Strike Interrupts DASH Service

By Vanessa Herman SFVBJ Staff A strike initiated by employees of First Transit, Inc., will interrupt the service of four DASH Community Circulator Bus services in the San Fernando Valley according to the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation. The LADOT said DASH routes through Northridge, Panorama City/ Van Nuys, Van Nuys/ Studio City and Warner Center will all operate on limited schedules. Phil Aker, Supervising Transportation Planner at LADOT, said the intra-community bus service is currently being operated by limited personnel from private contractor First Transit. Aker was unable to comment on the reasons for the strike, and said he was not sure when full service would resume. DASH is a transportation service that has been operated by LADOT since 1985 and operates 33 routes in the Los Angeles area with over 28 million riders a year. First Transit is a transportation management firm headquartered in Ohio.