Bondurant exits DART just before major route overhaul is approved
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Bondurant will withdraw its membership from the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART), the city's mayor announced Tuesday, just minutes before the system's commission approved its most significant redesign in over a decade.
Why it matters: It's the third metro city to withdraw from the regional transit authority in recent months.
- That results in less money for the system and was seen by several DART commissioners as a blow to the metro's overall ability to serve riders.
Catch up quick: DART's system redesign to update and better match services with travel patterns has been underway for months.
- More than a dozen routes will be eliminated in late June to focus on providing more frequent service in high-traffic areas, which a consultant estimates will enhance access and the system's usefulness in key employment zones.
- It follows a funding formula realignment after years of debate among cities about how much they receive in services for their investment.
Zoom in: Much of DART's roughly $44 million budget is distributed among nearly a dozen metro governments, with DSM receiving roughly 75% of services but for years paying about a third of the cost share.
- Transit advocates have long argued that regional services are not always financially equitable among participating governments, but overall, they provide better services for the entire metro area.
- DSM agreed to take on about half of the share in a new funding formula and recently increased its franchise fee on gas and electricity from 5% to 7.5% to help cover it.
Yes, but: Some local government officials say their residents still aren't getting enough value.
- Grimes withdrew its membership and nearly $650,000 in annual participation about five months ago after a city analysis estimated that only 13 unique bus riders used the service each year.
- Pleasant Hill decided last year to end its DART membership, discontinuing its regular route service and removing its annual $478,000 contribution starting in July next year.
What they're saying: Bondurant Mayor Doug Elrod told the commission Tuesday that only about a dozen riders use DART service in Bondurant — and most of them don't live in the city.
- The council rejected a proposed three-year membership extension that would have allowed participation in a new pilot paratransit-only service, which would have reduced Bondurant's annual contributions from $334,000 to $43,500, citing limited value to residents.
The other side: Several DART commissioners — mostly area mayors or council members — said it diminishes the regional system's value.
- "This is really upsetting to me. I see this system starting to implode," West Des Moines Mayor Russ Trimble said during Tuesday's meeting.
What we're watching: Elrod asked the DART commission to consider allowing Bondurant to proceed with withdrawing its membership while continuing to participate in the paratransit service option through June of 2027.
- That decision will likely be considered in the coming weeks.