[DSM-Iowa] Good News from DART

Mon Apr 29 00:12:52 UTC 2024

Good Evening DSM Chapter:

I was looking at something on the Dart website, and found the below article
that I don't think anyone's posted yet. This is definitely relevant to the
March meeting!

$3.6 Million in One-Time MPO Award Helps DART Maintain Services for Two
Years

Posted on April, 23 2024

The Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) Policy Committee awarded DART
$3.6 million from its Carbon Reduction Program last week. These one-time
funds will go to DART's capital budget, allowing the organization to
purchase buses, and provide flexibility to use more federal funds for
operating expenses. At today's DART budget hearing, the DART Commission
voted to use the equivalent amount of federal funds to fill a budget gap and
to maintain services for two years, while the Commission engages member
communities in planning for longer-term stability. 

"We greatly appreciate the investment of these funds in DART, which allows
us to maintain a critical service people depend on to get to work, school
and medical appointments," said Russ Trimble, West Des Moines Mayor and DART
Commission Chair. "Our efforts are just beginning as we embark on an
intensive process that must arrive at a clear consensus on the services our
regional public transit system provides and a commitment among all member
communities to fund that system into the future."

The one-time MPO funds will cover two funding gaps. One gap is due to
operating costs rising faster than property tax revenues. The other is due
to the City of Des Moines' contribution to DART increasing under a new
formula adopted by the DART Commission, which aligns how much each member
community contributes with the level of services received. 

DART will still make $500,000 in administrative expense cuts in fiscal year
2025 to balance its budget; these will likely include eliminating onboard
Wi-Fi, reducing customer service hours, and making a handful of other
administrative and customer amenity changes that will be finalized and
shared as part of a detailed budget staff will present to the Commission in
June. In addition, DART expects to collect public input and consider
eliminating the D-Line due to low ridership and some funding sources
specific to that service not continuing.   

The DART Commission will have until December 2025 to determine funding and
service levels for the regional transit system to address both funding gaps
ahead of DART's FY 2027 budget conversations. By that point, DART will have
a $4.7 million shortfall due to the funding formula implementation, as well
as an estimated $2 million budget gap based on current service levels and
property tax commitments.

"This funding speaks to how many people believe public transit is essential
to our region. Of the nearly 2,000 people who participated in public input
last fall, the vast majority indicated they wanted to see service levels
maintained or even increased. This reflects that the level of transit
services available in our region hasn't increased over the last 15 years,"
said DART CEO Amanda Wanke. "We have difficult conversations ahead as we
work to find consensus on how to fund regional transit services, and I
remain committed to my goal of elevating how public transit is an investment
that drives economic growth and quality of life in our region."

About DART 

The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) is Iowa's largest, and
only, regional transit agency, providing service in and around Polk County.
DART operates a family of transportation services, providing 3.2 million
annual rides that connect thousands of people every day to jobs, school,
healthcare and other essential destinations. Twelve communities make up
DART's service area, where the agency carries out its mission to enrich
lives, connect communities and expand opportunities for central Iowans. For
more information about DART services, schedules, route changes, or
directions to the nearest DART stop, visit the website at ridedart.com,
download the free MyDART app or call 515-283-8100.

Taken from

$3.6 Million in One-Time MPO Award Helps DART Maintain Services for Two
Years | DART - Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (ridedart.com)
<https://www.ridedart.com/news-archive/36-million-one-time-mpo-award-helps-d
art-maintain-services-two-years> 

Scott Van Gorp, President
National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
Phone: 515-720-5282
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Live the life you want.

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