Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) is hosting three Public Hearing Workshops to gain input and comments on proposed changes to DART Statewide Bus Services to become effective Sunday, September 11, 2022.
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Wilmington Public Library (The Commons), 10 East 10th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
Wednesday, June 15, 2022 – 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Georgetown Public Library (Meeting Room B), 123 West Pine Street, Georgetown, DE 19947
Thursday, June 16, 2022 – 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
DelDOT Administration Bldg. (Farmington/Felton Conf Room, north entrance), 800 S. Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901
In addition to these in-person workshops there will be a recorded on-line presentation (also in an accessible format) of DART’s proposal that may be reviewed beginning June 7, 2022, through the end of the comment period on June 24, 2022. Please type this URL into your browser to view: https://dartfirststate.com/Outreach/PublicHearings/index.shtml
For your convenience, the summary of proposed service changes, maps and specific schedules are available on-line and at the reception desks of DART Administrative Offices in Wilmington and Dover, and at the Lewes Transit Center, and at the Wilmington, Dover, and Georgetown Public Libraries. For information on an alternative format, please call (302) 760-2827.
The workshop will begin with an open house format (approx. 15 mins.), allowing attendees to view proposed schedules, interact with staff, receive clarification, and fill out comment forms. The remainder of the workshop will include a presentation of the proposed service changes, followed by public testimony for those interested in providing comments to the audience, and to the hearing reporter. Attendees may also provide comments privately to the hearing reporter during the open house or following public testimony. Comments can be sent to: DART Public Hearing, 119 Lower Beech Street, Wilmington, DE 19805-4440 by June 24, 2022, or via email at DOTDTCWeb@delaware.gov.
Summary of proposed changes by County:
New Castle County
The following Routes would have schedule adjustments to improve on-time performance:
Weekdays – 4, 8, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25, 28, 35, 42, 61, 64, 301
Weekends – 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 25, 33, 35, 40 and 64
Route 2 – Select weekday and Saturday Route 2 trips would operate as the Route 35. Weekday trips would depart Wilmington Transit Center for Brandywine Town Center at 5:40 AM, 6:30 AM, and 7:10 AM, and depart Brandywine Town Center for Wilmington Transit Center at 2:34 PM, 3:14 PM, and 4:14 PM. Saturday trip times would depart Wilmington Transit Center at 6:20 AM and depart Brandywine Town Center at 3:13 PM toward Wilmington.
Route 4 – All trips would serve the new Wegman’s onsite in both directions.
Route 8 – Weekday trips would be reduced to operate every 60 minutes in the AM peak hour. Mid-day service and PM rush hour would remain at 30-minute intervals. An additional early-morning trip would be added. Trip times would be coordinated to better meet Port of Wilmington work shifts and customer demand.
Routes 13 & 31 – Route 31 would be eliminated and both routes would be combined into a new Route 13 with most trips serving the Bellefonte Community. Some weekday trips would continue to operate via Philadelphia Pike skipping Bellefonte. Bellevue Park Corporate Center and Claymont Station would not be served. Route 61 weekday service would be improved to operate hourly connecting the Claymont Train Station with Route 13 at Philadelphia Pike. The downtown routing through Wilmington would be revised to travel along Orange to 11th, to Walnut and 16th Streets replacing portions of Route 31. Alternate bus stops would still be available on Philadelphia Pike for riders to access the Bellevue Corporate Center. (See map) All weekday rush hour trips would serve Airport Plaza.
Route 14 – Discontinue the 10:55 PM weeknight trip from Miller Road Shopping Center to DHSS and the 11:50 PM trip from DHSS to Rodney Square due to low ridership.
Route 15 – On weekdays, the 4:55 AM trip from Wilmington to Christiana Mall would not serve Twin Spans and remain on Wilmington Road due to low ridership. The 8:55 AM trip from Christiana Mall to Wilmington would not serve Creekwood Industrial Park due to low ridership.
Route 18 – Express trips would be converted into local trips. Service would be rescheduled to operate every 45 minutes. The 5:10 AM trip from Wilmington Transit Center to Foulk & Naamans Roads would be discontinued due to low ridership. A new trip would begin at Prices Corner Park & Ride at 5:30 AM and end at Foulk and Naamans Roads.
Route 20 – Due to low ridership, approximately half of existing trips would be eliminated and onsite service to Chestnut Run facility would be discontinued. (See map)
Route 25 – Selected weekday trips would no longer serve Amazon on Frenchtown Rd (PHL 1) and Amazon’s ILG1 facility (Tybouts Corner) due to low ridership:
Southbound to Wrangle Hill Park & Ride (Skip ILG1) — 4:33, 9:05, 9:30, 10:00, 10:37 AM; 2:05, 2:20, 6:25 PM
Southbound to Wrangle Hill Park & Ride (Skip PHL1) — 10:00 AM; 4:33, 10:40 PM
Northbound towards Miller Road Shopping Center (Skip ILG1) — 8:30, 8:54, 9:18, 10:35 AM; 12:04, 12:45 PM
Northbound towards Miller Road Shopping Center (Skip PHL1) — 10:35 AM; 4:25, 11:45 PM
Also, the 11:45 PM weeknight trip from Wrangle Hill to Miller Road Shopping Center would be discontinued due to low ridership.
Route 28 – All trips from 9 AM until 4 PM would be extended from Wilmington DMV to Probation & Parole/Zenith.
Route 33 – Fairplay Station would no longer be served from Wilmington at 7:30 AM, and from Newark at 7:30 AM and 8:55 PM.
Route 35 -Weekday service would be reduced due to low ridership. Trips would operate from Wilmington in the AM and to Wilmington in the PM, with no weekday mid-day service. New limited Saturday service would be operated to serve Shipley Manor. CHUBB would not be served on-site, but at bus stops along Concord Pike. In downtown Wilmington, the routing to Brandywine Town Center would be changed to follow Walnut, 8th, French, and 10th Streets to match the routing on Route 2.
Route 42 – Due to low ridership the 6:22 PM trip from Delaware & Adams to Peoples Plaza, the 5:40 AM and the 6:26 PM trips from Peoples Plaza would be discontinued. Service to the I-95 Service Plaza would be discontinued on all trips due to low ridership.
Route 44 – Due to low ridership on weekdays, the 7:15 and the 8:35 PM trips from Delaware City and the 7:55 and 9:15 PM trips from Christiana Mall would be discontinued. Due to low ridership on Saturdays, the 8:15 AM and 6:10 PM trips from Delaware City and the 9:00 AM and 6:55 PM trips from Christiana Mall would be discontinued.
Route 53 – Due to low ridership, the weeknight 10:43 PM trip from Newark Transit Hub to Wrangle Hill Park & Ride would be discontinued.
Route 54 – Due to low ridership on weekdays, the 10:00 PM trip from Wilton to Christiana Mall and the 10:00 PM trip from Fairplay Station to Wilton would be discontinued.
Route 55 – Due to low ridership, the weeknight 10:10 PM trip from Christiana Mall to Newark, and on Saturday the 6:20 AM trip from Christiana Mall to Newark would be discontinued.
Route 61 – Service to Concord Mall and Rocky Run Boulevard would be discontinued and the route would end at the Brandywine Town Center Park and Ride. Service would be maintained on Concord Pike and serve the existing CHUBB bus stop, and continued service to the Market Square Shopping Center near TJ Maxx. Service would be improved to operate hourly and would continue to serve the Claymont Train Station offering better connections with Route 13 at Philadelphia Pike. The final trip leaving Claymont Train Station would be at 7:20 PM. (See map)
Route 64 – Weekday service would be revised to operate every 60 minutes instead of every 50 minutes. Due to low ridership, the 9:05 PM trip from Christiana Mall to Peoples Plaza would be discontinued. The 9:50 PM and 10:45 PM trips from Christiana Mall would be discontinued, but a new trip would depart Christiana Mall at 10:20 PM. The 8:59 PM trip from Peoples Plaza to Christiana Mall would be discontinued due to low ridership. On Saturdays, the following trips would be discontinued due to low ridership: 8:58 PM trip from Christiana Mall to Peoples Plaza and 8:00 PM trip from Peoples Plaza to Christiana Mall. On Sundays, the following trips would be discontinued due to low ridership: 8:30 AM trip from Christiana Mall to Peoples Plaza and 7:30 AM trip from Peoples Plaza to Christiana Mall. All Sunday trips would begin and end at Christiana Mall Target instead of the Park & Ride.
Holiday Service would be offered on Bus Routes 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 15, 33, 40, 47 and 64 for Monday, December 26, 2022, and January 2, 2023. Service would operate on a Sunday schedule, where Route 47 would operate on a Saturday schedule.
Kent and Sussex Counties – Minor schedule adjustments are proposed to improve on-time performance.
Intercounty – Minor schedule adjustments are proposed to improve on-time performance.
Route 301 – Service to/from DMV Dover would be discontinued (See map). The following schedule adjustments are proposed:
- Discontinue 4:10 AM trip from Wilmington to Dover.
- Convert two express trips, 6:10 AM and 1:40 PM, into local service.
- Delaware State University and Christiana Mall would be served from Dover on the 7:20 AM and 8:30 AM departures.
- Some trip departure times from Wilmington and Dover would be shifted by a few minutes.
For more information, visit DartFirstState.com or call 1-800-652-DART