DART First State
Parent | Delaware Department of Transportation |
---|---|
Founded | 1994 |
Headquarters | 900 Public Safety Boulevard Dover, Delaware 119 Lower Beech Street Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
Locale | Delaware |
Service area | Delaware |
Service type | Local and intercity bus service |
Routes | 54 bus 3 on-demand zones |
Stops | 2,295 (April 2024)[1] |
Fleet | 246 bus 286 paratransit[2] |
Daily ridership | 30,700 (weekdays, Q4 2023)[3] |
Annual ridership | 8,034,800 (2023)[4] |
Chief executive | John Sisson |
Website | dartfirststate |
The Delaware Transit Corporation, operating as DART First State, is the only
Although most of its bus routes run in and around
DART was awarded the prestigious Public Transportation System Outstanding Achievement Award by the American Public Transportation Association in 2003.[5]
History
DART First State traces its origins back to June 30, 1864, when the Wilmington City Railroad Company began
The
In 1994, the Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) was created by the Delaware General Assembly to manage and operate DART, the Delaware Administration for Specialized Transportation, the Delaware Railroad Administration, and the Commuter Services Administration. DTC operates DART First State bus service throughout the state along with contracting with SEPTA Regional Rail to provide commuter rail service along the Wilmington/Newark Line in New Castle County.[6]
DART First State was named "Most Outstanding Public Transportation System" in 2003 by the American Public Transportation Association.[5]
In 2016, DART First State received a $2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for six battery electric buses to be used in the Dover area. In 2017, the agency received a $1 million grant from the FTA for ten battery electric buses, eight of which would be used in New Castle County while the other two would be used in Sussex County.[7] The FTA gave DART First State a $2.6 million grant to purchase more electric buses in 2019.[8] DART First State's fleet of battery electric buses are manufactured by Proterra and Gillig.[9][10][2]
Fixed-route bus service
New Castle County
DART First State operates thirty fixed route bus routes throughout
Kent County
DART First State operates ten fixed route bus routes within the
Sussex County
DART First State operates a total of nine bus routes within Sussex County. Seven of these routes offer year-round fixed route bus service within Sussex County, serving Georgetown, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Millsboro, Bridgeville, Seaford, Laurel, Delmar, and Milford. These bus routes operate Monday through Friday with some Saturday service. These routes are numbered in the 200-series.[11] One of the year-round routes serving Seaford is a "Flex Route", where passengers can make reservations for the bus to pick them up within a mile off the fixed route and also flag the bus at any location in designated Flag Zones; this route is numbered as Route 903F.[12] Bus service in Sussex County is operated under contract by Transdev.
Beach Bus
During the summer months, DART operates expanded service on four of its year-round routes in addition to two summer-only routes, collectively branded as "Beach Bus" services. These buses hub at the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride and
Intercounty Service
DART First State operates four intercounty bus routes which connect the three counties. Route 301 operates weekday and limited Saturday service between Downtown Wilmington, Christiana Mall, Middletown, Smyrna, and Dover and Route 302 operates weekday service between Middletown and Dover via Townsend and Smyrna, connecting the New Castle County and Kent County fixed route systems. Route 303 operates weekday service between Dover and Georgetown and Route 307 operates weekday service between Dover and Lewes, connecting the Kent County and Sussex County fixed route systems.[11] During the summer months, DART First State operates Route 305 "Beach Connection" on weekends and holidays, connecting Wilmington, Christiana Mall, Middletown, and Dover with Lewes Transit Center from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.[13] DART First State directly operates all these routes except Route 303, which is operated under contract by Transdev.
DART Connect
DART Connect is a microtransit service operated by DART First State in the city of Newark in New Castle County and the Georgetown and Millsboro areas in Sussex County. The service operates similar to a rideshare and provides on-demand service using minibuses, as opposed to a traditional bus service that follows a published schedule. Rides can be booked using the DART Connect app or over the phone. Fares are the same as traditional bus service. DART Connect service is offered Monday-Friday year-round. DART Connect service began in the Georgetown and Millsboro areas on April 12, 2021, replacing Flex Routes 901F and 902F.[14] In August 2023, DART Connect service began in Newark, replacing the UNICITY bus service that ended service on September 29, 2023.[15]
Paratransit service
DART First State offers
Rail service
DART First State, through DelDOT, funds the segment of the Wilmington/Newark Line of SEPTA Regional Rail within the state of Delaware. SEPTA operates the service under contract with DART First State. Signage at the Delaware stations differs from that at other SEPTA Regional Rail stations, as the stations are owned by DART First State and not SEPTA. These trains originate in Philadelphia and operate to Wilmington station in Wilmington, with an intermediate stop at Claymont station. Some weekday rush-hour trains continue on to Newark station in Newark, with an intermediate stop at Churchmans Crossing station, located near the Delaware Park horse racing track and casino.[17]
Park and ride lots
There are 37
Delaware Commute Solutions
Company type | Parent DART First State | |
---|---|---|
Website | delawarecommutesolutions |
Delaware Commute Solutions was formed by DART First State in 1997 in order to reduce traffic and encourage alternative transportation arrangements. It helps form carpools and vanpools and offers commuter programs, such as a Guaranteed Ride Home and a
Fares
Most DART First State bus routes have a base fare of $2 per zone. Routes 61 and 62 have a base fare of $1. Cash fares must be paid in exact change.[20] DART First State bus fares may also be paid with DART Pass, a smartphone app.[21] A reduced fare of $0.80 per zone is available for senior citizens, Medicare card holders, and disabled persons. Kids below 46" (limit two per adult) and the blind ride for free. A student fare of $1 per zone is available, with a student ID required for students age 17 and older. DART First State does not issue transfers. DART First State offers a Daily Pass for $4 per zone, a 7-Consecutive Day Pass for $16 per zone, a 30-Consecutive Day Pass for $60 per zone, and a 20-Ride Pass (DART Pass app only) for $26 per zone. DART First State has three fare zones which correspond with the three counties of Delaware.[20]
The fare for ADA Paratransit trips is $4 while the fare for non-ADA Demand Response Trips is $6. A County Connector fee of $4 is charged on paratransit trips that cross into another county. Paratransit fares must be paid in cash with exact change or with paratransit strip tickets. DART First State offers $2 paratransit strip tickets available as a strip of 6 tickets for $12.[20]
Former fare payment methods
Until February 2021, DART First State offered a stored value card called DARTCard that could be used to pay for single-ride bus fares or a Daily Pass. DARTCards were available in six denominations (Gold, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple, and Platinum) ranging from $9.60 to $65 for regular fares along with a $14 Red DARTCard for reduced fares for senior citizens and disabled persons. DARTCards provided a discount off the regular fare, with the discount increasing the more expensive the card is. For example, the Gold DARTCard cost $9.60 and had a value of $12 for a 20% discount; while the Platinum DARTCard cost $65 and had a value of $108 for a 40% discount. The reduced fare DARTCard cost $14 and had a value of $46 for a 70% discount. DARTCards were not rechargeable and a new one must be purchased once the value is used up. DARTCards were available from DART First State by purchasing over the phone, by mail, or online; they were also available at select retailers across the state.[22]
SEPTA Trail Passes on a SEPTA Key card were formerly allowed to be used on buses in northern New Castle County. On January 1, 2021, SEPTA Key cards were no longer accepted on DART First State buses, as the fareboxes cannot read the card to confirm the purchase of a TrailPass and due to widespread fraudulent use.[23]
Fleet
DART First State's bus fleet consists of 246 fixed-route buses (shown in the table below) and 286 paratransit buses.
Fleet Number(s) | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Powertrain | Source | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
125–126 | 2006 | Gillig | Low Floor 29' | ISL
|
Allison B300R | [2] |
151, 153–157, 168 | 2012 | Low Floor 40' HEV | Cummins ISB
|
Allison EV40 Hybrid | ||
283–284, 286 | 2009 | Low Floor 29' | Cummins ISL | Allison B400R | ||
301–310, 312–322 | 2010 | |||||
401–438, 440, 442–472 | 2014 | Low Floor 40' | ||||
473–474 | 2015 | |||||
501–518, 520–522 | 2020 | ZF EcoLife 6AP1400B | ||||
601–606 | 2015 | Low Floor 29' | Allison B400R | |||
607–610 | 2017 | Cummins L9 | ||||
611–613 | 2019 | ZF EcoLife 6AP1400B | ||||
614–626 | 2020 | |||||
707–714 | 2019 | Proterra | Catalyst BE35 | Electric drive | Eaton EEV-7202 | |
715–716 | 2020 | Catalyst BE40 | ||||
717–720 | 2021 | Gillig | Low Floor Plus 40' BEV | |||
721–732 | 2023 | Proterra | Catalyst BE35 | |||
914–919 | 2012 | MCI | D4500
|
Cummins ISL | Allison B500R | |
920–923 | 2017 | Cummins ISX | ||||
1776–1777 | 2017 | Ford | E450
|
V10 Propane | 6spd Auto | |
21001–21021 | 2021 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' | Cummins L9 | ZF EcoLife 6AP1400B | |
22001–22014 | 2022 | Low Floor 29' | ZF EcoLife 6AP1420B | |||
22015–22030 | Low Floor 40' | |||||
23901–23904 | 2023 | Low Floor 40' suburban |
References
- ^ "Transit Schedule Data (GTFS)". DART First State. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Triphora, Emma Lexi (Jan 23, 2024). "DART First State Vehicle List". Emma Alexia's Blog. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "DE Transit – DART First State Garners Prestigious 2003 APTA National Public Transportation System Outstanding Achievement Award". State of Delaware. July 9, 2003. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
- ^ a b c "About DART". DART First State. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "DART gets $1 million grant for 10 battery-electric buses". Delaware Business Now. September 20, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ "Carney, Carper, Blunt Rochester Announce $2.6M to Delaware for Zero Emission Buses" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ a b Baker, Karl (July 25, 2016). "Electric buses on way to Dover after DART wins grant". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ a b "Delaware Transit Corporation Awarded $1 Million for Electric Buses" (Press release). DART First State. September 18, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "DART Routes and Schedules". DART First State. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "Sussex County Booklet" (PDF). DART First State. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Service Changes Proposal Booklet - May 2024" (PDF). DART First State. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "DART Connect" (PDF). DART First State. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Delaware Transit Corporation Announces DART Connect is Coming to Newark" (Press release). DART First State. August 7, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Paratransit Services". DART First State. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
- ^ "Wilmington/Newark Line schedule" (PDF). SEPTA. Jan 7, 2024. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "Park and Ride Lots". DART First State. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "About Delaware Commute Solutions". Delaware Commute Solutions. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "Fare Information". DART First State. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "DART Mobile Apps". DART First State. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "DARTCard". DART First State. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
- ^ "SEPTA Key Cards No Longer Accepted On DART Buses Effective January 1, 2021". DART First State. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on Dec 22, 2020. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.