has also installed bike racks on all DASH buses and trolleys.

DASH has been the recipient of city awards, including the 2012 Alexandria Beautification Award and the 2012 Environmental Achievement Award.

"The City is very proud of the DASH bus system and the role it plays in the City's transportation network," said Rich Baier, the city's director of transportation and environmental services, in a statement.

DASH transports approximately 14,000 riders daily and serves all of the Alexandria Metrorail Stations and the Pentagon Metrorail station during morning and evening peak periods. For more information, contact DASH at 703-746-DASH (3274) or visit dashbus.com.


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