DART Introduces NEW Rt. 43 Middletown-Odessa Bus Service

Wilmington -- On Monday, June 22, 2009, DART First State replaced the Middletown Shuttle, with the new, greatly expanded Route 43. The new service connects both Middletown and Odessa with the Route 299 Park & Ride facility, also known as the Odessa Park & Ride. The Route 43 service was designed with input from our partners at the Towns of Middletown and Odessa, DelDOT and area developers.

Offering 25 weekday round-trips from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., the new Route 43 enhances the levels of transit service previously available throughout the Middletown area, while maintaining convenient connections with DART Intercounty Route 301, with service between Wilmington and Dover, and the Route 45 traveling between Odessa and Wilmington.

The service area of the new Route 43 extends from the intersection of US 13 and Route 299 in Odessa to the Wal-Mart on US 301 at the west end. Along the way, the bus serves residential, retail and educational sites including the Appoquinimink Library, Middletown Crossing, Bethesda United Methodist Church, downtown Middletown, South Ridge, Bunker Hill, Middletown Village and the Kohls Department Store.

The week before service implementation, DART representatives conducted outreach to over 180 businesses along the route path. Each business received bus schedules, and in some cases, a supply of flyers and posters.

The Route 43 is the first step from DART in a plan to serve Middletown as a local destination. Work will soon begin on step two, a project to expand the Route 299 Park & Ride facility in Odessa, which is currently in excess of capacity. The project will be funded through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and includes the relocation of the entrance, a new signal and a pedestrian and bike path. Also, other Park & Ride sites are being planned through DelDOT Project Development.

To learn more about the route, schedule and fare information for the new Middletown and Odessa Route 43, call DART Customer Service at 1-800-652-DART or visit www.DartFirstState.com.