page_title: Downtown Des Moines
section_title: Transportation
hierarchical_section_title: Downtown Des Moines / Transportation
caption_attribution_description: English: A view of 8th Street in Downtown Des Moines
context_page_description: Downtown Des Moines is the central business district of Des Moines, Iowa and the Greater Des Moines Metropolitan Area. Downtown Des Moines is defined by the City of Des Moines as located between the Des Moines River to the east, the Raccoon River to the south, Center Street to the north, and 18th and 15th Streets to the west.
  In 2014, Downtown Des Moines was listed as the number one "up-and-coming downtown" in America, by Fortune.com.
context_section_description: Downtown Des Moines is connected to I-235, which runs past the north portion of downtown and connects downtown to I-80 and I-35. Other major thoroughfares connecting downtown to the remainder of the city are Fleur Drive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway and Keosauqua Way. Major streets in downtown are Locust Street, Grand Ave, and Court Ave.
  Downtown Des Moines is served by the Des Moines metro's transportation authority, Des Moines Area Regional Transit (DART). DART has several routes serving downtown, including a state-of-the-art, LEED certified transit station known as DART Central Station. Additionally, DART operates a free downtown shuttle on Route 42 known as the D-Line Shuttle. This shuttle runs from the steps of the Iowa State Capitol to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park.
  Additionally, Des Moines is served by a wide variety of taxi cab companies. In 2014, the popular ride share service Uber was introduced, much to the dismay of the Des Moines City Council. Many members of the city council believe that Uber should follow local taxi regulations while others believe the service should operate as an app rather than a taxi service.
  One unique aspect of Des Moines transportation is the expansive network of skywalks connecting the downtown buildings. The skywalk network is over four miles long and reaches as far as Wells Fargo Arena. Most of the skywalk system is air conditioned and features automatic doors. Expanded hours keep the skywalk open late into the night and early in the morning. The city has made an effort to better connect the skywalk system to the sidewalk, resulting in many new sidewalk access stairways and elevators throughout the system. The city has also created an expansive directory system to aid travelers in navigating the system.
caption: An example of a Des Moines skywalk connecting buildings. These unique connections are seen throughout Des Moines.
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