Alexandria to receive $10.9 million for DASH buses, facility upgrades
Federal grant will support fleet replacement and rehabilitation project
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced Tuesday that Alexandria will receive $10.9 million in federal funding for its DASH Bus Fleet Replacement & Facility Rehabilitation project.
The grant comes from the Department of Transportation’s Low- or No-Emission Program and Buses & Bus Facilities Program, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the senators helped pass.
“Reliable access to public transportation is vital to Virginians, and we’re thrilled to announce this funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will modernize and electrify buses across the Commonwealth’s cities and rural communities, increasing their efficiency, boosting accessibility, and reducing operating costs and environmental risk,” the senators said in a joint statement.
The funding will help the city transition to 100% zero-emission buses and purchase and build necessary transit facilities to support its growing fleet.
DASH broke ground in August on a facility expansion project designed to support the transition to zero-emission buses. The expansion will accommodate up to 32 additional buses, including covered storage for 24 vehicles. DASH’s current facility, built to hold 96 buses, reached capacity in the late 2010s.
The new site will serve as the framework for DASH’s first dedicated battery electric bus charging yard, eventually equipped with overhead pantograph chargers for 24 electric buses. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2027.
“This expansion project is about looking ahead, and as we see more people choose transit, this will help ensure DASH is ready to support cleaner, more efficient service,” said DASH General Manager and CEO Josh Baker in August.
The expansion is funded through grants from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s SmartScale program and support from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, including more than $2 million specifically for electrification infrastructure.
City officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the federal funding was already accounted for in the city’s budget.
The federal announcement also included $50.3 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to procure low-emission transit buses and $8.6 million for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for its Rural Transit Asset Management and Modernization Program.
Last year, Warner and Kaine announced more than $50 million from the same program for Fairfax County to purchase new low-emission hybrid buses. In 2023, they secured more than $171 million for low-emission buses and bus facilities.