© 2023 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

KCATA leader Frank White III wants to make Kansas City’s public transit ‘world class’

Ways To Subscribe
A man wearing a gray suit coat gestures with his right hand and talks at a microphone while seated inside a radio studio.
Carlos Moreno
/
KCUR 89.3
CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority Frank White III talks about area transportation issues on Sept. 12, 2023 during KCUR's Up To Date.

As Kansas City gears up for the 2026 World Cup, some residents are concerned that the metro’s public transit system can’t keep up with a rapidly growing city. KCATA CEO Frank White III speaks about how the transportation authority is preparing.

According to Frank White III, CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, the World Cup is exactly what this city needs to improve its public transit system.

“Most people around the world are used to world class transit, right? So how do we leverage the World Cup as a way to get those investments that we think we should have had in public transit that we never got before,” White told KCUR’s Up To Date.

White said it’s imperative that the excitement around improving Kansas City’s transportation infrastructure continues beyond the 2026 event.

Stay Connected
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
Claudia Brancart is an Up To Date producer for KCUR 89.3. She graduated from Pitzer College in Los Angeles where she majored in World Literature and Studio Art. You can reach her at claudiab@kcur.org.
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and powerful storytelling.
Your donation helps make nonprofit journalism available for everyone.