TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORTATION
PHOTO BY BETH LAWTON
may feel a little touristy, but its yearround reliability makes it an excellent option if you’re running late (or just don’t feel like walking).
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MILITZER
Getting Around Alexandria
Buses and Trains
There’s one drawback to living in Alexandria — sitting in traffic. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to get around Alexandria. Before you hop in the car, take a look at these alternatives.
Alexandria’s public bus system is DASH (Driving Alexandria Safely Home), which operates multiple routes. The current flat rate is $1.75 per trip, and they accept payment via cash, SmartTrip cards or the DASH Bus app. Routes and times can also be found through the DASH Bus app or through dashbus.com.
The first place you should go is alexandriava.gov/GOAlex, which offers a great, frequently updated overview of your options.
Free and simple, The King Street Trolley only has one route: from the King Street Metro station to the Old Town waterfront and back, making stops along the way. It
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Resident’s Guide
The Fairfax County Connector bus service
$8 in stored fare value) at one of the kiosks located at the Metro rail stops. Fares fluctuate based on time of day and destination, but tend to range from $2.25 to $6 per trip.
has several stops in southeastern Fairfax County, including the Mount Vernon area, Telegraph Road, Richmond Highway and Franconia Road. Times and stops can be found at fairfaxcounty.gov/connector.
You can also get into the District with the
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) runs the Metro rail (usually called “the Metro” for short) and the Metro bus systems in the District, Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland. The website at wmata.com and the WMATA app are excellent resources for planning your trip.
Station in Washington, D.C.
The Metro is a good option for getting in and out of the District. Alexandria’s six rail stops are on the blue and yellow lines. We recommend purchasing a SmartTrip card for $10 ($2 for the card itself, and
around Northern Virginia, the District
Virginia Railway Express (the VRE), which primarily serves commuters and stops at the King Street train station, which also serves Amtrak. It travels up to Union
Scooters, Bikes and Other Shared Mobility Alexandria is home to many alternative modes of transportation, including
Capital Bikeshare, which allows you to rent a bike for one-way, short trips all and Maryland. Alexandria has several dozen Capital Bike Share docking stations across the City. Learn more at capitalbikeshare.com. Alexandria Living Magazine
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