Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Effective Jan. 1, the bus system will no longer use paper DASH transfers.
DASH will no longer use paper transfers effective Jan. 1. Paper transfers will only be available in electronic form on the regional SmarTrip Card. Riders who pay their fare with a SmarTrip Card will have a transfer automatically added to their card. DASH transfers are good for up to four hours and are honored on all DASH routes in any direction, including a return trip on the same route. DASH transfers are good for the initial fare paid. DASH transfers on SmarTrip Cards are honored on Metrobus and participating local bus systems for up to two hours. Additional charges may apply when transferring to services priced higher than DASH, according to the bus system. For the quickest updates, "like" Old Town Alexandria Patch on Facebook and …
Monday, November 26, 2012
DASH representatives will be collecting new, unwrapped toys on certain days in December.
Metro riders may want to bring more than just their suitcases, purses or backpacks next month when they head over to King Street Metro station. DASH bus representatives will be on site inside the station collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots, which will go toward helping Alexandria's disadvantaged children have a happier holiday. Toys can be donated on Tuesdays, Dec. 11 and 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Thursdays, Dec. 13 and 20 from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Donators will receive a DASH thank-you gift
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Trash and recycling remains on a regular schedule and will be picked up on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. No parking restrictions Thursday or Friday. Parking is free in city garages Friday.
All City of Alexandria government offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Here’s a schedule of city services and facilities provided: Health Facilities: The Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King St., and the Flora Krause Casey Health Center, 1200 N. Howard St., will close at noon Wednesday. The Teen Wellness Center, 3330 King St., will be open Wednesday. All facilities will be closed Thursday and Friday. Hotlines: All emergency hotlines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including the child protective services hotline at 703-746-5800; the domestic violence hotline, 703-746-4911; emergency services for mental health, 703-746-3401; the substance abuse crisis hotline, 703-746-3636; …
Monday, October 29, 2012
DASH bus service and Alexandria's free trolley service are not operating due to Hurricane Sandy.
DASH and the King Street Trolley will not be operating service due to continued hazardous weather conditions because of Hurricane Sandy. DASH Administrative offices also will be closed. Additionally, Metrorail will not resume operations on Tuesday morning.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
System expected to create better customer experience and potentially boost ridership.
Alexandria City Council approved the use of $650,000 in state funds on Tuesday for the purchase of a real-time information system for the DASH bus fleet. The real-time system will offer DASH riders accurate information as to the location of buses and the time buses are expected to arrive at stops. DASH General Manager Sandy Modell said the installation of a real-time information system has proven to boost ridership in other jurisdictions, including a 5 percent increase in Chicago. A 2 percent increase in ridership could earn DASH about $80,000 more annually in fare revenue. Real-time technology takes account of the location of the bus using GPS and traffic patterns to estimate bus arrivals. Riders can access the information on the web or …
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Bus firm has partnered with Community Partners for Children to collect school supplies.
Bus company DASH will be conducting a back-to-school supply drive in conjunction with Community Partners for Children on Aug. 23. Passengers who bring new, unopened school supplies such as backpacks, notebooks and pencils, will receive one free ride. Drop your donation in the tote bag that will be located in the front of the bus.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Customers now required to contact the Regional Customer Service Center.
DASH riders seeking a refund or having other concerns about their SmarTrip card will need to use a differnt process beginning Monday. DASH customers will be required to contact the Regional Customer Service Center at 888-762-7874 or email smartrip@wmata.com with any SmarTrip card concerns such as a lost fare, fare reimbursement or a replacement card. SmarTrip Cards must be registered with WMATA to receive reimbursement. Information cards are available from the Bus Operator to record pertinent details to assist you when contacting the Regional Customer Service Center. For more information, contact DASH's Customer Service at 703-746-3274, menu option 7.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
DASH buses soon will allow bicycles to travel on buses at no extra charge.
Alexandria Transit Company soon will allow bicycles to travel on DASH buses at no extra charge. Brochures and details on how to safely transport a bike on a DASH bus will be available on all DASH buses and online at alexandria.gov/LocalMotion, although specifics have not yet been released. The new initiative is expected to start this spring. Separately, registration for Bike to Work Day is now open. Join the pit stop in City Hall on May 18.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Alexandria's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services is looking into increasing the hours of service for the King Street trolley.
Regular trolley service in Del Ray will begin in September or October at the earliest, according to Alexandria’s director of Transportation and Environmental Services. T&ES chief Rich Baier told Del Ray Patch that despite the city allocating more than $500,000 in the fiscal year 2012 budget toward implementing the motorized trolley service in the neighborhood, the process of selecting a contractor and other matters will push the project into the fall. T&ES Deputy Director Abi Lerner said some of the approximately $510,000 that was allotted for expanding trolley service into Del Ray will be rolled over and combined with new funding in FY2013. How much that is rolled over remains to be determined. From the $510,000, about $190,000 will go …
Friday, December 9, 2011
New vehicles on display Thursday in front of City Hall.
The City of Alexandria debuted two of its new hybrid buses and trolleys Thursday afternoon on King Street in front of City Hall. The new vehicles, manufactured by California-based GILLIG Corporation with engines built by Cummins, run on a mix of low-sulfur diesel and electricity. The city purchased a total of seven 35-foot hybrid buses, three 40-foot hybrid buses and five 30-foot hybrid trolleys. The three larger DASH buses will operate on the AT8 route, which is one of the busiest routes in Alexandria. The bus and trolley displayed Thursday were both adorned with Eco-City Alexandria stickers, a reference to the city’s sustainability program. The new vehicles will consume about 2,000 fewer gallons of fuel per year than the city’s older …
Bob Johansen
3:41 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
I believe that DASH is putting in a NextBus system - just like WMATA, and virtually all of the other agencies have. For some reason Montgomery County Ride-On has built it's own system - seems like a Mickey Mouse system and, from what I hear, it costs them more to keep it running and pay their inflated public sector salaries than to outsource it to a firm like NextBus. Geniuses. more ›