DASH (bus)

Public bus system

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. Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) is a non profit service corporation wholly owned by the City of Alexandria and currently operates 124 buses, including the King Street Trolley. 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 Transit 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.

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.

, DASH is fare free. Before the free fares, DASH's base fare is $2.00 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.

Builder and model name Length Year Fleet number Fuel type Notes TBA 60 feet (18 m) 2024–25 (2 buses) Battery electric To begin in FY25. TBD 2025 (13 buses) To begin in FY25. Funded by the FY23 FTA Bus and Low and No Emission Grant Awards. 2026 (10 buses) Expected to begin in FY26. (8 buses) Diesel

Year Builder and model name Numbers(preserved numbers) Year Retired Picture Notes 1984 Bus Industries of AmericaOrion I (01.502) 1 17 2001 1986 Bus Industries of AmericaOrion I (01.507) 18 19 2002 1990–91 20 33 2005
Bus #28 is preserved by Commonwealth Coach & Trolley of Roanoke, VA. 1996 GilligPhantom 35' 34 43 2012 1998 44 53 2014 1999 54 58 2015 1999–2000 Orion Bus IndustriesOrion V (05.503) 59 68 2017 Bus #59 is preserved by Commonwealth Coach & Trolley of Roanoke, VA. 2002 DaimlerChryslerCommercial BusesOrion V (05.503) 69 76 2019–20 2004–05 77 90 2019–21 2007 91 99 (96) 2019–22 Last order of Orion buses for DASH. 97 is preserved by Friends of the NJ Transportation Heritage Center GilligPhantom 35' 100 103 2019 Last order of high floor buses for DASH. 2001–02 Neoplan USAAN460 (articulated) 601 614 2020–21
Ex Westchester County Bee Line, acquired in 2019. First non WMATA operated articulated buses in the Washington region.