Carper rides DART Connect to highlight innovative rural transport

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper joined passengers and representatives from Delaware Transit Corporation July 1 to see how the DART Connect pilot program helps connect rural Delawareans with affordable, reliable public transportation.

DART Connect is a rideshare-like transit experience that uses smaller vehicles to provide on-demand bus service to customers in Georgetown and Millsboro. This program was made possible by a $317,692 Federal Transit Administration Accelerating Innovative Mobility grant.

In the two months since the project launched, nearly 3,000 rides have been provided on DART Connect. The program’s flexibility allows participants to access more places than the previous fixed-route service provided. Riders are also experiencing shorter wait times and getting to their destinations faster.

“DART Connect is already proving to be a success with its ridership steadily growing and with most using the service to get to work,” said Carper, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. “This is exactly the kind of innovative program that our surface transportation reauthorization bill, which passed out of committee unanimously in May, would support. As we build on that progress in a broader bipartisan infrastructure package, climate, safety and connectivity are all top of mind. Investments in transit, clean vehicle infrastructure and rural transportation programs, including on-demand mobility services, are good for the community and good for our planet.”

For more information, go to dartfirststate.com. To access a ride, Delawareans can download the DART Connect app or call 800-652-DART, Option 3.