A draft of a newly redesigned public transit system for the Des Moines metro that focuses on ridership is ready to go before the public and stakeholders with hopes of gaining final approval by early 2026. 

The proposed redesigned network was presented to the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority Commission on Sept. 2. It will undergo a period of public feedback over the next couple of months before further tweaks are made based on that input. The goal is to bring the plan back before the DART commission in December or January. If approved, it would take effect July 1, 2026.

It’s just one piece in the transit organization’s Reimagine DART initiative, which was launched last year as DART works to create a transit system that will be sustainable for the next 10 years and beyond.

DART began gathering public input in 2023 as it sought feedback from its member communities and their riders on what they wanted from a public transit service. The agency officially launched its Reimagine DART initiative, a multi-step effort to redesign the bus route network and address funding challenges, in the fall of 2024.

Since then, DART has offered more public input opportunities for stakeholders and earlier this year began work to draw new maps based on what they learned.

Now, with a proposed new network in hand, DART is keeping its foot on the gas in hopes of launching a new network next year.

The redesigned network

The proposed network reduces the number of fixed routes from 27 to 12. There would also be a 10% reduction in service hours, which would be achieved by trimming time off the start and end of DART’s service day. That is needed to offset cost increases in DART’s budget, which is about $42 million for the current fiscal year. 

Under the proposed plan, service hours would change from the current schedule of 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Saturdays, service would end at 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. but still start at 6 a.m. There would be no change in hours on Sunday and remain 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

DART will also run three microtransit zones; in Altoona and Ankeny with the third covering Clive and Urbandale.

The hours of paratransit will change to match the updated schedule of the proposed new network, but no changes to the paratransit service area are planned.

Leaders of DART said the redesign is needed to better meet the evolving needs of riders, which have changed as the metro has grown. Those needs look much different than they did when the current system was launched 10 years ago as more riders use the bus throughout the day and on the weekends than just commuting to and from work, they said.

The redesigned network will also satisfy what DART leaders learned from the public input, focusing on high ridership by offering fewer routes that run more often in the busiest areas.

“There is a direct correlation between how often buses run, or the frequency of the service, and how many people will use the service,” said Erin Hockman, chief strategy officer at DART. “There’s a strong correlation all across the country that when you look at high ridership services are highly frequent services, so that frequency is what drives that high use.”

Under the new network, 7% more residents will be near a 15-minute route, with 5% more being closer to any bus service, compared to the current system.

The redesigned network will also create greater access to jobs, with the average resident being able to reach 21% more jobs compared to the existing network, leaders said.

According to the proposed network, nearly all of DART’s routes would operate seven days a week, compared to less than half of the routes in the current network.

Another change would be how far bus stops are spaced apart. Today, they are one to two blocks apart. Under the proposed plan, that would increase to three to four blocks.

“We’re trying to look at how we can make the service more useful for more people, allow them to get further and more places in a shorter amount of time,” Hockman said.

Who rides DART?

According to the agency’s website, 60% of its riders take the bus to get to and from work. More than 60% of its riders are between the ages of 25 and 64, with 14% being under 18 and 7% being over the age of 65. Another 14% are between 19 and 24.

Data provided by DART also shows that 61% of DART riders do not have a working vehicle in their home, about an equal number don’t have a valid driver’s license, and 85% of those who ride DART have a total household income of less than $50,000 a year.

DART recently announced ridership has increased to more than 3.75 million rides for fiscal year 2025, which ended June 30, an increase of nearly 7% over the previous year, which leaders have said shows a growing demand for the service.

Besides using a bus to get to work, DART riders also take the bus to get to medical appointments, school and to shop. 

Nine out of 10 trips on DART are to make or spend money, leaders said.

“So it’s essential for us from an economic perspective to keep driving that economic impact and make sure we align that level of service with what we can afford, and then look at how people are traveling so that we drive as much economic impact as  possible,” said DART CEO Amanda Wanke. 

The redesigned network does not include Pleasant Hill, which gave its notice to withdraw from DART effective June 30, 2026, which is about the time the new network will be rolled out, Wanke said.

“One thing to know is that we are having conversations with the commission about whether they want to consider a paratransit-only option for member communities,” she said. 

Wanke said to expect more conversations about that this fall.

Hockman said the partnership DART has with Des Moines Public Schools to provide some school service still needs to be worked out.

“Now that we have this proposed bus network, we’ll be talking with Des Moines Public Schools about what school services make sense for DART to continue to provide once this is implemented,” she said.

Once that is determined, it will become clearer how the redesign affects DART staffing, Hockman said.

“Until we really have a final plan for Des Moines Public School service and a final plan for our new bus network, we won’t really know if and how this impacts our current staffing levels,” she said.

Why a redesigned network is important

Public transit is critical on many levels, including individuals, families, communities, businesses, and for regional development, said Jo Christine Miles, director of community relations for Principal Financial Group and the Principal Financial Group Foundation.

It’s also important for the workforce, she said.

Principal has a partnership with DART that allows its employees to ride the bus for free. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, Principal employees rode DART more than 20,000 times with an average of nearly 1,700 trips a month.

Miles said Principal employees ride DART for a variety of reasons. Maybe they don’t drive. Some may choose not to drive for environmental reasons. Others may just feel riding DART is more convenient than driving their car downtown.

“As an employer, you want to make sure transportation is not a barrier, not a concern or a worry for your people to get to and from where they need to be to do the work of their business,” she said.

Public transit also removes barriers and challenges for people to get to and from school and training programs, which helps strengthen the talent pipeline for the future, Miles said.

“I would urge companies that are looking to open new locations or moving locations to consider where DART is because their employees, their customers, if DART becomes a more convenient option, may very well choose DART as their primary transit source as opposed to driving,” she said. 

It’s important for even those who don’t ride DART to get involved and pay attention to the agency’s network redesign, Miles said.

If service disappears, she said, children who ride DART to get to school may not get to class or participate in after-school programs, community programs and outreach programs they may need. DART also is critical for residents as they age and as driving may become more difficult. A healthy public transit system reduces the number of people on the road who are driving, helping to keep commutes from the suburbs running faster and more smoothly, Miles said.

“It’s all of us who currently drive and don’t use DART and think ‘It’s not my problem.’ Try to get to work in 15 minutes when everybody is trying to drive somewhere. Or people who shouldn’t be driving start driving,” she said.

Kaity Patchett, executive director of Capital Crossroads, the alliance of community organizations that works on regional visioning for the future, said public transit is a critical cog in the organization’s goals of promoting economic growth, community vitality and quality of life for all.

Public transit is “inextricably linked” to issues such as housing, child care and education, she said.

“Whether or not you use DART, you are affected by the effectiveness of DART as you live and move, and work across our region,” Patchett said. “Not only are folks using DART to get to and from work, they’re using DART to get to and from training programs and education centers. So DART really is a vehicle for jobs, but it also becomes a vehicle for upward mobility, economic opportunity and more sustainable pathways to success and well-being.”

Employers, from insurance companies to hospitals and child care centers, rely on DART to get their employees to the office or store, and schools rely on DART for students and staff to get there each day.

“From an economic opportunity standpoint, it’s just an imperative shared benefit for the community, much like public infrastructure, roads, sewer, water, that we all invest in and rely upon in order to have a thriving region,” Patchett said. “Public transportation is absolutely part of that conversation as well.”

Moving forward

Although she’s excited to see the network redesign process move forward, Wanke acknowledges it will result in a lot of change.

“Change is hard for people and I don’t want to underestimate the amount of change this is for our community and that is going to come with a lot of different opinions and feelings throughout the process,” she said.

Wanke also acknowledged that the network redesign is just one piece of the Reimagine DART effort.

“There’s continued work we have, including an economic impact study, including a study of our bus fares and other evaluations of the delivery of service and continuing to ensure we’re meeting all the goals of Reimagine DART,” she said.

Part of that is continuing efforts to diversify DART’s funding sources.

Currently, about 62% of DART’s operating budget comes from property taxes. With so much of its revenue tied to property taxes, DART finds its hands tied because the property tax levy for DART is capped at 95 cents per $1,000 valuation.

The remainder of DART’s funding comes from a combination of federal funding, fares, contracts, state funding and other sources.

The city of Des Moines voted in August to increase its franchise fee on gas and electrical utilities from 5% to 7.5% for five years to help fund DART.

Wanke said she appreciates the commitment to regional transit from local leaders. The increase in franchise fee will help DART as it focuses on aligning how much a community can contribute with what service looks like, she said.

“It certainly is another key source we’ve talked about in diversifying funding revenue and this adds one more piece to that puzzle,” Wanke said.

And adding pieces to the puzzle that completes Reimagine DART is a step in the right direction, she said.

“It’s progress and our team is feeling good about moving forward and leading change that needs to happen,” Wanke said. “But change isn’t always going to be easy and we know there will be a lot of ups and downs, but the progress is in the right direction.”

---

TIMELINE

1866: Use of horsecars [streetcars pulled by horses] begins on Des Moines streets.

1888: Electric-motored streetcars are introduced.

1890-1929: Streetcar service operated by Des Moines City Railway Co.

1929-1949: Des Moines Railway Co. takes over service.

1938: Gas-powered buses become commonplace, replacing streetcars.

World War II: Streetcars make a resurgence as rubber from bus tires is needed for the war effort.

1945: By the end of World War II, buses had resumed service on the city’s streets.

1949-1954: Des Moines Transit operates bus service.

1954-1973: Iowa Regional Transit Corp. takes over operation of bus service in Des Moines.

1973-2006: Public transit in Des Moines is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

2006: Present Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority assumes operation of the bus system in the region.

2024: DART officially launches its effort to reimagine public transit in the metro and begin looking at a redesign of its network to better meet the needs of the region while being sustainable for the next decade and beyond. Awards contract to consulting firm Jarrett Walker + Associates in partnership with Transpo Group for the network redesign.

2025: In April, DART launches public input phase to gather community feedback on what its needs are for a public transit system. By June, work begins to redesign the network based on public input. In September, a draft of the redesigned network is presented to the DART commission, followed by additional public input and possible adoption by end of the year or early 2026.2026: If approved, a new redesigned DART route system would go into effect July 1.