Free student Metrobus fares, EV charging on Alexandria Transportation Commission agenda
Commission to send recommendations to City Council on state transit grants
The Alexandria Transportation Commission will consider grant applications totaling more than $60 million at its Wednesday meeting, including funding to make Metrobus rides free for middle and high school students.
The commission, which advises City Council on transportation policy, will also receive a presentation on a proposed curbside electric vehicle charging program and vote on safety improvements for two high-crash corridors.
The meeting comes as the 10-member body operates with two vacancies. Both the Planning Commission representative and Alexandria Transit Company Board representative seats are empty following resignations, according to city records. The ATC Board oversees DASH, the city’s bus system, which features in several agenda items.
Applications to fill the vacancies are due Jan. 2, and the City Council will consider appointments at its Jan. 13 meeting.
Student fares
Staff is seeking commission endorsement to apply for up to $1,025,000 in state funding through Virginia’s Transit Rider Incentive Program. The four-year grant would cover 80 percent of costs in the first year, with state support decreasing annually until Alexandria assumes full responsibility in fiscal year 2030.
The total local cost over four years would be $527,500, funded through the city’s GO Alex transportation fund.
The program would build on DASH’s fare-free service, which began as a student program before expanding to all riders. Arlington County operates a similar program for its students.
Staff cited potential benefits, including reduced crowding on school buses and the ability to collect anonymized trip data on student travel patterns. The city may also develop a class teaching sixth graders how to use the bus system.
Electric vehicle charging
The commission will hear a presentation on a proposed program allowing vendors to install EV chargers in public rights-of-way at no cost to the city.
The program aims to address a barrier to electric vehicle adoption: while 80 percent of EV charging occurs at home, many Alexandria residents lack driveways or garages. Chargers would require a “minimalistic design” suitable for the city’s historic districts.
Under the proposal, the city would issue five-year licenses to vendors for two years, then pause to evaluate the program before deciding whether to continue.
The item is a discussion only; no vote is scheduled.
Safety improvements
The commission will vote on endorsing a $5.2 million CMAQ/RSTP grant application for fiscal year 2032. The largest request, $3.2 million, would fund safety improvements on Duke Street and Route 1, both identified as high-crash corridors in the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan.
Proposed improvements include median islands, curb extensions, and lane configuration changes. The designs were completed with a previous regional road safety grant, but were not selected for SMART SCALE funding in 2024.
The application also includes $1 million for Capital Bikeshare station replacements and $1 million for safe streets studies.
Other business
The commission will also vote on the fiscal year 2026 GO Alex Fund budget, which proposes $220,000 in spending from a $535,000 fund balance, and endorse the GO Alex FY27-31 Strategic Plan.
Representatives from the Commission on Aging will present transportation elements of the city’s Age-Friendly Plan.
If you go
The virtual meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday via Zoom. Meeting ID: 950 2823 4542. Passcode: 947959.
Written public comments may be submitted until 3 p.m. on Wednesday to Christopher.Ziemann@alexandriava.gov.
The full meeting agenda is available at alexandriava.gov.