Public transportation is bigger than the bus. Done well, it provides an essential service that more than transports people — it transforms lives, creates opportunities and revitalizes communities. At KCATA, we believe when we connect more people to opportunity, we all get to a better place.
ONE AUTHORITY, CONNECTING ALL.
You don’t have to be a rider to be on board.
Even if you don’t take the bus, chances are, someone in your circle does. Teachers. Students. Servers at your favorite restaurant. Hospital staff. Anyone minimizing their environmental impact.
Public transportation is more than just a ride. It delivers opportunity for all — riders, operators, employees, and nonriders — across neighborhoods, cities, and regions. It’s vital infrastructure that keeps communities connected and the economy humming.
When you connect more people to the things that matter most — jobs, housing, healthcare, education — that’s transformation at work.
COMPLETED TRIPS:
98.3
%
IN JUNE OF 2024
ON-TIME PERFORMANCE:
86.1
%
IN JUNE OF 2024
EXCEEDING NATIONAL RIDER SATISFACTION BY:
27
%
(Above the national avg. for U.S. transit agencies)
Public transportation is bigger than the bus.
Greater mobility revitalizes our communities with greater revenue.
When we all have access to public transportation, it creates equity in access to jobs and education. It delivers customers to the front door of local stores. It spurs business growth and housing development along the route corridor. And it sustains nearly 600 KCATA employees with living wages.
Access for all means opportunity for everyone.
"For the average driver, living closer to multiple activity centers can save around $920 to $1,200 in annual transportation expenses and reduce their carbon footprint by 2,455 to 3,020 pounds of carbon dioxide."
Brookings Institute
TOGETHER, WE'RE BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH COLLABORATION.
Transit-Oriented Community Development (TOCD) is a big name with a simple premise: people-first urban planning.
TOCD is a way to build places and neighborhoods where it's convenient to use public transportation, walk, bike or roll. It creates community, not congestion. By design, TOCD generates job centers and safer, more affordable, more vibrant living spaces.
With KCATA as a development partner, TOCD enables a more equitable, inclusive future by connecting more people to the things that matter most.
"Low-income communities are significantly less likely to have access to parks and other opportunities for safe recreational walking and are less likely to have sidewalks, marked crosswalks, and street design to support safer, slower speeds."
Smart Growth America
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Progress as promised: We committed ourselves to making public transportation better for all. See how we're moving forward.
Our mission is to connect people to opportunities.
We do this in two ways: by operating the region’s largest public transportation system, and by spearheading Transportation-Oriented Community development projects so that people can have public transportation nearby.
As a bi-state authority for seven counties and 100+ cities across the Kansas City region, our federal compact enables us to do what others can’t, to care about what others don’t, and to access funds that others aren’t. Public transportation is critical infrastructure for driving equity and prosperity, and at KCATA we are always looking ahead, exploring innovative solutions and employing best practices to foster rider satisfaction and enable the professional growth of our employees.
Our Federal Compact Enables us to Blur Regional Boundaries
We believe Public Transportation Drives Equity and Prosperity
We Connect People to Opportunities Across Four Pillars: Housing, Jobs, Healthcare and Education.
Public Transportation
To get people going
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RideKC is our public facing brand.
We hit the streets in two states, serving more than 32,000 riders daily. We provide safe, reliable service and we’re constantly making improvements big and small to create a better transit system. While the buses you see on the street are a big part of what we do – modern modes of transportation are also in our wheelhouse. We support multiple contemporary services including: MAX lines, IRIS On-Demand, Micro-transit, Freedom, Flex, The KC Streetcar, and the Bike KC program.
Recent progress includes:
Increased rider satisfaction in multiple areas from 2021 to 2022
+20% increase in reliability of service
+17% increase in on-time performance
+11% increase in operator and staff professionalism/friendliness
Reported an overall rider satisfaction rating 27% above the U.S. average
Launched the RideKC Performance Dashboard to increase transparency
Shuttled thousands of champion Chiefs fans to celebrate the Super Bowl win
Led innovative transit approach to NFL Draft, with zero fare service for thousands of football fans
Implemented industry-leading recruitment and training of KCATA operators, mechanics and staff
Initiated Adopt-A-Stop pilot program to enhance bus stop and shelter experience
Introduced first Battery Electric Buses (BEBs) to lead the region in implementing alternative fuel public transit vehicles
Improved MAX route frequencies
Installed USB ports on MAX route buses for on-board personal device charging
Made Wi-Fi available for passengers on buses with internet connections
Opened the East Village Transit Center for improved passenger experience including indoor, climate-controlled facility
Expanded funding for Security Team staffing to respond to safety and security issues of Bus Operators and Passengers
Launched IRIS On-Demand Transit to complement RideKC bus services
Continued partnership with KCMO, KCSA and others on Main Street Streetcar Extension to UMKC and Plaza
Continued partnership with KCMO on cycle track between 2nd and 3rd Streets and Grand (coupled with 3rd and Grand Development project)
Continued action plan development to address on-street real time signage and kiosk issues at stops and transit centers
Development
To build more ways to connect
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Public transportation is only at its best when more and more people have easy and convenient access to it.
KCATA is leading the way on a national level, as one of the first transit authorities to establish a development division focused on Transit-oriented Community Development (TOCDs).
TOCD development is the deliberate practice of creating places and neighborhoods where it’s convenient to use public transportation, walk, bike or roll. They have become a best practice nationwide, and create vital, equitable and healthier cities. KCATA is built to bring TOCDs to our region. Because we are in neighborhoods across the region, we truly know our community and where TOCDs would provide the most value. We have the experience, people and relationships to make these transportation hubs a reality.
Recent progress includes:
Seven (7) approved TOCD facility projects, including affordable housing, senior housing, and mixed income housing.
Applied to the Federal Transportation Administration for funding to study a bi-state rail corridor extending from Topeka, KS to Independence, MO that would increase accessibility for residents across 15 counties
Initiated East-West Corridor Study with KCMO, KCSA, Jackson County, UG and KUHS to evaluate service improvements from KU Medical Center to the Truman Sports Complex and to assess opportunities for reinvestment in adjacent communities
Supported Bi-state Reinvestment Corridor Study to explore and improve sustainability-focused services from the Legends to Truman Plaza in Independence and encourage reinvestments in adjacent communities
Initiated an Origin-Destination Study and Route Restoration Work to better understand where and how people move throughout the KC area, resulting in revitalized and reoriented services
We issued RFPs to promote TOCD redevelopment of large vacant properties, including a large site in KC’s Northland, formerly home to KMART.
The integral role of public transportation in community development
Michael Riley & Tyler Means | Kansas City Business Journal
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