The changes are part of the first of two phases of implementing the DART Forward Services Plan, according to a release. DART plans to increase service by 13 percent by the end of 2012 and expand service throughout Greater Des Moines.

DART will change services again in November, during the second phase of changes, when the DART Central Station opens downtown.

The changes will affect:

• Express route commuters – Route 90 will be discontinued. Routes 91 and 92 will be altered and and Route 6 will now serve commuters along Lower Beaver Road. Route 8 will now serve commuters to the airport. All express routes downtown will change and will run on Grand Avenue and Locust Street, instead of Walnut Street.
• Capitol Hill employees – Express routes will no longer provide service between downtown and the Capitol, according to a release. The D-Line Downtown Shuttle, which will be a free shuttle, will operate on Grand Avenue and Locust Street between 17th Street and East 12th Street.
• Suburban on-call riders – New routes will replace the on-call services in Clive, Urbandale and West Des Moines. Route 92 Hickman Express will replace Clive On Call, the Urbandale/Windsor Heights Flex Route 73 will replace Urbandale On Call, and West Des Moines/Clive Flex Route 72 will replace West Des Moines On Call.