DART’s Reimagined Bus Network Drives New Opportunities for Greater Des Moines

Did you know that every $1 invested in public transit in Greater Des Moines (DSM) generates $1.48 in economic value? That's a 48% return on investment — well worth it for our region.

More importantly, we know that transit affects the lives of people who need to or choose to use it every day, whether it's to go to work, the grocery store or an event.

Public transit works best when it reflects how people move through a community. That’s what DART set out to do with Reimagine DART.

As of October 2026, we finished launching a completely redesigned bus network across DSM. It’s the first major overhaul of bus routes in more than a decade — and it’s built with a clear goal in mind: Maximize the region’s investment in transit by connecting more people to more opportunities.

community leaders during a public input meeting

Why We Reimagined DART

DART provides thousands of trips on a typical weekday, serving eight metro cities and Polk County. Each trip helps people get to work, school, healthcare, stores and other important destinations.

As travel patterns and community needs have evolved and resources become more constrained, Reimagine DART helped ensure our services align with regional priorities for public transit and meet the most critical mobility needs across the region.

A Product of Collaboration

Reimagine DART was a collaborative effort informed by robust input throughout 2025. More than 1,500 riders and residents shared feedback. More than 100 local leaders and community stakeholders participated in discussions. Elected officials from each of our member communities helped define priorities and funding levels.

The result is a new network that:

Provides more frequent service along the busiest streets, ensuring residents can reach more jobs and other opportunities in a reasonable time.
Adds On Demand service in suburban communities to give more residents in less dense areas access to public transit.
Reduces total service hours by 10% to limit property tax growth and provide service at a level member communities can afford.

Together, we have built a network that is designed for today’s needs — and sustainable for at least the next several years.

What’s in the New Network?

DART now offers these daily services:

11 bus routes that run along the busiest streets of DSM.
Three DART On Demand zones that provide local trips in Altoona, Ankeny, Clive and Urbandale.
Paratransit door-to-door service for individuals with disabilities.
Caravan vanpooling to meet workforce transportation needs across a broader Central Iowa area.

The new network offers:

Faster service, with buses coming every 15 minutes along four corridors.
Easier connections across town, without having to come into Downtown Des Moines.
Better weekend service to support today’s travel patterns.

What This Means for the Region

These improvements increase efficiency in the network and increase people’s freedom to move across DSM.

Compared with DART’s previous network:

15% more jobs are accessible within 45 minutes
7% more residents are near frequent (15-minute) service
5% more residents are near transit overall

Transit is not just a service. It’s an economic engine that supports workforce mobility, business growth and regional competitiveness. In fact, nearly nine out of 10 trips on DART allow someone to earn or spend money in our community.

An Economic Impact Study of the new network shows 2,900 workers with no other transportation option can get to work using DART and an additional 2,755 jobs are created by those workers spending their earnings. In addition, reduced congestion across the entire transportation network and increased access to customers and employees fuels a return on investment.

Hop On Board

The new network can benefit you by:

Connecting employees to jobs.
Bringing in new customers.
Helping people meet their daily needs and avoid emergency services.
Supporting quality of life and continued growth of DSM.

Connect with us in these ways:

Try the new bus routes yourself to better understand how they work. Take a tour of the new Route 4 loop or ride the bus to lunch instead of driving.
Share information about our new bus routes with employees, clients and other groups you’re connected with.
Encourage transit as a reliable, stress-free commuting option.
Explore partnerships with us, such as our Unlimited Access program.

We look forward to seeing you on board!

Let’s stay in touch! Learn more about the new bus network at rideDART.com, and follow along for more updates on DART’s Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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