Public Transit

People at a bus stop at University Health.

Kansas City Ponders Impact of Free Bus Service

A new study has been launched to ponder the impact of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s “zero fare” policy for bus riders.

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Ride KC's River Market MAX rolls out of the transit station in Waldo on March 14, 2023.

Kansas City Votes ‘Yes’ on Public Bus Funding by Renewing Sales Tax for Another Decade

Kansas City voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved renewing a local sales tax to fund public transit for the next decade.

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KC Streetcar in the River Market.

East-West Streetcar Could Cost $600M, Need New Funding Source

Kansas City needs a new local funding source if it wants to pursue an east-west streetcar expansion that would cost up to $600 million.

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The recommended route for a North Kansas City streetcar extension would run along Swift Street.

North Kansas City Streetcar Extension Sidetracked by Financial Concerns

A proposal to extend the streetcar to North Kansas City has hit a hard fiscal reality — it’s far too expensive to build utilizing the local funding methods that have developed the system so far.

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KC Streetcar in the 1950s

Hitching a Ride Through History: The Evolution of Kansas City Public Transportation

Kansas City’s long and complex history of public transportation ends with a back-to-the-future plot twist — the return of the streetcar. We take a ride with the numbers.

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Sofia Gillespie likes to take the bus when meeting up with friends.

If More Kansas Citians Rode the Bus by Choice, it Could Shift the Whole City’s Mindset

Despite long wait times between buses, confusing route changes and other inconveniences, these Kansas Citians use public transit not because they have to, but because they want to. Here’s why that matters.

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Richard Heimer takes his seat on the RideKC bus that takes him to work every morning.

Not Everyone in Kansas City Drives a Car. This Man has Been Riding the Bus for 45 Years

Despite being designed for cars, Kansas City is home to people who rely on the bus every day. We spent a day riding along with Richard Heimer to learn what’s working and what’s not in our public transit system.

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Streetcars on Main Street

New Federal Analysis Spurs Hope for Kansas City Streetcar Extension

A new federal transit report is supportive of plans to finance a Main Street streetcar extension from downtown to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

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It’s the Journey: A Slice of Bus Life

Climb on board as we follow three Kansas City residents as they navigate daily life on our regional bus system. One surprising point agreed upon from both those who need to use it and those who want to use it: It may be the key to a stronger community. Public Works? The Cost of Our…

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The Cost of Our Public Transit | Episode 5

Get an insider’s look at what’s being done to improve the region’s public transit system and increase access to jobs in “The Cost of Our Public Transit | Episode 5,” the final of a five-part digital series looking at our city’s aging infrastructure. Public Works? The Cost of Our Aging Infrastructure is a months-long project taking you underneath the pavement to tackle the state of…

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