New DASH Facility

Tristan · October 31, 2009, 03:02:31 PM

By the way, I've been so busy working in it that I forgot to mention that the new DASH facility (the William B. Hurd Transit Facility) has been fully operational since last Saturday. I will post some photos during the week hopefully, and post the date of the public Open House (it's gonna be a Saturday, probably the last before Thanksgiving but uncertain) when it is confirmed.

For now, here's how you know where the building is if you're riding past on VRE or the Blue line...

Perry · October 31, 2009, 03:25:02 PM

Finally!! What was that about 10 years in the making? Congratulations!

Tristan · October 31, 2009, 03:31:55 PM

10 years in the making and 18 months in the building, but we finally have a building big enough to expand our fleet and our service offering. If we didn't break ground when we did, we wouldn't have a building at all because the recession really took hold only about 6 months after we started; indeed, we won't have new money for new service for at least the rest of this fiscal year and probably not next FY either at this rate. We have some capital for new buses, which will very most likely be Gillig Advantage hybrids, but aside from that............it'll be pretty quiet around here, I'm sure, unless we go ahead and take over the WMATA 8 and 21 lines and the King St Trolley.

Annex4421 · October 31, 2009, 03:40:51 PM

Quote from: Tristan on October 31, 2009, 03:31:55 PM
10 years in the making and 18 months in the building, but we finally have a building big enough to expand our fleet and our service offering. If we didn't break ground when we did, we wouldn't have a building at all because the recession really took hold only about 6 months after we started; indeed, we won't have new money for new service for at least the rest of this fiscal year and probably not next FY either at this rate. We have some capital for new buses, which will very most likely be Gillig Advantage hybrids, but aside from that............it'll be pretty quiet around here, I'm sure, unless we go ahead and take over the WMATA 8 and 21 lines and the King St Trolley.

Wow that would be super and I can't wait to see DASH's new gilligs. Plus I meant to tell you Tristan I love the DASH 2007 Orion Vs.

aznboy4305 · October 31, 2009, 03:48:27 PM

Nice looking sign, do you guys have to wear clean suits to get in now??

Perry · October 31, 2009, 04:21:33 PM

I'm sure they at least have to take their shoes off before they step on the carpeting. :-)

Glad things worked in your favor for funding. Nothing like having something nice and new to brag about on top of getting new buses.

79MetroExtraMD · October 31, 2009, 05:53:22 PM

The buildings done? Wow, that quick. The sign looks nice. As for DASH getting the 8 and 21, they really could do with it since it'd be easier for yall to run those lines in Alexandria and be in close proximity to S. Quaker Lane. I might come down for the open house when you get the details.

Tristan · October 31, 2009, 07:14:11 PM

Well nothing in our fair(ly small 15sq mile) city is too far from Quaker Lane. Our Maintenance dept says they can do a bus exchange anywhere in town in 7 minutes.

Plus, these are all existing services, so the obvious benefit in taking them is that they would reduce the city's subsidy to Metro; we've also in the past taken over their service and convinced the city to keep the subsidy level the same and let us use the funds for improving other services or the span of the service we got, for example, we run the AT10 7 days a week @ something around $56k less and 4x more ridership than Metro ran the 9B/10P.

79MetroExtraMD · October 31, 2009, 07:52:16 PM

Quote from: Tristan on October 31, 2009, 07:14:11 PM
Well nothing in our fair(ly small 15sq mile) city is too far from Quaker Lane. Our Maintenance dept says they can do a bus exchange anywhere in town in 7 minutes.

Plus, these are all existing services, so the obvious benefit in taking them is that they would reduce the city's subsidy to Metro; we've also in the past taken over their service and convinced the city to keep the subsidy level the same and let us use the funds for improving other services or the span of the service we got, for example, we run the AT10 7 days a week @ something around $56k less and 4x more ridership than Metro ran the 9B/10P.

I can understand that. I hardly remember the 9B or 10P even though it was like 3 years ago.

Antozilla · November 01, 2009, 04:31:12 PM

What will become of the old facility

rideonrulez · November 01, 2009, 06:12:36 PM

That sign looks good!! I can't wait to see the new DASH facility!

Tristan · November 01, 2009, 06:24:10 PM

Quote from: Antozilla on November 01, 2009, 04:31:12 PM
What will become of the old facility

Various City departments are fighting over it (as these are all City-owned buildings) but I think it will end up in the hands of Transportation & Environmental Services (fancy Alexandria government name for Dept. of Public Works) and Parks & Rec.

The building was in good shape, we just outgrew it, so it will probably just be renovated a bit for the new tenants. For the rail history buffs, it was formerly a car shop for Fruit Grower's Express, and the bus entrance still has rails in the ground. The new building is right next door to the old one on more former FGE/CSX land.

Tritransit Area · November 03, 2009, 04:09:57 PM

Quote from: Perry on October 31, 2009, 03:25:02 PM
Finally!! What was that about 10 years in the making? Congratulations!

I know, right!

Tritransit Area · November 03, 2009, 04:13:09 PM

Wow, I can't wait to see it! It's nice to see that the building is finally finished and now y'all are able to get some cool new stuff.

Tristan · November 03, 2009, 04:50:41 PM

Cool? I dunno. Someone in Admin today breathed the word "Opus".

News:

New DASH Facility