Des Moines Area Regional Transit

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) operates mass transit service in Greater Des Moines.

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority
Founded1973
2006 (as transit authority)
Headquarters620 Cherry Street
LocaleDes Moines, IA, United States
Service areaurban area
Service typebus service, express bus service, paratransit, vanpool
Routes26
Stops1,642
Hubs1
Fleet244
Daily ridership12,055 (FY 2013)[1]
Websiteridedart.com

History

DART was founded in 1973 as the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, commonly known as the MTA. Formed by a partnership of the cities of Des Moines, West Des Moines, Clive, Windsor Heights, and Urbandale. The MTA eventually developed a 14-county carpool and vanpool system in addition to its bus system.[2]

By 2006, population growth in varying regions of central Iowa led to Polk County and nineteen cities forming a regional transportation agency following changes to Iowa law in 2005.[3]

Sunday service was added for the first time in 2007. In 2008, a free shuttle linked downtown Des Moines with the Iowa State Capitol. In 2012, a $21 million bus transfer station was opened on the south end of downtown, ending decades of using Walnut Street as a transit mall. DART Central Station serves as a major hub for many of DART's local buses.

Today, DART services Altoona, Ankeny, Bondurant, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Johnston, Pleasant Hill, Polk County, Urbandale, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights. DART is represented by a board of 12 Commissioners, one from each member government it serves. Commission meetings are open to the public, and information can be found on the DART website.

Structure

DART utilizes a hub and spoke system, designed to favor commuters, as opposed to point-to-point system.[4] Most local routes run through downtown Des Moines. DART also has express routes that stop in Downtown Des Moines and On Call routes that operate within specific zones in the Greater Des Moines area.

Route list

Local routes:

№ Name Route Frequency
Peak Midday Evening Saturday Sunday
1 Fairgrounds DART Central Station - 6th Avenue - Locust Street - Pennsylvania Avenue (back Grand Avenue - 7th Street) - East Grand Avenue - East 30th Street - East University Avenue - East 33rd Street - Easton Boulevard - East 38st Street - Hubbell Avenue - Hubbell Avenue & East 42nd Street (back East 42nd Street - Easton Boulevard) 30 30 60 60 60
3 University DART Central Station - 6th Avenue (back 7th Street) - University Avenue - Apple Valley - Buffalo Road - Westown Parkway - 28th Street - University Avenue - 31st Street - Valley West Mall (back Westown Parkway) 20 20 60 30 30
4 E 14st St DART Central Station - 6th Avenue - Locust Street (back Grand Avenue - 7th Street) - East Grand Avenue - East 15th Street (back East 14th Street) - East 14th Street (shuttle to Polk County Jail and Dee Zee) - East Euclid Avenue - Park Fair Mall 10-30 30-60 60 60 60
5 Franklin Ave / Johnston DART Central Station - 6th Avenue - Grand Avenue (back 10th Street - Locust Street - 7th Street) - 10th Street - Woodland Avenue - 31st Street - 30th Street - Clark Street - 34st Street - Franklin Avenue - Merle Hay Road - Merle Hay Mall & Haymarket - Merle Hay Road - Johnston Public Library 30 60 40-50
6 Indianola Ave DART Central Station - MLK Jr Parkway - SW 2st/3rd Street - Indianola Avenue - SE 14th Street and on 14th & Watrous splits into two routes:

Watrous Avenue - SE 5th Street - Army Post Road - Southridge Mall (shuttle to McCombs Middle School) SE 14th Street - Army Post Road - Southridge Mall (shuttle to McCombs Middle School)

 20/40 20/40 30/60 60/120 60/120
7 SW 9th St DART Central Station - SW 7th Street - Turtle Street - SW 9th Street (back 8th Street - Turtle Street) - Army Post Road - Southridge Mall (shuttle to McCombs Middle School) 20 20 60 60 60
8 Fleur Dr Service operates between DART Central Station and Airport South Park & Ride, including destinations at Wakonda Shopping Center and Iowa Center for Higher Education. 20-60
10 East University DART Central Station - 6th Avenue - Locust Street - Pennsylvania Avenue (back East 6th Street - East Walnut Street - 2nd Avenue - Grand Avenue - 7th Avenue) - East University Avenue - Sherrylynn & East University Avenue 30-60 60
11 Ingersoll / Valley Junction DART Central Station - 6th Avenue - Grand Avenue (back 17th Street - Locust Street - 7th Street) - 17th Street - Ingersoll Avenue - 59th Street - Grand Avenue - WEST DES MOINES - 4th Street - Elm Street - 8th Street - Grand Avenue - 9th Street - 9th Street & Ashworth (back Ashworth Road - 8th Street - Grand Avenue) 20-40
13 SE Park Ave (Weeks Middle School) - Indianola Avenue & Evergreen - Indianola Avenue - Evergreen Avenue - SE 22st Street - East King Avenue - SE 19st Street - East Park Avenue - Indianola Avenue - Indianola Avenue & Evergreen 20-40
14 Beaver Ave DART Central Station - 6th Avenue - Grand Avenue - 8th Street - High Street (back 9th Street - Locust Street - 7th Street) - 15th Street - Center Street - 19th Street - Cottage Grove - 19th Street (back MLK Jr Parkway - Cottage Grove) - MLK Jr Parkway - Hickman Road - 30th Street - Leado Avenue - Urbandale Avenue - Beaver Avenue - Aurora Avenue - Merle Hay Mall & Haymarket 30 40 60 60 60
15 6th Ave DART Central Station - 6th Avenue (back 7th Street) - Douglas Avenue - Park Fair Mall (back Douglas Avenue - Cornell Street - Euclid Avenue) 20 20 60 30 30
16 Douglas Avenue DART Central Station - 6th Avenue - Mulberry Street (back 7th Street) - 8th Street (back 9th Street) - 9th Street - University Avenue - 31st Street - 16th Street - Hickman Road - Broadlawns Medical Center - Hickman Road - MLK Jr Parkway - Douglas Avenue (shuttles along Lover Beaver Road and to Meredith & Hoover Schools) - Merle Hay Road - Merle Hay Mall & Haymarket 20 20 30 30 60
17 Hubbell Ave / Altoona DART Central Station - 6th Avenue (back 7th Street) - University Avenue - Hubbell Avenue - 29th Avenue ( - Douglas - 26th Street) - East Euclid Avenue - Hubbell Avenue - 8th Street SW - 36th Avenue SW - Outlets of Des Moines/Altoona 15 30 60 60 60
50 Euclid / Douglas Crosstown* Merle Hay Mall & Haymarket - Merle Hay Road - Douglas Avenue - Euclid Avenue - East Euclid Avenue - Hubbell Avenue - East 42nd St & Hubbell Ave (back East 42nd Street - East Douglas Avenue - East 38th Street) *Does not to go DART Central Station 40 40 40
52 Valley West / Jordan Creek Crosstown DART Central Station - 6th Avenue (back 7th Street) - I-235 - Valley West Mall - I-235 - Jordan Creek Parkway - EP True Parkway - 68th Street - Jordan Creek Town Center (back Mills Civic Parkway - I-35) 30-40 40 60 60 60
60 Ingersoll/University DART Central Station - 6th Avenue (back 7th Street) - University Avenue - 24th Street - Ingersoll Avenue - 17th Street - Locust Street - 7th Street (back 6th Avenue - Grand Avenue) - DART Central Station 20 20 60 40 40
72 West Des Moines Loop* Service operates between DART Central Station and Airport South Park & Ride, including destinations at Wakonda Shopping Center and Iowa Center for Higher Education. Does not to go DART Central Station 30-60 60 60 60 60
74 NW Urbandale* Operates between the Windsor Heights Walmart, Valley West Mall, Mercer/Marsh and the business parks in northwest Urbandale. Does not to go DART Central Station 45-60

Express rush hour-only routes:

№ Name Route № of AM
peak trips		 № of PM
peak trips
to
Downtown		 from
Downtown		 to
Downtown		 from
Downtown
92 Hickman Downtown Des Moines - I-235 - 63rd Street - Hickman Road - 72nd Street - Buccaneer Arena - 73rd Street - Hickman Road - NW 108th Street - Clive Hotel Park&Ride - NW 111st Street (back Hickman Road) - Hickman Road - Hickman & 156th Street Park & Ride 7 4 7 7
93 NW 86th Downtown Des Moines - I-235 - NW 98th Street - Crescent Chase 7 4 8 8
94 Westown Downtown Des Moines - I-235 - 22nd Street - Westown Parkway - Valley West Mall - Westown Parkway - Jordan Creek Parkway - Wells Fargo 3 3
95 Vista Downtown Des Moines - I-235 - Valley West Drive - Ashworth Road - 39th Street - Woodland Avenue - 50th Street - Ashworth Road - Prairie View Drive - Vista Drive - Wells Fargo 4 4
96 EP True Downtown Des Moines - I-235 - 73rd Street - Office Park Road - 11th Street - Ashworth Road - 13th Street - Grand Avenue - EP True Parkway - Jordan Creek Town Center 4 4
98 Ankeny Downtown Des Moines - Mercy North Park & Ride - Hawkeye Park & Ride - Ankeny DMACC 8 6 10 10
99 Altoona Downtown Des Moines - I-235 - East Euclid Avenue - Hubbel Avenue - SW 8th Street - Walmart - SW 8th Street - NW 5th Avenue - Adventureland Drive - Adventureland Drive & Prairie Meadows Drive 4 2 4 4

Shuttles
  • The LINK (free)
  • D-Line Shuttle (free)
  • Iowa State Fair Park & Ride Shuttle

Flex Connect in Urbandale/NW Des Moines

Flex Connect is a new on-demand service DART is testing that connects riders in the Flex Connect zone to DART buses. Flex Connect replaced Flex Route 73 in Urbandale and Windsor Heights.

With Flex Connect, riders in the zone can book an Uber, YellowCabCo. taxi or a DART accessible vehicle to take them to and from one of three transfer points: Gloria Dei Park & Ride, Buccaneer Arena Park & Ride or Merle Hay Mall. From there, riders can connect to DART buses via routes 5, 14, 16, 50, 92 or 93.

Flex Connect operates Monday – Friday, from 5:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

On Call
  • Ankeny
  • Bondurant
  • Easter Lake
  • Grimes

References
  1. "FY 2013 Annual Report" (PDF). DART.
  2. Hancock, Jason (October 22, 2006). "Miller hopes DART scores a bull's-eye". Business Record.
  3. Conetzkey, Chris (March 27, 2010). "DART's budget: Exploring the need for route reductions". Business Record.
  4. Taylor, Chad (September 6, 2012). "Two weeks on the bus". Cityview.
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