As the state studies a potential consolidation of several Northern Virginia bus systems, year-over-year data showed Alexandria’s DASH continues to see ridership growth.
The data presented to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission on Sept. 3 focused on transit providers in Northern Virginia — Arlington Transit, City of Fairfax CUE, Alexandria DASH, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Transit, Metro and Virginia Railway Express.
Residents will unofficially bid farewell to the summer season during Labor Day weekend, which will also bring some closures and schedule changes to services in Alexandria.
Labor Day falls on Monday, Sept. 7, resulting in an extended holiday weekend for many employees and students. All City of Alexandria government offices will be closed for the Labor Day observance on Sept. 7.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins has joined other local leaders in opposing a potential merger of bus operations across multiple Northern Virginia localities.
Gaskins told ALXnow she is strongly opposed to the idea that Alexandria’s free DASH bus system should merge with Arlington Transit, the Fairfax Connector and CUE (City of Fairfax). Between now and November, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is compiling a report as part of the recently adopted biennial budget to consider cost savings and rider impacts of merging the local bus systems.
Pedestrians will have to keep taking a detour when walking around Alexandria City Hall and Market Square.
The city government extended the north sidewalk closure in front of City Hall along King Street between N. Royal and N. Fairfax Streets through July 31. The sidewalk has been closed since June 15 for City Hall and Market Square renovations.
Alexandria City Council unanimously approved City Manager Jim Parajon’s $979.1 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget with a few changes Wednesday night.
The budget represents a 2.4% increase over the FY2026 budget and maintains the real estate tax rate of $1.135 per $100 of assessed value, although some City Council members expressed caution about a potential tax increase in next year’s budget. Property owners whose assessment values increased could still see higher tax bills under the unchanged rate.
Alexandria’s DASH bus service kicked off April’s Month of the Young Child this morning (Monday) with the unveiling of a bus covered with early childhood development messaging intended to inspire parents.
The bus “takeover” was unveiled at DASH headquarters (3000 Business Center Drive) and includes exterior wraparound messaging and interior display messaging on five principles to help young children thrive. Mayor Alyia Gaskins, DASH CEO Josh Baker and Michelle Smith Howard, CEO of Kids’ First Years, were among approximately 50 children and adults who attended.
Alexandria’s DASH bus service will unveil a bus with colorful wraparound graphics next week to kick off April as the city’s Month of the Young Child.
At 10 a.m. Monday, April 6, Mayor Alyia Gaskins will be on hand at DASH headquarters (3000 Business Center Drive) to reveal the bus, which includes colorful wraparound graphics outside the bus. Through a partnership with local nonprofit Kids’ First Years, buses will display messaging on the five principles to help young children thrive. This is the second year that the city has devoted April toward promoting early childhood education and development with planned activities across the city.
DASH and DOT Paratransit have canceled all services for tomorrow (Monday), according to announcements from both systems this evening.
DASH’s service cancellation is the system’s first in years, it said, and comes as Alexandria’s public schools, libraries, government offices, facilities and trash collection have announced Monday closures and cancellations.
Residents who want to see their literary creations displayed in Alexandria’s buses and trolleys have until Friday to enter DASH’s 12th annual poetry contest.
“DASHing Words in Motion” is accepting poetry submissions until 5 p.m. Friday from writers age 16 and older who live, work or study in the city. Contest winners’ poems will be displayed for thousands of city transit riders to see during National Poetry Month in April.
The Old Town Farmers’ Market is officially relocating this weekend in advance of construction on City Hall and Market Square.
The Saturday morning market is moving across the street from Market Square to the 100 block of N. Royal Street before construction is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
The wheels on a Del Ray preschooler’s birthday party bus went round and round Alexandria last week.
Four-year-old Rowan Gilbart celebrated his best birthday yet with a DASH charter bus ride and tour of the system’s facilities on Friday. The Del Ray kid “loves riding the bus,” mother Erica Toler told ALXnow, and the duo regularly take Line 33 to get to preschool and other places around town.
