The Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) has launched a complete overhaul of its bus network with new routes and free service for all riders.
The New DASH Network is the first comprehensive redesign of the existing DASH bus service since its establishment in 1984. Now, buses come every 15 minutes and new routes are designed to get riders to their destination faster.
In addition to the network improvements, DASH will operate completely fare free starting Sept. 5. The change in fare policy was made possible when the Alexandria City Council granted DASH a $1.5 million subsidy increase in its Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
“We are excited to launch our highly-anticipated New DASH Network, while going fare free at the same time,'' said DASH CEO and General Manager Josh Baker. “These changes enable us to provide service that not only meets the current needs of our community with more frequent service, improved access to transit, and an overall improved customer experience, but will also continue to serve the City of Alexandria as mobility needs evolve in the future.”
Early reviews on social media were mixed as residents got used to new stops, new services and new routes over the weekend.
It is estimated that making transit free for everyone could expand ridership by 23%, bring riders back to transit following the COVID-19 pandemic, help achieve the City's environmental goals and benefit Alexandria’s lower-income residents. Because ridership has been depressed due to the pandemic, the initial cost to implement this change is dramatically reduced.
However, with the delta variant of COVID-19, many businesses are pushing back their 'return to the office' date, which means many people will continue working from home. Whether ridership increases will depend, in part, on the trajectory of the pandemic.
DASH customers who are enrolled in the WMATA SmartBenefits program should make sure to adjust their SmartBenefit allocations prior to their employer’s monthly deadline.
More information is available at www.dashbus.com/newnetwork.
