DART’s new bus network starts June 14, cutting routes and stops

DART‘s redesigned bus network went live on Sunday, June 14, and it is already changing daily travel across the Des Moines metro. The agency says the overhaul replaces the old fixed-route system with a smaller, corridor-focused network on the busiest streets, with fewer stops and more frequent service on selected routes.

That matters for commuters, students, medical riders and people who depend on transit for errands or work. DART’s live launch page says the new system uses 10 main routes. In an April press release, the agency said current bus routes would be replaced with 11 routes. The bottom line for riders is the same: check the new map before assuming your old stop or transfer still works.

What changed

DART says four corridors will have 15-minute service, and weekend service, especially on Sundays, is better than before. Axios Des Moines reported the redesign as a cut from 27 fixed routes to 10, along with the removal of about 900 of the system’s 1,600 bus stops.

The biggest impact will fall on riders who use DART to get to work, school, health care appointments and grocery stores. Some trips should be simpler and faster on core corridors, but riders away from those main streets may need to walk farther or rebuild their transfer plans.

Free rides through June 30

DART says bus routes are free from June 14 through June 30 as riders adjust to the new network. Fares resume on July 1. The free-ride offer applies to bus routes only; Paratransit and DART On Demand still collect fares during that period.

For Des Moines-area residents, the change is more than a transit shuffle. It is a practical update to how people get to work, class, appointments and errands across the metro this summer.

Sources

• DART — New Ways to Move: Starting June 14
• Axios Des Moines — DART's new bus network launches Sunday with 17 fewer routes