DART proposes schedule changes for August

Want to ride the bus from Merle Hay Mall to the Grand View University area without the agony and time of having to change bus routes downtown? Care to hop on earlier in the morning?

If the plans of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) are approved, you might be able to do those things and more come this August, as described by DART officials in literature and meetings held during the week of April 16. The plans would be considered by the DART Board of Commissioners in May and if all plans are approved, the service changes would begin this August.

“We are looking at some pretty major service changes in August,” noted Amanda Wanke, the chief engagement and communications officer for DART at a public forum on April 16. “The big things are the schedule changes.”

Participants in the Monday forum, and in an online Facebook meeting on April 17 asked about increased service on routes around the Des Moines area. “There’s more needs than there’s the financial resources,” Wanke noted. “As a public entity, we have to ensure that we’re good stewards of the resources we have. One of the key measurements of the success of our services is the number of riders, so we need to ensure that we put service in the times and places that people will use it.”

The major proposed change is the inauguration of a crosstown route on Douglas and Euclid Avenues which would run from Merle Hay Mall east to Hubbell and E. 42nd in the Capitol Heights area of Des Moines. While this route would not go through the DART Central Station, located in downtown Des Moines, it would intersect many of the north-south routes such as the ones on Beaver Avenue, 6th Avenue and East 14th Streets. It would run every 40 minutes on weekdays.

Moreover this routes passes near several places such as the Polk County River Place, Goodwill of Central Iowa, Harding Middle School, the Park Fair shopping center area and the Hy-Vee grocery store. This route was funded through a clean air grant from the state, noted Wanke.

Another change would involve the #10 route which would run on East University Avenue near Iowa Lutheran Hospital. The relocation of the #10 route would eliminate trips by the Iowa State Capitol area. The Iowa State Capitol area is also served by the #1 route (which runs to the Iowa State Fairgrounds) and the #4 route (which runs up East 14th Street). The #1 and #4 routes would not change, according to materials from DART.

Plans also call for increased service on some of DART’s routes, such as the ones from downtown to the Iowa State Fairgrounds (#1), University Avenue to Valley West Mall (#3), Indianola Avenue to SouthRidge Mall (#6), SW 9th to SouthRidge Mall (#7), 6th Avenue to Highland Park (#15) and the limited stop route (#52) which serves the Valley West and Jordan Creek areas via Interstates-235/35/80. Frequencies on these routes would be increased to 20 or 30-minute intervals. In addition, earlier starting times would be instituted on Mondays through Sundays.

DART is collecting feedback from riders and other interested parties in the Des Moines area. People can attend a public meeting in the multimodal room, 2nd floor at the DART Central Station (620 Cherry Street, downtown Des Moines) today, Wednesday, April 18 at noon.

There will be several Grab and Go events in which staff will answer questions and distribute materials as well:

• Wednesday, April 18, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., DART Central Station, 620 Cherry Street, Des Moines;
• Thursday, April 19, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., Java Joe’s Coffee House, 4944 Douglas Avenue;
• Thursday, April 19 on Routes 3 (University Avenue to Valley West Mall) and 52 (Valley West and Jordan Creek areas);
• Friday, April 20, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Polk County River Place, 2309 Euclid Avenue;
• Monday, April 23, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Route 17.

Comments can also be submitted on DART’s Facebook page or e-mailed to dart@ridedart.com.