Ankeny Express service among proposed DART service enhancements

Three trips in the morning and three trips in the afternoon would be added to the Ankeny express route, one of several proposed transit service enhancements discussed at a DART public meeting held in Des Moines on April 15.

                With the proposed enhancement, evening service on the University Avenue route would increase from 60 to 40 minutes. Plans also call for adding two additional trips on the 86th Street express route, which serves West Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale and Johnston, in the morning and evening; improving service on the Douglas Avenue route from 60 to 30 minutes on weekday evenings; adding evening service on the University Avenue route to Valley West Mall so that frequency increases from 60 minutes to 40 minutes, adding evening service on the Indianola/SE 14th route; adding morning and afternoon trips on the Hubbell Avenue route to Altoona and adding another morning trip on the Fleur Drive route.

                Most notably, the flex route which connects the Des Moines Ice Arena in Urbandale with the Urbandale business park to the west of Interstate-35/80 would be replaced with two flex routes, both of which would run during the morning and afternoon hours. One route would go from Valley West Mall to the Urbandale business park via 100th Street, Douglas Avenue and Meredith Drive; the other one would go from the Des Moines Ice Arena to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church via 72nd/70th Streets and Meredith Drive.

                The current route, which runs during the morning and afternoon times, can make stops within its zone, which buffers the route, to pick up passengers who have made arrangements in advance, as well as along the route. If the plans are approved, the new routes might become effective this August.

                That route had been under study, noted Jim Tishim, the planning director for DART, due to concerns about ridership. There had been an appearance of low ridership on that route, especially after 2012 when service in that area changed. Subsequently, DART officials met with area businesses and conducted studies of where workers in Urbandale lived using zip codes; many of these workers who work in Urbandale live in West Des Moines, the northwestern part of Des Moines or on the south part of Des Moines.

                 DART will attend two meetings about the proposed service enhancements for this year. One will be held at 2 p.m. at the DART Central Station, 620 Cherry Street in downtown Des Moines, the other one will be held at 5 p.m., at Ankeny City Hall, 410 W. First in Ankeny. Those who cannot attend the meetings or who would like to provide additional comments should call DART at 515-283-8100, via e-mail at dart@ridedart.com (mailto:dart@ridedart.com?subject=Public%Meeting) or by mail at Attn: DART Forward 2035, Dart Central Station, 620 Cherry Street, Des Moines, IA 50309. Free language, visual, hearing services are available at meetings upon request. Transportation services are also available. For requests, please call DART at 515-283-8100 with as much advance notice as possible.

                DART is also conducting an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/04-14servicesurvey).  The survey can also be requested by phone at 515-283-8100.