DASH Roadeo Driving Team  L-R:  Clarence Jackson, Michelle Willis, James Toliver, Stephanie Endsley

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the recognized Green Building Rating System.  Building owners, Scott Mitchell and Larry Hirsh thanked the group of city employees for their tireless efforts for turning 2525 Mt. Vernon Avenue into a showcase building for Alexandria.  Larry Hirsh explained to the crowd, “Not only are we the first E. B. commercial building in the City to become certified, but we are the 8th in the state of Virginia and The Human Services Center is also one of the first…if not the first LEED EB certified municipal facilities building in the region.  It is significant that we have earned certification under LEED for existing buildings.  The environmental impact of existing buildings is huge, far greater than the impact of new construction.  The occupants of existing buildings consume 60% of the nation’s electricity each year, and use billions of gallons of potable water each day.”
“80 % of a buildings greenhouse gas emissions are generated during the operational phase of the building, so how a building is maintained and how it is “lived in” is critical to reducing energy usage, saving money, and leaving less of a carbon footprint,” continues Hirsh, “Guys, this is going to save our taxpayers a lot of money and help the environment at the same time!”

l-r Linda Dell, Mayor William Euille, Scott Mitchell, Suzy Kelly, Larry Hirsh, unidentified, Patrice McAuliffe



DASH Wins Top Honors at Virginia State Bus Roadeo

Alexandria Transit’s DASH operator Clarence “Action” Jackson won first place with the highest score in the annual Virginia State Bus Roadeo competition on Sunday, March 21.  Approximately 200 competitors, transit system staff, volunteers, and judges converged on Alexandria for the weekend, with twenty-seven top drivers and twenty-one mechanics from eight transit companies across the State competing.

The highest scoring team award went to the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), while the DASH operator team came in third place in the statewide competition.  The Roadeo tests the driving and knowledge skills of bus operators in an obstacle course that mirrors the specific driving maneuvers and encounters frequently experienced in the course of their daily work behind the wheel of their bus.  The drivers must demonstrate safety habits and smoothness of operation and are rated on both while driving through each situation on the course.  They are also tested on their abilities in a pre-trip inspection and written test.

 “Clarence is very passionate about his driving ability.  Alexandria Transit is so proud of Clarence and all of our Roadeo participants,” stated Sandy Modell, DASH’s general manager.   Jackson has won the State competition two times before, in 2005 and 2007.  As a result of winning this year, Jackson will be sent by the Virginia Transit Association
(VTA) to the International Roadeo competition in Cleveland, Ohio in May.


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