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Alexandria bus network celebrating new ridership record with block party

By Vernon Miles
A DASH bus in Old Town Alexandria (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Last year saw the highest DASH ridership in the bus service’s history. This year, DASH beat its own record.

DASH said on Twitter that the final ridership figure for FY 2024 was 5.3 million, up from 4.5 million last year, which in turn beat the network’s record of 4.3 million in 2015.

There have been several changes in recent years that could account for the dramatic uptick in ridership. The most obvious is that the buses are now fully fare-free as of 2021. The bus network also underwent a realignment in recent years to emphasize more frequent service in higher-density areas, at the cost to cutting some routes through lower-ridership portions of the city.

DASH is planning a celebration of the 2024 record with a block party on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 4-6 p.m. at the William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue).

About the Author

  • Vernon Miles is the ALXnow cofounder and editor. He's covered Alexandria since 2014 and has been with Local News Now since 2018. When he's not reporting, he can usually be found playing video games or Dungeons and Dragons with friends.