DART to Share Proposed New Bus Network in September

All DART bus routes and services will change beginning in summer 2026 to meet Central Iowa’s evolving travel needs. The changes are part of DART’s effort to redesign its transit network through Reimagine DART.  

Now, we want feedback on the draft bus network. 

Starting September 3, riders and community members can view:  

• A map of proposed bus routes and microtransit services 

• Proposed hours that service will run 

• How often buses will run on each route 

• Bus stop locations 

Your input matters! Our goal is to provide public transportation that is useful to as many people as possible with the funding we have. 

We will present a summary of the feedback we collect to the DART Commission (DART’s governing body) in October. Staff also will consider the input as we finalize the new network. 
 

How We Got Here

In April, DART asked for input on two options for designing a new bus network. Based on public feedback, the DART Commission directed DART staff to design a new network that supports higher ridership, which means fewer bus routes running more often in the busiest areas of the metro, while also adding microtransit service in some suburbs to serve a wider area. The Commission also told us to design a network with 10% less service than DART offers today, in order to limit property tax growth.

Read more about the DART Commission’s decisions for the draft bus network here.  

How to Give Input in September

• Look at the proposed map and take a survey at reimagineDARTdsm.com. 
   

• Print a paper survey (available in early September) and return it to DART Customer Service, in-person at DART Central Station or by mail:  

          Attn: DART Customer Service 

          DART 

          620 Cherry St. 

          Des Moines, IA 50309 

• Attend a public meeting. At each meeting, DART staff will give a presentation and answer questions. You can also view a large map and take a survey. Each person who attends a meeting and completes a survey will receive a promo code for one free weekly bus pass in the MyDART app.  

DART Public Meeting Schedule

• September 9, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • 2^nd Floor of DART Central Station, 620 Cherry St., Des Moines
     
• September 9, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
  • Franklin Avenue Library, 5000 Franklin Ave., Des Moines (Located on Route 5) 
     
• September 11, 5 - 6 p.m.
  • Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library, 1250 SW District Dr., Ankeny (Located in the DART On Demand zone)
     
• September 16, 5 - 6 p.m.
  • West Des Moines Public Library, 4000 Mills Civic Pkwy., West Des Moines (Located on Route 72)
     
• September 17, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
  • East Side Library, 2559 Hubbell Ave., Des Moines (Located on Route 17)
     
• September 18, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
  • Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), 100 Army Post Rd., Des Moines (Located on Route 7)
     
• September 22, 5 - 6 p.m.
  • Urbandale Public Library, 3520 86th St., Urbandale (Located on Route 93)
     
• September 24, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
  • Virtual (Click here for Zoom link)
     
• September 25, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
  • Caring Hands of Iowa, 602 3^rd St. SW, Altoona