Around Des Moines

There were several points of interest at the April 22nd meeting of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) Commission. First, the date of the meeting as listed on DART’s website is April 29th, not the 22nd. In addition, in keeping with tradition, the agenda of the meeting was not posted to the organization’s website prior to the meeting. Also as usual, of all the media, commissioners, staff, and members of the public in attendance, I was the only person riding the bus from the meeting. The number of media in attendance was much higher than I have seen in the past, though.

Some very important topics that included decisions with financial consequences were discussed. Recent accidents led to a discussion of an updated safety action plan. The approval at last month’s meeting of fare increases led to a discussion on the OTT monthly pass for low-income riders. Waukee’s city council’s action to reverse its decision to join DART led to a discussion on revising the authority’s funding formula. There was also an update on the downtown shuttle and regular departmental reports.

The high visibility accidents of recent months that injured pedestrians and damaged cars attracted the attention of much local media. Far more telling, in my opinion, was the discussion on OTT passes. As discussed in the report of the March 25th DART Commission meeting, OTT stands for Opportunities Through Transit and the program subsidizes monthly passes for ultra low-income riders. Applications are available at community centers in Des Moines and the passes are available to qualifying Polk County residents. Funding for OTT comes from the City of Des Moines, Polk County, and DART. In the March 25th report, I reported incorrectly the source of Polk County funds for OTT. In the county budget there is a line item for paratransit. However, the county recently used about $7,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money to help pay for DART drivers. Under current terms, the Polk County funds contribute $2.50 per OTT pass. The county’s contribution to the program has not increased for several years.

DART handles administration of the OTT program and covers the approximately $33,000 annual administrative cost. In addition, DART contributes over $90,000 to the program by direct subsidy of the monthly pass. The issue before the commission in April was to decide if the pass should rise to $21, as initially approved at the March 25th meeting, or if it should keep the charge at $17. Currently approximately 433 people use OTT passes and 25 people are on a waiting list. The commission was presented the options of raising the subsidized fare to $21 and not dropping any current pass holders or of retaining the $17 rate and reducing pass availability by over 100. Ultimately the Commission chose to keep the rate at $17, not to drop anybody, and somehow to find the extra $3,000 per month that will be required in subsidies when new DART fares take effect on June 1, 2008.

After the meeting I asked DART General Manager Brad Miller how he would have decided which 127 OTT pass holders would be dropped had that been the Commission’s choice. He did not have an answer. Although, during the meeting Miller said, “people come and go regularly on this.” That turnover occurs because an OTT pass recipient is dropped if he or she fails to buy a pass in three consecutive months. Des Moines City Manager Rick Clark, participating as an alternate for Des Moines City Councilor and DART Commissioner Christine Hensley, expressed concern about a long waiting list if such a list was not ranked by need.

Miller said that the City of West Des Moines uses $35,000 from its CDBG to buy annual passes for low-income residents. Thus, residents of that city who qualify and apply can ride DART for free. Applications are processed on a first come-first served basis.

DART Development Officer Brian Litchfield said that for every $1 increase in the OTT monthly pass, 30 people could be removed from the waiting list. However, given the low incomes of OTT recipients, commissioners and staff were extremely concerned about requiring recipients to pay any additional money.

Litchfield reported to the commission that the Davis Brown Law Firm and Mercy Medical Center have joined the Unlimited Access program. In addition, DART and the City of Des Moines are in talks to include the city in this program that allows free rides for people associated with participating companies or institutions. Commission Chairman Skip Conkling said that Mercy had been a proponent of Sunday service because many of its employees ride the bus to work.

Information on other components of the April 22nd DART Commission meeting will be reported on in Part 2.

M.R. Field writes about local issues for AroundDesMoines.com.