The Alexandria Transit Company, which operates the DASH bus system and King Street Trolley service, was awarded grant funding of $14 million through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission’s I-395 Commuter Choice Program for Fiscal Year 2024 and 2025. The funds will be used to maintain current high frequency service levels with 10-15 minute headways on DASH Lines 35 and 36A/B. DASH was also provided funding to purchase two 60-foot articulated electric buses to increase capacity on Line 35, the busiest single route in the entire DASH system.
Lines 35 and 36A/B are two of the most utilized bus routes in the DASH system, carrying a combined 7,000 passengers on a typical weekday serving the I-395 corridor, connecting communities such as the West End, Parkfairfax, Arlandria and Potomac Yard. These routes have been partially funded by toll revenues from the I-395 Express lanes for the last four years, but DASH must reapply every two years for the funding to be continued. Despite the unprecedented competitiveness for funds, both DASH routes were selected for continued funding due to their importance in alleviating traffic congestion along the I-395 corridor and the groundswell of support from hundreds of members the Alexandria community.
“Our application was successful thanks in large part to the passionate support and advocacy of our riders and community, and we are immensely grateful for every phone call, email, social media interaction and survey response submitted in support of maintaining these frequent, reliable and vital transit services,” said Josh Baker, DASH’s CEO & General Manager.=
DASH looks forward to continuing to provide invaluable service in the West End through these lines and to delivering the goals of the I-395 Commuter Choice program to the Alexandria community.