The story
DART was founded in 1973 as the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, commonly known as the MTA. Formed by a partnership of the cities of Des Moines, West Des Moines, Clive, Windsor Heights, and Urbandale. The MTA eventually developed a 14-county carpool and vanpool system in addition to its bus system.
By 2006, population growth in varying regions of central Iowa led to Polk County and nineteen cities forming a regional transportation agency following changes to Iowa law in 2005.
Sunday service was added for the first time in 2007. In 2008, a free shuttle linked downtown Des Moines with the Iowa State Capitol.
DART has offered a Park & Ride service during the Iowa State Fair since 2006.
Free wifi connectivity began to be offered on all buses in 2018. This was implemented at the same time new fareboxes were installed, which required an internet connection.
DART began a pilot electric bus program in October 2020, starting with seven Proterra Catalyst buses on route 60 (Ingersoll/University). The pilot program was funded by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration, with a local match from MidAmerican Energy. Due to numerous issues with the buses, including suspension and weatherproofing issues, all seven buses were sidelined in fall 2022 shortly before their major manufacturer warranties expired. Despite attempts from Proterra technicians to address the issues, they were never fully resolved, and the buses were retired from the DART fleet in early 2025.
DART is represented by a board of 12 Commissioners, one from each member government it serves. DART serves Altoona, Ankeny, Bondurant, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Johnston, Pleasant Hill, Urbandale, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, and greater Polk County.
In 2023, the system received 10,808 boardings on weekdays, 5,237 on Saturdays, and 3,335 on Sundays
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In December 2025, DART announced the first major redesign of the bus route network in over a decade. The redesign, named Reimagine DART, reduced the number of routes from 27 to 11. Peak-only weekday express routes were eliminated, and most routes in the new network operate seven days a week. The new routes prioritize faster and more reliable service, with most routes having 15- to 30-minute intervals. The new network also features three microtransit zones in Altoona, Ankeny, and Clive-Urbandale. The new routes began service on June 14, 2026.
From Wikipedia’s article on Des Moines Area Regional Transit, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4