The Virginia Transit Association (VTA) awarded DASH its 2022 Special Marketing & Community Outreach Award for the agency’s New DASH Network. DASH also successfully nominated bus operator Jovan Jones for VTA’s Unsung Hero Award. Both awards were presented at VTA’s annual conference, hosted in Roanoke from June 1-2.
DASH nominated its New DASH Network launch outreach efforts for VTA’s Outstanding Transportation Marketing and Outstanding Community Program Awards. The agency’s planning and scheduling team worked tirelessly to completely redesign its network with the support of the City of Alexandria. Thanks to their leadership and commitment, DASH successfully planned and implemented the most substantial single-day service change in its nearly 40-year history. DASH’s marketing and communications team provided pivotal support to the new network launch by educating existing riders about how the new network would impact their trips and engaging the community to attract new riders.
DASH also nominated bus operator Jovan Jones for VTA’s Unsung Hero Award in recognition of his dependability, professionalism and commitment to providing safe and reliable public bus transit service amid diverse challenges. Jones joined DASH during the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority’s 2019 Platform Improvement Project, which shuttered several Metrorail stops on the Blue and Yellow lines. DASH was contracted to operate the Blue Line Shuttle, prompting the agency to grow its operations team and fleet. In times of crisis, from a sudden severe storm that threatened flooding at DASH’s facility in August 2021, to a neighborhood evacuation for police activity in November 2021, Jovan has exemplified many of the qualities of an unsung hero, including dependability, professionalism, adaptability, and excellence.