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West Des Moines council hears DARTreimagining plan focused on ridership vs. coverage
Summary
DART staff outlined two network concepts a0ridership and coveragea0and asked West Des Moines to state a preference before a regional vote. Officials warned budget limits and a pending state property-tax cap could force large service cuts.
Erin Hochman, chief strategy officer at the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority, told the West Des Moines City Council on April 21 that DART is asking member cities to choose priorities for a redesigned bus network: higher-frequency service on fewer corridors to boost ridership, or broader coverage to give more residents access to transit.
Hochman said the agency has designed two illustrative concepts and is collecting public input before the DART Commission votes on network priorities and a draft budget. "We know that we need to, as we design a network, have a clear conversation as a community around what our goals for our transit investment are, and how do we allocate the resources we have," Hochman said.
Why it matters: DART's operating budget is largely supported by property taxes; Hochman said the legislature is considering a bill that would cap DART's property-tax revenue growth at 2…
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