DART routes risk cuts without property tax increases

DART could face the most significant route reductions in its history if Des Moines metro communities who help fund it don't temporarily increase property taxes to help resolve its deficit.
 

Why it matters: DART is the metro's only public transit system.

• 61% of users don't own a car and 43% earn under $20,000 a year, according to a recent survey from the agency. The majority of riders use the buses to get to work, DART director Amanda Wanke told commissioners during a public meeting last week.

Flashback: The agency is primarily funded through property tax levies, but rates have not kept up with operating expenses and the metro's growing population, organizers shared during the meeting.