DART Revamps Bus System: Fewer Routes, More Frequent ServiceThe Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) has approved a major overhaul of its bus system, reducing routes but increasing frequency on remaining ones. This aims to create a more reliable, all-day service, though some areas will see reduced coverage and longer walks to stops.Meanwhile, Bondurant, Pleasant Hill, and Grimes have decided to leave DART due to low ridership, with Bondurants departure effective July 1, 2027. Bondurants Mayor, Doug Elrod, cited low usage and lack of value as reasons for the decision. However, both Bondurant and Pleasant Hill are interested in maintaining paratransit service.The new DART system will replace 27 current routes with 10 main routes, focusing on all-day service on busy streets. Four core corridors will have buses every 15 minutes during most of the day. Changes are set to begin in June 2026, with new on-demand microtransit zones launching in the fall. This is DARTs first major redesign since its formation in 2006, expected to increase accessible destinations by 15% for the average Des Moines metro resident within 45 minutes on weekdays.
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