DART tells Windsor Heights council transit serves 3.5 million trips a year, outlines year-long redesign

DART Chief Executive Amanda Wony told the Windsor Heights City Council on Nov. 4 that regional transit is “absolutely essential” to the area's economy and social equity, and outlined a year-long Reimagine DART process to redesign service.

Wony said DART provides roughly 3.5 million trips each year and that most trips are work-related. “When you think about Transit we provide 3.5 million trips a year… the number one reason people are taking trips is to get to work,” she said, and added that the agency’s paratransit and vanpool services serve residents who otherwise lack transportation options.

Why it matters: Wony framed transit as an economic driver and a safety-net for people meeting the poverty threshold or without a vehicle. She told the council Windsor Heights has seen increases in fixed-route boardings and nearly 4,300 paratransit trips that begin or end in the city, arguing that maintaining regional service attracts employers and workers to the area.

Details from the presentation: Wony outlined several points the council may weigh in budget and policy discussions: DART’s phased property-tax formula (now about halfway implemented), the agency’s recent cost-cutting steps (eliminating some support positions and public Wi‑Fi), and fleet changes including more 30-foot buses and on-demand vehicles for paratransit. She provided a high-level cost benchmark for bus operating cost per revenue mile, saying DART’s figure was lower than an industry average cited in the slides.

Wony also described specific programs: DART maintains a contract to provide transportation for Des Moines Public Schools, which she said runs near break-even and is “about a million dollars a year” in payments from the district. She described the Caravan vanpool program as a decades-old service being adjusted to reach financial break-even and said microtransit pilots produced mixed results: some zones performed well while others were discontinued because of cost or rider preference for fixed routes.

Timeline and next steps: Wony said the Reimagine DART process will gather public input in spring, offer draft network options mid-process and seeks commission agreement on a final service plan in December so rollout can begin with the FY27 budget in July 2027. She urged continued member-community involvement and noted that federal capital funding amplifies local dollars.

Council questions and clarifications at the meeting focused on whether DART still provides DMPS transportation (Wony confirmed the contract and the approximate annual payment), the history and viability of Caravan vanpooling, how microtransit complements fixed routes, and rising paratransit demand tied to an aging population. Wony said the agency is working to balance regional goals and local affordability as it seeks consensus among member communities.

The council took no formal action on DART’s presentation; the agency will continue its regional workshops and community outreach as part of the Reimagine DART timetable.