Draft Network

Thank you for taking the time to help reimagine our bus network!

How did we get to a Draft Network?

During the first phase of public input in April, we showed two options for what the transit network could look like based on different priorities. Using feedback from the public, the DART Commission (DART’s governing body) directed staff to design a new network leaning towards services that can achieve high ridership with a preference for coverage in Altoona, Ankeny and Clive.

The Draft Network follows that direction by moving away from bus routes that run only during the weekday commute times to providing bus routes that run more often all day and all week along the busiest corridors. We also introduce microtransit service to serve a wider area in some suburban communities.

Additionally, the Commission gave staff direction to limit budget growth. The Draft Network has approximately 10% less total hours of service than today’s network.

The result of redesigning services: More residents are close to public transit, and more residents have access to frequent, 15-minute service in the Draft Network than today.

Overview of the Existing Network

First, let’s take a look at DART’s current bus network. Today’s network has only one frequent route (15-minute frequency or less). Some routes come every 20-60 minutes on weekdays, but other routes run only during peak morning and afternoon hours on weekdays.

In the map below, the frequency of service is shown by the color of the lines on the map.

Red lines mean a bus is coming every 15 minutes most of the day.
Purple lines mean a bus is coming every 20 minutes.
Dark blue lines mean a bus is coming every 30 minutes.
Light blue lines mean a bus is coming every 60 minutes.
Brown lines mean a bus that only runs during peak hours.

Brown zones are microtransit zones. Here, you would use an app or call DART Customer Service to get a ride to another place within the zone.

This object is a map portraying Greater Des Moines, and the Existing DART bus routes. On this map, routes are represented by frequency during the midday on weekdays. Routes that run every 15 minutes or better are shown in red. Routes that run every 20 minutes are shown in purple. Routes that run every 30 minutes are in dark blue. Routes that run every 60 minutes are in light blue. Routes that run less frequently or only during peak times are shown in brown. There are 27 total fixed bus routes. Only 1 corridor has service every 15 minutes, 13 routes run every 20-60 minutes on weekdays, and 13 routes run only during peak times on weekdays. There is also one microtransit zone that operates in Ankeny on weekdays, shown as a brown zone.

Click on the map to view it in your web browser.

Overview of the Draft Network

The map below shows the Draft Network. Notice that there are fewer total routes, but in many places, the service runs more often than today. The Draft Network has four routes that run every 15 minutes.

This object is a map portraying Greater Des Moines, and the bus routes of the Draft Network. On this map, routes are represented by frequency during the midday on weekdays. Routes that run every 15 minutes or better are shown in red. Routes that run every 30 minutes are in dark blue. Routes that run every 60 minutes are in light blue. Microtransit service is shown as brown zones. There are 10 main fixed bus routes, but they are generally more frequent. Four corridors have service every 15 minutes, 8 routes run every 30 minutes, and 2 routes run every 60 minutes. There are also 3 microtransit zones that operate in Altoona, Ankeny, and Clive. There are also four boxes on the map with notes. The first box says: Faster Transfers – Bus routes are scheduled to meet at DART Central Station and leave at the same time, making transfers shorter and travel times faster. The second box says: Bus Stops – Bus stops are spaced farther apart (about every 3-4 blocks) for faster, more reliable bus service. Connections Across Town: Route 4 travels in two directions from DART Central Station and connects to several routes. The portion of Route 9L in Ankeny travels in two directions to support local travel. The third box says: Frequent Service – Nearly all routes run 7 days a week with the same frequency most of the day. Less Service Hours: Service runs weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., Saturdays from 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sundays from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Three less total hours of service than today). Route 9L from Park Fair Mall to Ankeny and microtransit run weekdays only from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. The fourth box says: Microtransit – Trips can be booked when you want a ride during service hours with wait times up to 30 minutes. Trips run from a main street corner to a key destination within the zone. Paratransit: Service zones are not featured on this map but will continue to be provided as is today.

Click on the map to view it in your web browser.

For turn-by-turn directions of the routes in the Draft Network click here.”

To view an interactive map with bus stops, click here.

When is service available?

The previous maps showed the service in the middle of the day, but it’s also important to consider when the service runs throughout the week.

Fewer total hours of service

The new network shortens the times in which service is offered on weekdays and Saturdays. This decision was made because DART needed to reduce the total amount of service by approximately 10%. The early morning and late evening are when the least amount of people use DART.

The proposed new service hours are:

  • Monday - Friday: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Current hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
  • Saturday: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Current hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
  • Sunday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (No change in hours)

More service on weekends

Today, most routes run every 60 minutes on the weekends. In the Draft Network, most routes run with the same frequency all week. This means routes that run every 15 minutes on weekdays also run every 15 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays for most of the day.

Exception: Route 9L (from Park Fair Mall to Ankeny) and the microtransit zones run weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Click here to view route schedules in the Existing Network.

Click here to view route schedules in the Draft Network.

Key Differences

In addition to where and when routes go, there are a few key differences in the Draft Network.

Timed Transfers Provide Faster Travel Times

In the Draft Network, routes are scheduled to meet at DART Central Station at the same time. This will make waiting to transfer to other bus routes shorter, and riders will have faster travel times across the region.

Wider Bus Stop Spacing for Faster, More Reliable Service

Today, DART bus stops are very close together with a bus stop about every other block. The Draft Network has wider bus stop spacing with a stop about every 3–4 blocks, on average. This means that some people may need to walk a little farther to a bus stop, but buses will be faster and more reliable because they will stop less often.

Click here to see the bus stops in the Draft Network.

Microtransit Zones Offer Some Transit Access in Suburban Areas

These microtransit zones are different than today’s DART On Demand in Ankeny. The design of this service is meant to connect with DART’s bus routes and provide some access to transit in areas where bus routes do not operate.

Microtransit service is only able to fulfill between 2–4 trips per hour. These zones have been designed to maximize the number of trips DART can provide. In these zones,

Outcomes of the Draft Network

The Draft Network has been designed to provide more useful service to more people.

Access to Jobs

With the Draft Network, in 45 minutes…

  • The average resident can reach 21% more jobs than in the Existing Network.
  • The average low-income resident can reach 18% more jobs.
  • The average household without a car can reach 12% more jobs.
  • The average resident of color can reach 18% more jobs.

Increasing access to jobs also increases access to shopping, education, recreational areas, social events, places of worship and other destinations throughout the region.

Proximity to Transit

More residents are close to public transit in the Draft Network compared to the Existing Network:

  • 7% more residents are near 15-minute bus service.
  • 5% more residents are near any bus service.
  • 10% more jobs are near 15-minute bus service.
  • 7% more jobs are near any bus service.

Longer walks in some places

Although most residents would continue to have service nearby, some would have to walk farther. In some places where two routes are close together today, they are combined in the Draft Network to provide a single more frequent, more useful bus route.

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT NETWORK!

Click here to take the Survey!

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