DART's RideShare celebrates 20 years of vanpool service in Central Iowa

DES MOINES, IOWA—This month DART RideShare celebrates 20 years of providing a sustainable transportation alternative in Central Iowa. The program helps commuters locate others with like travel patterns to share rides in vanpools.

“The average RideShare commuter travels 80 miles round trip and spends nearly two hours in their van each day,” said DART Commission Chair Steve Peterson. “RideShare increases mobility and fosters economic growth. We’re helping connect hundreds of employers in Greater Des Moines with talented individuals from all over Central Iowa.”

RideShare began in October 1995 with five vanpools traveling into Polk County. Today it has nearly 90 vanpools in operation, keeping more than 10 million miles off the road and more than 2,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the air in the past year.

“By taking hundreds of single-occupancy vehicles off busy roadways, RideShare helps reduce traffic congestion, road maintenance costs and pollution emissions in the region,” said Peterson.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary DART RideShare is offering 20 percent off the first full month’s fare to any new riders who join a vanpool by Oct. 31.
To join a vanpool or learn more, contact DART RideShare by phone at 515-288-RIDE (7433), by email at rideshare@ridedart.com or visit www.ridedart.com.

The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority is the public transportation provider that serves Polk County. DART operates a family of transportation services that makes getting around the Greater Des Moines area easier and more convenient. For more information about DART services, schedules, route changes, or directions to the nearest DART stop, visit the website at www.ridedart.com or call 515-283-8100. The MyDART Tools, Trip Planner and RideTime App are now available at www.ridedart.com.

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RideShare historical fact sheet:

- The then named Central Iowa RideShare program began taking phone calls on Oct. 2, 1995, from individuals who wanted to arrange a vanpool. Operated by the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, now DART, federal aid to cut air pollution helped fund the purchase of five vans. More were quickly procured to support 13 vanpools by the end of November 1995.

- In 1995 RideShare began with five vanpools, today it has 87 on the road.

- In 1995 RideShare had 65 riders, today it has 610.

- In 1995 RideShare vans traveled a little more than 8,000 miles each month, today they travel more than 143,000 each month. RideShare has kept more than 10 million miles off the road in the past year.

- With nearly 90 vanpools and 610 commuters, in the past year DART RideShare and its riders have kept more than 2,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of our air. That’s equivalent to 906 tons of waste sent to the landfill or more than 2.5 million pounds of coal burned or nearly 6,000 barrels of oil consumed. Suffice to say, Central Iowa quality of life, transportation and environmental impact significantly profit from ridesharing.

- In 1995 RideShare served nine counties, including Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Polk, Story and Warren; today it serves 18, including Adair, Boone, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Iowa, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Story, Union, Warren and Wayne.

- In 1995 the average cost of owning and operating a vehicle was $0.412 per mile, or $6180 annually, assuming 15,000 miles of travel. Based on the 2015 AAA Your Driving Cost report, the average RideShare commuter traveling 80 miles round trip this year will save $8,000 to $10,800 on vehicle operating costs such as gas and maintenance as well as ownership costs such as insurance and registration.

- When ridesharing was first introduced in Central Iowa, vanpools could not originate within Polk County. To meet this commute need we now have seven vanpools starting within Polk County.

- Likewise, DART expanded to provide vanpools traveling to cities outside Greater Des Moines and now provides eights vanpools to Grinnell, Knoxville and Pella.

- DART RideShare is the largest vanpool program in Iowa, and in 2014 was the 26th largest transit vanpool agency according to the American Public Transit Association (APTA).

- And to further contributed to sustainability in Central Iowa, DART RideShare implemented an annual van donation program in 2014.

- There are 15 riders who have commuted with DART RideShare since 1995 (all 20 years).

- RideShare helps commuters locate others with like travel patterns to share rides in vanpools. DART has a fleet of vans used by groups of five to 12 commuters for trips to and from work, and nearly 100 vanpools in operation.