Transportation — Government & Politics

After $3.7 million overrun, DASH says more cuts may be needed as missed trips rise

The general manager said DASH intends to repay the city while facing rising fuel costs, and the city manager cautioned against expecting more money. The board will weigh next steps, possibly including service changes, Oct. 14.

, and Ryan Belmore

September 23, 2026 . 9:34 PM

7 min read

A DASH bus on King Street in Old Town Alexandria. DASH told City Council on Wednesday that pausing outsourced repairs to save money is reducing the number of buses available and increasing missed trips. (Courtesy of DASH)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - DASH leaders said Wednesday that more cuts may be needed as the bus system works to repay the city for last year's $3.7 million overrun and absorb rising costs this year. General Manager Josh Baker told City Council that the cuts already made are causing more missed trips.

Pausing outsourced bus repairs, one of those cuts, "is already lowering fleet availability and causing a sharp increase in missed trips," Baker said at a joint work session of council and the Alexandria Transit Company board, which governs DASH.

DASH doesn't have enough experienced mechanics to handle all major repairs in-house, Baker said, so pausing outside work leaves more of the fleet unavailable. He said the repair backlog "is growing by the day" and that DASH will look for the quickest responsible way to resume outside repairs. Outsourced repair labor costs about three times as much as DASH's own mechanics, according to the agency.