On Monday afternoon, DASH revealed two of its new electric buses to the City of Alexandria at a ceremony held in front of City Hall. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and all seven members of the Alexandria City Council were in attendance. The buses were designed by New Flyer of America.
Josh Baker, General Manager and CEO of DASH explained the significance of the electric buses in his opening remarks: “Transit is by its very nature is the greenest way to travel and plays a significant role in decreasing the number of single occupancy trips within our community. Today, we come together celebrate the launch of the first ever zero emission — 100 percent zero emission [buses] — to begin their permanent revenue service in Alexandria.”
He went on to acknowledge that this was a step toward creating a more sustainable Alexandria and world, with the goal of having a completely zero emission bus fleet in Alexandria by 2035.
Shannon Valentine, Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth emphasized the enormous impact these electric buses will have. “A single electric bus can eliminate nearly 50 -70 percent of greenhouse gases as compared to a diesel powered bus,” she said before welcoming Northam.
“Pam and I always enjoy coming to Alexandria, it is one of our favorite places in the Commonwealth, and I think one of the things that really stands out about Alexandria is that it’s very progressive, very innovative and most importantly it is a very inclusive city," Northam said. He continued by thanking DASH, saying, “It’s the staff of DASH, it’s the people that drive these buses, that keep us safe and keep us moving every day.”
Mayor Justin Wilson spoke next, thanking Northam and his administration for their support. “We have been very fortunate to have an administration in Richmond that is committed to investing in transit knowing that it supports our economy, supports our environment and supports our quality of life.” He spoke further about Alexandria leading the way in environmental sustainability within the Commonwealth.
Chairman of the Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors David Kaplan closed out the speakers before Baker unveiled the new buses to a round of applause.
See photos from the event below. Video of the event is available of DASH’s Facebook page.
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