Engagement

Engagement Phase 1 – April 2025

In the first phase of Reimagine DART, the public was asked what they think the goals for public transit in Greater Des Moines should be. How we design a transit network depends on our goal. If our goal is to get lots of people to ride the bus (high ridership), we would run frequent service where there are lots of people and jobs close together. If our goal is to reach as many places as possible (high coverage), we would spread out our bus service. We developed two concepts and asked the public what they prefer.

On average, survey respondents expressed a preference towards Ridership. Click to see the Phase 1 Survey Results Report.

Engagement Phase 2 – September 2025

In the second phase of Reimagine DART, the public viewed the proposed new bus network. The Draft Network reflected the region’s preference for high ridership, with fewer bus routes running more often along the busiest corridors, while providing some coverage services in Ankeny, Altoona and Clive. The proposed network also reflected 10% less service hours than the Existing Network based on the budget set by DART’s governing board, the DART Commission.

Throughout September, the public gave feedback on what they liked about the Draft Network and what DART should consider changing. Click to see the Phase 2 Survey Results Report.