City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 22, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: EMILY A. BAKER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND INTERIM DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of Grant Applications to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for the FY 2027 State Aid Grant Programs for Capital and Operating Assistance, MERIT, CAP Workforce Development, and TRIP
BODY
ISSUE: Consideration of a Resolution to Support Grant Applications to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) for the FY 2027 State Aid Grant Programs.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Approve a Resolution (Attachment 1) to support an application and submission to DRPT by February 1, 2026, for the following programs:
• Up to $42,500,000 in eligible expenses for State Aid Transit Operating Assistance
• Up to $16,000,000 for State Aid Capital Assistance
• Up to $110,000 for the Public Transportation Workforce Development Program
• Up to $500,000 for the MERIT Minor Enhancement Program
• Up to $725,000 for the MERIT State of Good Repair Program
• Up to $1,025,000 for free Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) student fares (TRIP)
• Up to $350,000 for the Commuter Assistance Program (CAP)
2. Authorize the City Manager to commit local funds of up to $10,954,000 of which:
a. Up to $10,400,000 is currently programmed in the CIP under DASH Bus Fleet Replacement for FY 2027 in NVTA 30% funds;
b. $254,000 can be funded through DASH Operating funds; and
c. Approximately $300,000 can be funded through the Go Alex Fund from developer contributions or from NVTA 30% funds;
3. Authorize the City Manager to apply for State Aid Grants through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and enter into any necessary agreements with the Commonwealth of Virginia and/or NVTC to accept and implement the grants.
BACKGROUND: The City applies annually to the Virginia DRPT for grant funds that support transit operating assistance and capital expenses for DASH, Metro, DOT/Paratransit, and commuter outreach programs. Both state aid grants reimburse the City for funds spent on transit activities. These funds are directly deposited to the City’s NVTC Fund and are used to pay the City’s annual WMATA operating budget.
DASH has supported workforce development through a long running intern program funded by DRPT.
The City operates a commuter outreach program, known as GO Alex, that provides information, encouragement, and incentives to support the City’s goal of increasing transit ridership and transportation options other than a single-occupant vehicle while still ensuring that residents, workers, and visitors can reach destinations within Alexandria. This strategy is endorsed in the “Mobility Options” chapter of the Alexandria Mobility Plan. This does not include the Transit Access and Amenities project.
DISCUSSION: The City and DASH plan to submit applications for six DRPT grant programs that will offset City expenses and provide greater support for DASH. The programs aim to continue the City’s goal of supporting multimodal transportation options and reducing single occupancy vehicle trips to relieve congestion. The summaries below reflect the proposed applications and align with the guidelines and criteria outlined by DRPT for each funding opportunity:
MERIT - State Operating Assistance (State Aid Grant)
City of Alexandria Transit Operating Assistance - (total eligible expenses - up to $42,500,000):
Operating assistance to jurisdictions is allocated based on system size and system performance for both DASH and DOT paratransit. Operating costs have increased over the past few years due to labor and fuel costs. However, ridership has continued to increase to unprecedented levels, which is another calculation into the reimbursement provided to the City. The amount the Commonwealth can provide in operating assistance varies annually but has typically been between 20% and 30%.
MERIT - Capital Assistance (State Aid Grant)
Bus Replacements - (up to $16,000,000)
DASH has fifteen (15) bus replacements planned for FY27 to maintain State of Good Repair. There is a total of $15.4 million in secured funding for bus replacements in FY27, including $5 million in Federal Low No funds and $10.4 million in local CIP funds (NVTA 30%, TIP, and CIP fund balance). Five (5) of the replacement buses will need to be diesel electric hybrid technology due to Federal Low No funding. Staff plans to apply for State reimbursement of these bus replacement purchases for an amount of up to $16 million, leveraging the DRPT MERIT Capital Assistance Program. This would enable City staff to maximize the leverage of available State funds to minimize the City share of this CIP project.
Public Transportation Workforce Development Program
DASH Public Transit Workforce Development- (up to $110,000):
This grant will allow DASH to continue developing the transit workforce with one intern and one apprentice. This grant will enable these candidates to gain valuable experience in the public transportation industry. A 20% local match is required.
MERIT Minor Enhancement Program
Transit Access and Amenities - Up to $500,000
Because the TRIP grant can be used to fund passenger amenities, this application would fund the design and/or construction of transit access and amenities Citywide, for example bus shelters, lighting, benches, bus arrival screens, ADA improvements, and other potential concrete work. In FY25, DRPT funds allowed the City to provide much-needed quick-build improvements like ADA boarding pads, benches, bus stop pole replacements, and a small deployment of solar lighting units. With new contracting mechanisms in place, the FY26 DRPT funds will be used to install bus shelters, bus bulbs, innovative seating, an expansive deployment of solar lighting units, and more capital-intensive improvements.
This work builds on the last two years’ TRIP awards and complements the work of other efforts in the Bus Stop Program, such as ADA improvements and the Bus Shelter II project. These improvements would enhance safety, comfort, and convenience for transit riders, making the bus a more practical and convenient option to reduce SOV driving. Both the Alexandria Transportation Commission and the ATC Board of Directors have been requesting that staff seek funding for transit access and amenities over the past few years. There is a 32% local match for these projects.
MERIT State of Good Repair Program
Non-Revenue Vehicle Replacements - Up to $350,000
DASH maintains a fleet of non-revenue vehicles for relief and support purposes. Replacement of these vehicles has historically been funded using the Capital Outlay available in DASH’s annual operating budget. By leveraging the DRPT MERIT program, DASH can reduce the local cost of replacing these vehicles. The ATC Board of Directors has passed a resolution supporting this application. There is a 32% local match for this project.
Non-Vehicle Facility Replacements - Up to $375,000
DASH has identified a number of facility related items in critical need of replacement. This list includes, but is not limited to, replacement of the bus chassis wash and replacement of the security gates around the facility. While the City’s Department of General Services does maintain general upkeep of the facility, these items have been identified as falling under the responsibility of DASH for replacement. This application pursues MERIT funding to assist in the replacement of these items. The ATC Board of Directors has passed a resolution supporting this application. There is a 32% local match for this project.
Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP)
Free WMATA fares for Students - Up to $1,025,000
With last year’s grant award, the City has been working with WMATA to institute a free-fare program on Metrobuses for middle and high school students. This allowed staff to more fully understand the costs and requirements of implementing such a program, such as specific fare cards, rider education, etc. Therefore, this year, the City would apply for DRPT’s Fare Free TRIP program, which is a four-year program with state funding reducing the state share every year. The proposal would front-load fixed costs in the first year, such as cards, education materials, and potentially a class to teach 6th graders how to use the bus. The costs are estimated as follows:
• FY27 - up to $350,000 (20% local match - $70,000)
• FY28 - up to $250,000 (40% local match - $100,000)
• FY29 - up to $225,000 (70% local match - $157,500)
• FY30 - up to $200,000 (100% funded locally)
DASH also ran a successful student fare free program before going completely fare free, and staff anticipates similar successes by expanding this program to WMATA services. Additionally, Arlington County has a similar program. The benefits to the City are potentially easing of crowding on school buses, a sense of independence for students, and the ability to gather anonymized trip data on this demographic, which is intentionally not included in other survey tools. The local match would be paid for with the Transportation Management Plan Policy’s Go Alex fund or NVTA 30% funds.
Commuter Assistance Program
GO Alex - (up to $350,000):
The Commuter Assistance Program grant provides reimbursement to the City for operating dollars spent on GO Alex programming and staffing. These funds will support staffing and fund future programming such as promoting different transportation options in the City, including DASH, Metro, and Capital Bikeshare. A 20% local match is required.
If approved by DRPT, funds would require formal adoption by the Commonwealth Transportation Board and incorporation into the state’s six-year program in the spring of 2026. Funds would be available on or after July 1, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT: Operating and Capital Assistance funds provided by DRPT to jurisdictions do not require a local match, as these are treated as a reimbursement to localities for funds spent on transit. Funding will be allocated by a regional formula depending on which expenditures qualify for reimbursement; as such, the expected award or grant amount is unknown at this time. Based on the funding rates for FY 2026, the City could generally expect to be reimbursed around 24% percent for operating assistance and around 68% for capital assistance.
The estimated local match for the Workforce Development Program would require up to $22,000, which would need to be identified in the FY 2027 budget or supplemental appropriation process. If the required local match is not available and DASH cannot determine a local match, the Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors may withdraw, amend the grant applications, or decline to enter into the necessary agreements.
For the MERIT Minor Enhancement Program, the total local match would require up to $160,000 for the Transit Access and Amenities program, which could be funded by a combination of sources, including funding received by new developments under the Go Alex fund, any existing projects with local funding that could act as a match, or NVTA 30% funding. If the local match could not be identified for transit access and amenities, the City may withdraw or otherwise amend the grant applications.
For the MERIT State of Good Repairs Program, the total local match would require up to $232,000 for the non-revenue vehicle replacements and facility related replacements, which would be funded by the capital outlay portion within DASH’s operating budget. Capital outlay in DASH’s operating budget has traditionally assumed 100% of the cost of non-revenue vehicle purchases and large capital expenditures related to the DASH facility. If the required local match is not available and DASH cannot determine a local match, the Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors may withdraw, amend the grant applications, or decline to enter into the necessary agreements.
The Free WMATA Student fares (TRIP) would require a local match in FY27 of up to $70,000, or 20%, which will be funded through the Go Alex fund or NVTA 30% funding. Because state aid steps down every year, the local match for FY28 is estimated up to $100,000 (40%), for FY29 $157,500 (80%), and for FY30 there would be no state funding and the expected cost would be $200,000, therefore, the entire local match for this program would total $527,500 over the four fiscal years. It should be noted that these are estimates, and these figures will be refined based on the first year’s results.
The Commuter Assistance Program would require up to a $70,000 local match. If the required local match is not available, the City may withdraw, amend the grant applications, or decline to enter into the necessary agreements.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
Attachment 2: Endorsement Letters
Attachment 3: Presentation
STAFF:
Josh Baker, General Manager/CEO, DASH
Hillary Orr, Deputy Director of Transportation, T&ES
Alicia Wright, Assistant Director, Administrative Services, T&ES
Christopher Ziemann, Division Chief, Transportation Planning, T&ES
Katye North, Division Chief, Transportation Planning, T&ES
Josh Etim, GO Alex Program Manager, Mobility Services, T&ES
Raymond Mui, Chief Infrastructure and Development Officer, DASH
Edward Ryder, Chief Financial Officer, DASH
Stevie Mathews, Director of Planning & Scheduling, DASH