DES MOINES, Iowa — As public transportation continues to evolve, Des Moines Area Transportation is rolling out new ways to get around the metro. 

In November, DART launched a pilot-project called DART On Demand. This is a service that provides more flexibility for riders than a traditional bus stop.

“Within a zone and Ankeny between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. people can essentially download our on-demand app from the app or Google Play Store, book a trip in real-time and it will pick you up and take you anywhere you need to go within that zone.”

Riders can be picked up right from their home and dropped off at various locations in Ankeny, including DART bus stops.

Small buses are used and trips can include more than one group.

The service allows users to schedule rides in real-time, similar to Uber or Lyft, or they can be scheduled in advance.

Along with the app, trips can be booked online or through customer service. 

“It’s $1 per ride. So as we look to pilot this technology, test it we really wanted to make sure it was affordable and we can see how it works for people. As we look to you know, implement this longer-term as part of our broader network of services. We’ll be evaluating you know what, what the fare for the service will be.”

Ankeny is currently the only city testing this out, and DART has received positive feedback so far.

They are considering advancing the service to West Des Moines although it would replace a current bus route.