Given a hypothetical choice between shorter wait times at a bus stop and having a wider choice of places to go, Johnson County commissioners went with the shorter wait times as they considered how to build a better suburban transit system.
The commission had a high-level discussion last week as they continued talks about what needs to be done to attract more riders. Previous work sessions have looked at adjusting fares and services on express routes and the microtransit service.
The session last Thursday focused on fixed route buses, considered the backbone of the transit service. These are the routes with regular stops at fixed times of the day.
The transit service sees about 379,000 riders a year on fixed routes, compared to 32,800 microtransit riders and 84,100 paratransit riders, according to the projections for 2024. Changes in the fixed routes have the potential to have a big impact on ridership and ultimately how much the system costs.
The county engaged Maryland-based Toole Design to research and guide the discussion. The firm presented three transit philosophies and hypothetical examples of how the bus system might look in each.
The basic choice was between scenarios that either expanded the area covered or the number of times buses came to their stops.
Three scenarios: More routes v. shorter waits
Here’s a look at the options:
In one scenario, bus service was limited to the denser part of the county in the northeast. That example envisioned three high-frequency routes that would only have a 15-minute wait between buses during peak times.
There also would be weekend service with a 30- to 60-minute wait between buses. That example had only eight routes — fewer than the 11 now in use. The routes in that scenario covered 161 square miles and went as far south as Olathe and southern Overland Park, but left Shawnee largely unserved. It would keep two express routes.
The example that focused on a wider area of coverage had 14 routes covering 215 square miles and went as far south as Gardner, with an express line going into Shawnee. However, there would be a wait of at least an hour between buses on most routes, with only the K-10 Connector operating at half-hour frequencies during peak times.
Presenters also listed a third option labeled as “aspirational,” with 17 routes covering 215 miles and 13 routes with 15 to 30 minutes between buses, plus service to Kansas City International Airport. That option was presented as an example of what the county could eventually build to years from now.
The routes were presented as an outline of how the goals of shorter waits or wider coverage might be met, and not as specifics commissioners were being asked to decide on.
The study also looked at the capacity to serve people in need or without cars, employers and Johnson County Community College students.
Commissioners leaned towards prioritizing shorter wait times
A community outreach survey conducted by ETC Institute said 60% of their sample preferred the more frequent routes with smaller coverage areas, and the majority of commissioners tended to agree.
Commissioners Janeé Hanzlick and Shirley Allenbrand said the bus service needs to be more reliable and faster so transportation-challenged residents can count on it. Wait time of over an hour between buses is not conducive to attracting more riders, Hanzlick said.
“Making sure it’s as high a quality as we can afford is the best way forward,” Hanzlick said.
Commissioner Jeff Meyers said, “We can’t be all things to all people. If we’re going to do something, whatever it is we’re going to do, let’s do it right.”
However, Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara said county leaders have been trying to make an affordable transit system since the 1980s and “it hasn’t worked. We really are a car-based county,” she said.
O’Hara and Commissioner Michael Ashcraft said the county should do a market survey to determine the demand for the service.
“To me this is a study of what the commission wants, and that’s backwards,” O’Hara said.
What happens next
Commission Chair Mike Kelly acknowledged market demand is an important metric, but said a high percentage of people have indicated they want more investment and are willing to pay for it.
Transit benefits even non-users in that it takes cars off the highway and reduces traffic congestion and air pollution, he said.
Ultimately, the commission elected to have staff take a more detailed look into the scenario with more frequent stops over a smaller area. The vote was 5-1, with O’Hara in dissent. Commissioner Becky Fast was absent.
This story was originally published by the Johnson County Post.
