University Avenue bus service enhancement being proposed

Weekday evening service would be enhanced on the University Avenue route to Valley West Mall later this year, one of several proposed transit service enhancements discussed at a meeting on April 15.

                With the proposed enhancement, evening service on the University Avenue route would increase from 60 to 40 minutes. Plans also call for two additional trips on the 86th Street express route, in the morning and evening. Other plans include improving service on the Douglas Avenue routes from 60 to 30 minutes on weekday evenings; overhauling the Urbandale flex route; adding evening service on the Indianola/SE 14th route, adding morning and afternoon trips on the Hubbell Avenue route to Altoona and adding another morning trip on the Fleur Drive route. Aside from the University Avenue service, most of the changes are slated to take place in August.

                Most notably, the flex route which connects the Des Moines Ice Arena in Urbandale with the Urbandale business park to the west of Interstate-35/80 would be replaced with two flex routes, both of which would run during the morning and afternoon hours. One route would go from Valley West Mall to the Urbandale business park via 100th Street, Douglas Avenue and Meredith Drive; the other one would go from the Des Moines Ice Arena to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church via 72nd/70th Streets and Meredith Drive.

                The current route, which runs during the morning and afternoon times, can make stops within its zone, which buffers the route, to pick up passengers who have made arrangements in advance, as well as along the route. If the plans are approved, the new routes might become effective this August.

                That route had been under study, noted Jim Tishim, the planning director for DART, due to concerns about ridership. There had been an appearance of low ridership on that route, especially after 2012 when service in that area changed. Subsequently, DART officials met with area businesses and conducted studies of where workers in Urbandale lived using zip codes; many of these workers who work in Urbandale live in West Des Moines.

                The proposed route going to the Urbandale business park would connect with the University Avenue, West Des Moines/Clive flex routes and Des Moines-West Des Moines crosstown routes at Valley West Mall. “I think it is a better option,” Tishim said.

                Underlying both of these proposed routes are recommendations to restrict the flex zones, incorporate deviations from the routes, evaluate the bus stops and make the Hickman Express route consistent with the other express routes from the western suburbs. Currently the Hickman Express leaves Interstate-235 at the Keo Way exit and heads into downtown via 9th Street. This route misses the office complexes in the Western Gateway part of the central business district. Plans call for the route to exit Interstate-235 at Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and head south to Ingersoll Avenue, and follow Ingersoll Avenue and High Streets into downtown as do the other express routes from the western suburbs currently do.

                Plans for the Hickman express route include two additional morning and two additional afternoon trips. The proposed flex routes would also tie in improved service on the NW 86th Street Express route, which would be adding two additional morning and two additional afternoon trips.

                 DART will attend two meetings about the proposed service enhancements for this year. One will be held at 2 p.m. at the DART Central Station, 620 Cherry Street in downtown Des Moines, the other one will be held at 5 p.m., at Ankeny City Hall, 410 W. First in Ankeny. Those who cannot attend the meetings or who would like to provide additional comments should call DART at 515-283-8100, via e-mail at dart@ridedart.com (mailto:dart@ridedart.com?subject=Public%Meeting) or by mail at Attn: DART Forward 2035, Dart Central Station, 620 Cherry Street, Des Moines, IA 50309. Free language, visual, hearing services are available at meetings upon request. Transportation services are also available. For requests, please call DART at 515-283-8100 with as much advance notice as possible.

                DART is also conducting an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/04-14servicesurvey).  The survey can also be requested by phone at 515-283-8100.