DART announces proposals for updating area transit services

More shelters to protect transit riders from the wind and rain? Possibly

Service up to midnight on select routes? Possibly.

Service to Ames, Indianola, Norwalk or Waukee? Perhaps.

These are just a few of the ideas being considered in the proposed update to the DART Forward 2035 Plan, which was presented at the first of several meetings by the Des Moines Regional Transit Authority at the DART Central Station on October 12. Leaders of DART are in the process of updating the plan, which will meet the needs of the greater Des Moines area, expected to have a population of 750,000 by the year 2050.

Currently DART’s transit network has 65 percent and 85 percent of the area’s jobs within ¼ mile of all-day service. Weekday service runs from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday service runs form 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday service runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are 27 bus shelters and limited flex and on-demand services. The annual operating cost is projected to be $39.6 in 2025 and $53.9 million in 2035. The annual per-person cost is projected to be $40.99 per person in 2025 and $46.61 in 2035.

Three plans for enhanced service were drafted as a result of surveys done with riders and non-riders and other users and presented at the October 12 meeting. All of them would have such features as enhanced service hours with weekday service from 5.a.m. to midnight, Saturday service form 6 a.m. to midnight and Sunday service from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The first one, featuring minimal service enhancements, would include 69 percent of the area’s population and 82 percent of the area’s jobs within ¼ of all-day service. There would be weekday service from 5 a.m. to midnight, Saturday service from 6 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday service from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Express service might be extended to Grimes through Urbandale, as well as to the eastern part of Altoona. Ankeny might get its own express route as might Johnston. Up to 77 bus shelters would be established, along with up to 13 mobility hubs, which may include access to transit, bikeshare, carshare, rideshare and vanpooling services. Mobility hubs might be established in Ankeny, Johnston, on Hickman Road in the direction of Waukee and West Des Moines, as well as at Merle Hay Mall.

The operating cost is projected to be $49.2 million in 2025 and $66.8 million in 2035. The annual per-person cost is projected to be $58.20 in 2025 and $67.91 in 2035.

The second plan, featuring moderate service enhancements, would include 70 percent of the area’s population and 83 percent of the area’s jobs within ¼ of all-day service. There would be weekday service from 5.a.m. to midnight, Saturday service form 6 a.m. to midnight and Sunday service from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A hallmark of this plan would be enhanced corridor service into West Des Moines, along with local service to Urbandale, Johnston, Ankeny and along Hickman Road in the direction of Waukee. Up to 277 bus shelters would be established under this plan, with many of them along the University Avenue corridor into West Des Moines. That corridor would then run to Jordan Creek on 60th Street, along the route of the current Number 72 bus route. Shelters might also be established in Ankeny and Johnston. Up to 19 mobility hubs would be established in this plan, including three in West Des Moines, one in Waukee, one in Urbandale, one in Johnston and two in Ankeny.

There would be moderate investment in on-demand services, which would improve flexible travel options. There might be partnerships with transportation network companies such as Uber or Lyft.

The annual operating cost is projected to be $69.9 million in 2025 and $94.8 million in 2035. The annual per-person cost is projected to be $88.61 per person in 2025 and $108.90 in 2035.

The third plan is the most ambitious. This plan would serve 75 percent of the area’s population and 85 percent of the area’s jobs within ¼ of a mile of all-day service. If all the services were to be implemented, transit access would be provided to 10,000 more residents and 5,500 more jobs than is the case with the present network.

A hallmark of this service would be service to Ames, Indianola, Norwalk and enhanced service to Waukee. If fully implemented, Waukee would have local routes on Hickman and university, along with an express route and a shuttle route from the Jordan Creek Town Center.

If fully implemented, West Des Moines might get freeway rapid transit on the Interstate-235 corridor. As with the second option, there would be moderate investment in on-demand services, which would improve flexible travel options.

During the past year, the authority asked bus riders, residents, and business and community leaders for ideas on how public transit should evolve to meet the needs of the greater Des Moines area at this time and in the future. The information was used for the update which was presented on October 12.

DART plans to have several more meetings on the DART Forward 2035 plans through November 2.

· Thursday, October 13, 6-7 p.m. Valley Junction Community Center, 217 5th Street, West Des Moines.

· Wednesday, October 19, 2016, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pleasant Hill Public Library, 5151 Maple Drive #2, Pleasant Hill.

· Thursday, October 20, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. DART Central Station, Multimodal Room, 620 Cherry Street, Des Moines.

· Thursday, October 20, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. DMACC Southridge Campus, 1111 East Army Post Road, Des Moines.

· Monday, October 24, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Franklin Avenue Public Library, 5000 Franklin Avenue, Des Moines.

· Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Johnston Public Library, 6700 Merle Hay Road, Johnston.

· Wednesday, October 26, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Urbandale Public Library, 3520 86th Street, Urbandale.

· Thursday, October 27, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Altoona Public Library, 700 8th Street SW, Altoona.

· Friday, October 28, Noon to 1 p.m. DART Central Station, Multimodal Room, 620 Cherry Street, Des Moines.

· Tuesday, November 1, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Kirkendall Public Library, 1210 NW Prairie Ridge Drive, Ankeny.

· Wednesday, November 2, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. North Side Library, 3516 Fifth Avenue, Des Moines.

People are also encouraged to visit www.dartforward2035.com to obtain more information about the updated DART Forward 2035 plan and to provide feedback on the various options being considered. Visitors are also encouraged to request speakers from DART to speak at various groups about the updated plans and to take the surveys.

Link to view the updated DART Forward 2035 plan where visitors can provide feedback on the options being considered.