'Exclude no one': Des Moines residents urge City Council to fund DART and avoid route cuts

Concerns over the sustainability of Iowa's only regional transit system took center stage at the Des Moines City Council meeting Monday night.

Multiple community members pleaded with the City Council to help keep the bus system afloat after Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority officials said they will likely have to make "drastic" cuts to its bus services should the council not approve at least a partial amount of new funding.

Cody Dolinsek, a philosophy professor at Drake University, urged council members to think about people who rely on the bus system. Dolinsek, who is blind, said that he uses the transit service to get to his job at the university, and added those who can't work due to a lack of transportation options have a harder time participating in society.

More: DART asks Des Moines to 'compromise' with lower franchise fee to avoid service cuts

"Even if people do what we might consider minimal work, it is still work that is valued by someone and there ought to be a transportation system in place that would exclude no one," Dolinsek said.

DART, which is primarily funded through property taxes, faces an estimated $2.7 million deficit in fiscal year 2025 if Des Moines doesn't increase its share of funding, DART officials contend.

This means the transit system could see a 40% reduction in services over the next five years, with the first round starting in November affecting nearly all local bus routes in Des Moines. For the majority of public transit users, the proposed cuts would likely mean longer wait times; less frequent bus service, with some routes running only at peak travel times; and limited weekend service.

Alternatively, the City Council could vote to increase its franchise fee, a tax on gas and electric bills, up to 2.5% to fund public transit, a step that was authorized last year by state lawmakers. That would offer, at least temporarily, a reprieve from cuts to current bus routes and service levels, according to DART officials.

DART officials previously told the Des Moines Register that it was urging the council to make its decision sometime in the first few months of the year for DART to begin its budget process.

As of Monday, transportation and city officials confirmed conversations are continuing. For its part, DART is preparing more than one budget for the fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1, "to allow for maximum flexibility as the City of Des Moines weighs what level of funding it can contribute over the next few years," DART spokesperson Sarah Welch said in an email to the Register.

Des Moines community member Abby Bankes, who said she was taught by Dolinsek, told council members he's just one of the "million" reasons to keep DART alive.

Bankes said she has talked to multiple DART users and said it's clear the city has done an "absolutely abysmal" job of communicating the impacts of potential service cuts.

Also on Monday, council members approved a rezoning request to allow DART to relocate its operations and maintenance facility from 1100 DART Way to 3500 Vandalia Ave. DART officials say they're now moving forward with the first phase at an estimated cost of $35 million, with 75% from federal funding and 25% from local funding already secured.

Just before the vote, council member Joe Gatto said: "I'm glad we're not seeing a cut with this since that's all we've heard about is cuts with DART. I'm glad we're able to, I guess, at least get their new maintenance facility built without a franchise fee being passed by Des Moines."

During her speaking time, Bankes addressed Gatto's comment, calling it "childish" and "uncalled for."

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines council urged to fund DART, avoid bus route cuts