DART's route reductions will require Des Moines Public Schools to hire 10 additional drivers in the coming months.

Why it matters: Hundreds of students will be affected by the changes, potentially facing longer commutes or walks to stops under the new transportation plan.

• The shift comes as the district is already grappling with budget shortfalls, declining enrollment and long-term restructuring.

Driving the news: At least one DART route serving Callanan, Meredith and Merrill middle schools, as well as East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, and Roosevelt high schools, is being cut, district officials said in a statement to parents on Wednesday.

Catch up quick: DART is launching a redesigned network on June 14 that cuts more than half its routes and shifts toward more frequent service on the busiest streets, with wider stop spacing intended to speed up trips.

• The cuts are intended to modernize and better align services with current travel patterns, after years of budget challenges.

Stunning stat: With the new design and fewer stops, the agency estimates that 15% more jobs will be reachable within 45 minutes for the average resident.

Yes, but: The changes reduce DART's ability to serve school routes, Sarah Welch, a spokesperson for the agency, tells Axios.

Context: DART's routes have supplemented the district's roughly 70 drivers and 50 bus associates through a long-standing partnership.

• The district covers DART's costs for school service and funds free DART access for staff and limited free rides for middle and high school students.

By the numbers: DART provides over 3,400 DMPS student trips per day, according to information DART published in June.

• The new network will reduce the number of school routes DART makes in the upcoming school year by 20%, from 45 to 36.
• Over 500 students will be affected, Samantha Sonnichsen, the district's transportation director, tells Axios.

What we're watching: Whether student attendance or family complaints become pressure points once the new routes take effect.

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Six Iowa counties received failing grades for unhealthy ozone levels, while Polk County received a D, per the latest American Lung Association report.

Why it matters: Ozone pollution can irritate lungs, trigger asthma attacks and make breathing harder, especially for children, seniors and people with lung disease.

State of play: The report uses rolling three-year monitoring data.

• Iowa's latest ozone results, covering 2022–2024, are mostly unchanged from the previous year's report.

Yes, but: The measure of "bad air days" caused by tiny particles — often from sources like wildfire smoke or diesel exhaust — improved slightly in the latest report.

Zoom in: Bremer, Clinton, Harrison, Linn, Palo Alto and Scott counties received failing ozone grades.

• No Iowa county failed because of high particle pollution days in the latest report.

Caveat: The report includes only counties with official air pollution monitoring data from federal, state, local or tribal monitors. In Iowa, that means 15 of 99 counties were listed.

• In the Des Moines area, Dallas, Warren, Jasper and Story counties were not included.

The big picture: More than 152 million people in the U.S. live in places that received failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution.

• That includes just over 500,000 people in Iowa.

Three Des Moines projects are wrapping up this week, reopening key routes for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians after years of work.

• Water Works floodgate: A roughly $2 million upgrade near George Flagg Parkway and Fleur Drive can seal part of the levee system in under 30 minutes, versus up to seven hours with the old system.
• Walnut Street Bridge: The $19.1 million replacement restores a downtown river crossing and ends months of detours.
• Principal Riverwalk: Portions closed for Walnut Street Bridge and other nearby improvements are also reopening.

🥘 Panka on Ingersoll is no longer closing after entering a partnership with Flame Group, which owns Flame the Taqueria. (Facebook)

🏊 Des Moines is hosting the USA Triathlon national competitions in 2027 and 2028. (WHO-13)

🧑‍⚖️ MAHA activists are calling for a crackdown on glyphosate, an active ingredient used in Roundup. The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on whether states can enforce cancer warning labels on the weedkiller, which the Trump administration opposes. (Axios)

Correctly guess Jason's location by 4pm today for a chance to win two plants at next week's Spring Garden Market, courtesy of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

• Two winners will be announced in tomorrow's newsletter.