Understanding City Transportation
There are several different types of Public Transportation serving Kansas City and most of these are free to the users.
1. Street Bus
2. Max Bus
3. Street Car
4. Para Transit
Check out the App!
https://ridekc.org/fares/transit-app
KCATA -Wikipedia
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) is a public transit agency in metropolitan Kansas City. It operates the Metro Area Express (MAX) bus rapid transit service in Kansas City, Missouri, and 78 local bus routes in seven counties of Missouri and Kansas. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 10,572,100, about 40,200 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.
300 buses
31 MAX buses
6,504 Bus Stops
113 MAX Stations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Area_Transportation_Authority#External_links
Problems Addressed by Public Transportation
Employment Barriers
Transportation is a significant barrier to employment. Without transportation the employee cannot get to the location of work and get paid for the effort and skills they provide to the employer.
Although not a complete solutions Kansas City’s bus and Street Car transportation’s do a great deal to reduce this barrier.
Traffic jams along main city corridors.
A bus can carry multiple people around at the same time reducing the traffic produced by cars.
Not Enough Parking Spaces in the City Proper
This has been a problem addressed in our city for some time. The cost to have and maintain public parking spaces in our city is enormous. (Increased use of public transportation decreases the need for public spaces)
Connecting the City with ease of Transportation
This can easily be seen with the use of our Street Car on the main street corridor. It also bring back to life the areas in which the street car passes by. In my opinion there should be much more street car like transportation it really is nice to walk around our city without the need to drive around downtown. Parking at city market and traveling the main street corridor via street car is one of my families favorite things to do.
Thinking Foward
Street Car:
As the length of the street car continues to expand now going to UMKC and the River Market this will create a simple way to traverse the city without having to individually navigate through downtown streets in cars.
A Light Rail Line
Proposals for light rails have been made in Kansas City before.
“In 2008, voters defeated a proposal to fund a light rail line from Vivion Road and North Oak Trafficway to Bruce R. Watkins Roadway and 63rd Street” https://www.kcata.org/transit-initiatives/light_rail
I like the idea of a light rail line going from SKC to Downtown and then all the way to the airport. Perhaps an elevated rail line over hwy 71. (connecting the city is always good)
Cable Cars!
What about cable cars from City Market to West Bottoms and then up to Strawberry Hill. Connecting more of the City.
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