.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) General Manager Brad Miller said last week that the organization will hold a series of public meetings to discuss the new formula for determining routes throughout Greater Des Moines. The formula, which was approved in October and will take effect July 1, has not been well-accepted by some of the surrounding suburbs.

“It’s been a big political battle over the last two years really, and basically a debate among the cities,” Miller said. “So the purpose of these meetings is to design new services so that (the suburbs) feel like their tax dollars are worth the service that they are funding.”

Miller said the old formula was based on the number of miles of bus routes in each city, “and so if you were Urbandale and you had 10 percent of the miles, then that is the percent of what you paid.” Des Moines, which encompasses nearly 70 percent of all routes, pays nearly 70 percent of the total cost of services.

“Under the new system, we are really going to try to design it based on the (total) demand and what the riders want,” Miller said. “We want the public to give us advice and any changes that they would like to see.”