Snow and DART bus stops

The winter season often brings snowfall to the member communities we serve in central Iowa. This snow can cause issues for travelers, especially during and right after it snows. Accessibility is very important to DART, and we understand that winter weather can create barriers for some of our riders making it difficult for them to access our stops and use our services. We are working continuously with our member communities to increase awareness on the responsibilities for clearing DART stops, and to grow the number of DART stops that include either a shelter or a cement access pad.

Which stops does DART clear?

There are currently more than 1,600 DART bus stops located across our service area. Just as property owners are responsible for clearing public sidewalks, they are also expected to make sure that bus stops located on their properties are accessible if the bus stop is on a cement walkway or pad. As a result, except for bus shelters, DART relies on property owners as well as partnerships with local businesses, organizations and cities to clear bus stops.  DART staff clears snow and ice from bus shelters within 48 hours of a snowfall event.

Using Courtesy Stops for Safer Boarding and Alighting

Bus stops in grass medians and can be difficult or unsafe to clear. Because of this, we allow and encourage riders to use the courtesy stop process to get on or off the bus at a nearby safe, clear location.

• If you are boarding a bus at a stop that cannot be accessed because of snow, we invite you to stand at the next safe, cleared location, such as a sidewalk near an intersection, a driveway that’s not in use, etc. to flag down your bus. Please try to stand as near to a stop as possible. Our bus drivers are instructed to perform a courtesy stop to pick up riders who cannot access their regular stop due to snow. 
• If you are getting off a bus at a stop that cannot be accessed due to snow, please request a courtesy stop. The bus operator will drop you off at a nearby safe, cleared location, such as a sidewalk near an intersection, a driveway that’s not in use, etc. 

How to report if I can’t access my stop

If it’s been more than two days since a snowfall, and you still cannot access your bus stop due to snow, we encourage you to let DART staff know and we’ll make every effort to ensure the stop is cleared if possible.

To report a stop, riders can either:

• Email dart@ridedart.com to notify Customer Service of the issue. Please include your bus stop number, or a description of the location of your bus stop and what route you ride in your email.
• Call DART Customer Service at 515-283-8100 option 0 to report inaccessible stops.
• Or, notify Customer Service by reporting the issue to staff at the Customer Service window in the DART Central Station lobby.

Thank you for your feedback!

DART wants to thank our riders for their input and feedback regarding winter weather and our bus stops. We do hear from riders each year and use their feedback to help us pinpoint inaccessible bus stops to try and work to get them cleared or provide alternative, safe spaces for riders to get on and off buses in the winter. With more than 1,600 stops in our network, we rely on input from our riders and partnerships with cities, community organizations and property owners to make sure there are safe places for riders to get on and off our buses.