DART Service Expands To Route 611 Corridor In Warrington Township

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Beginning this week, Bucks County Transport will begin offering DART South service to Warrington Township as the transit service reintroduces itself to the broader community.

In May, the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors approved the new bus route through the township and voted to make a $5,000 contribution to Bucks County Transport to help fund the system, which provides low-cost, convenient public transit in and around the Doylestown area.

DART plans to use the debut of the new route to reintroduce the bus service to the community “as a wider DART service for all Central Bucks residents" connecting everyone from New Britain Township to downtown Doylestown Borough and Route 611 in Warrington.

The new DART South route will include stops at the Park at Westminster, Warrington Crossings, Grundy Hall, Doylestown Pointe Shopping Center, the Shops at Village Square, Wegman’s and the Creekview Center anchored by Target, Lowe’s and Amazon Fresh, among others.

Officials will gather Thursday morning for a grand opening ribbon cutting to relaunch the new DART system during a ceremony that will be hosted by the Shops at Village Square. The celebration begins at 11 a.m. at the Shops at Valley Square, Center Court area, located at 1501 Main Street, Warrington. Legislators, county and township officials will join BCT officials to speak and explain the benefits of the new DART South route to the community and its residents.

The ribbon-cutting event is free, open to the public and refreshments will be served, courtesy of local restaurants and businesses including Ardana, Grand Rodeo, Great Barn Brewery, PF Changs, The Fusion Bar, Walmart, Wawa, and Wegmans.

According to Vince Volpe, executive director of Bucks County Transport, DART South has been discussed over the years, but it was a recent $591,000 economic development grant secured by former State Rep. Todd Polinchock that is making it possible.

“We used that money to fund the study. The funding is good through 2026 and hopefully, at that time we will be able to continue that grant,” he said.

“People who have been requesting for a long time now that we provide service down to this area will be able to take advantage of it. People who live at Grundy Hall will be able to hop right on the bus and come directly down to the shopping centers,” said Volpe.

DART primarily services senior citizens (ages 65 and older) who ride free of charge, however, it also services residents of all ages at a cost of $1 per person. The $1 fee allows passengers to hop on and hop off all day long without having to pay an additional fee.

The service is primarily funded by grants from PennDOT and matching funds from municipalities, Discover Doylestown, Delaware Valley University, and the Mercer Museum.

The Doylestown DART operates Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The weekday bus offers connections to commercial and residential locations, government offices, schools, Doylestown Hospital and other transit systems, including the train station. The Saturday service offers stops in the central business district of downtown Doylestown, Delaware Valley University and the Doylestown Shopping Center.

DART West, launched just before the pandemic, offers service to Business Route 202 on Butler Ave. through New Britain Borough, Chalfont Borough and New Britain Township out to County Line Road. The Dart West connects with the Doylestown Dart at Delaware Valley University allowing riders to access the bus route into the Doylestown area.

DART also provides service for community activities, including Doylestown Township’s Thompson Summer Concert Series and Discover Doylestown’s Arts Festival to name just a few.

The fare is $1 each way with no transfer charge between the Dart West and the Doylestown Dart. Seniors 65 and older ride for free. Bus tokens are available on board the bus at $10 for 12 tokens.

The DART System is operated by BCT in cooperation with the DART Committee. Major funding for this service is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and required matching contributions from the DART System’s partners. These include the six municipalities the DART serves, as well as the County Theater, Mercer Museum, Discover Doylestown, Delaware Valley University, and the County of Bucks. Representatives from these organizations along with local State Representatives and Senators make up the membership of the DART Committee, chaired by Lou White.