It turns out that more people ride the bus when the trip is free and the service is frequent. At least, that’s the case in Alexandria, where the DASH bus service just set a ridership record, at 4.5 million boardings in just one year. (The previous high was 4.3 million boardings in 2015.)

“This ridership record represents a remarkable milestone for DASH in our nearly four decades of providing public bus transit service in the City of Alexandria,” said Josh Baker, DASH’s CEO/General Manager, in a press release announcing the record.

DASH was the first transit agency in the D.C. region to return to pre-pandemic ridership levels. It dipped to just 1.5 million boardings in fiscal year 2021, at the height of the pandemic. Metro has struggled to bring riders back after the pandemic, but the agency is closer to returning to its previous levels on its buses compared to trains.

Instead of bringing back the same service Alexandrians were used to as the city recovered from the pandemic, transit officials and city leaders decided to make some big changes. In September 2021, they embarked on a new plan which made buses free and increased the frequency of service in key corridors across the city to 15 minutes or less. The changes meant 60,000 Alexandrians got fare-free access to frequent service, particularly lower-income residents. At the time, officials estimated the new structure would raise ridership by 23%. With the new record, DASH’s yearly ridership has actually increased 200% from its low in fiscal year 2021.

It’s an open question to what extent the ridership boost is the result of free fares or increased service, or a combination of both. In a survey conducted by the transit agency, 71% of DASH riders said they were riding more frequently because the service was free. But advocates involved in the region’s Bus Transformation Project strongly recommend that transit officials focus on increasing service over other goals.

One ongoing challenge — particularly if DASH continues its record-breaking ridership levels — will be the expanding cost of the city of Alexandria’s subsidy, which could nearly double in a few years. D.C. flirted with making Metrobuses in its borders free earlier this year, but ultimately determined the proposed revenue source wasn’t adequate to cover the cost. Fairfax City’s CUE bus is currently conducting a three-year fare-free pilot program.

The DASH news comes just after the Alexandria City Council approved another key bus initiative, approving the long-discussed Duke Street Transitway, the city’s first bus rapid transit project. Earlier this month, neighboring Fairfax County also moved forward with a plan to create a bus rapid transit line from Falls Church to Tysons, the first step in a regional vision to use fast bus service to connect Tysons, Falls Church, Seven Corners and parts of Alexandria. A bus rapid transit project is already underway along Richmond Highway in Fairfax, south of Alexandria.

DASH will celebrate its ridership milestone on August 18, in a gathering at the King St. Metro station with city leaders and bus fans alike.