Pleasant Hill becomes latest municipality to drop DART
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DART's free D-Line downtown shuttle was one of the services that faced possible cuts earlier this year. Photo: Courtesy of DART
Pleasant Hill City Council agreed to withdraw its membership and $400,000 annual contribution to DART, citing a low rate of return on investment for the transit services on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The budget hit comes as the regional transit agency wrestles with post-pandemic changes in ridership and increasing operational costs that risk widespread service reductions.
- For residents, the move could mean the end of a popular Iowa State Fair park-and-ride location and door-to-door services for people with disabilities who travel in Pleasant Hill.
The big picture: Iowa's new state limits on city and county tax growth are driving the decisions, forcing local governments to make tough choices, DART commissioner Ross Grooters, the only Pleasant Hill Councilperson to vote against withdrawing, tells Axios.
- West Des Moines Mayor and DART chairperson Russ Trimble tells Axios that he wouldn't be surprised if other metro communities drop DART membership, too, as concerns about funding continue.
Catch up quick: DART is a regional service comprising a dozen metro communities surrounding Des Moines.
- Member governments contribute to help pay its cost via a formula mainly based on the services their community receives. The city of DSM is the largest member.
- The Metropolitan Planning Organization recently allocated millions more dollars to the system to maintain its core services for two years as transit officials work to get the agency to longer-term stability.
Driving the news: Pleasant Hill's council's vote to withdraw from DART is effective June 30, 2026, ending its more than 15-year membership.
Flashback: Grimes City Council voted late last year to withdraw its nearly $650,000 annual participation with DART after a city analysis estimated just 13 unique bus riders used the service there annually.
- Its membership ends in July 2025.
Details: DART's Pleasant Hill route runs Monday-Friday and connects with downtown and other metro routes. More than 2,800 boardings were recorded in the city last year, up from just under 2,450 the prior year.
- The service also provided nearly 2,200 paratransit trips for disabled people that started or ended in the city last year.
- Plus: Thousands of Iowa State Fairgoers annually use DART's Iowa State Fair shuttles from parking lots at Southeast Polk High School.
What we're watching: Transit officials recently launched a "Reimagine DART" campaign to redesign its network starting in summer 2026, an effort that was underway before Pleasant Hill proposed ending its membership.
- That could mean more micro-transit services like Uber to make the system more efficient or usable, DART CEO Amanda Wanke tells Axios.
What's next: DART will meet with various groups, including the Iowa State Fair, about possible alternatives to Pleasant Hill's exodus, per Wanke.
- The agency's commission is expected to vote on final recommendations for a network redesign late next year.