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The ordinance passed by Kansas City Council this week, meant to prevent drastic service cuts and increase oversight, would bring back fares and could end the city’s rideshare service. But KCATA said service reductions are still necessary.

The six-month plan would fully fund the transit agency while it seeks funding from other places and demands more accountability from KCATA. It calls for reinstating fares and could end the city’s rideshare service IRIS, which was meant to fill transit gaps.

Public transportation users fear that Kansas City's proposed budget plans would lead to KCATA eliminating routes and slowing service, and create a negative spiral effect for bus funding and usage.

The drastic service cuts proposed by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to fill a budget hole mean remaining routes will run less frequently and likely get more crowded. Riders and drivers hope it won't come to that.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority plans to cut nearly half its bus routes, drastically reduce weekend service, and lay off 171 workers, according to documents obtained by KCUR. What will this mean for the Kansas Citians who rely on public transit to get around?

According to documents obtained by KCUR, the agency plans to cut nearly half of its routes, drastically reduce weekend service and pare down its operating hours. It will also lay off about 171 workers.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority has struggled for years to provide fast and frequent bus service. Many suburbs have pulled their funding, which resulted in route cuts, and a feud between Kansas City leaders and the agency may result in even more.

Financial troubles with the KCATA could come at a cost to bus riders in the future. A budget shortfall could mean the end of free bus service, a reduction of routes and layoffs if the agency can't secure additional funding. Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Ryana-Parks Shaw says that no matter what, service will look different in the future.

Robert Galicia, an immigrant from Mexico City and a Chiefs fanatic, started hosting tailgates at Arrowhead Stadium in a school bus in 2013. He's grown those tailgates into a successful business, the "Red Machine," which has helped him to find community and a sense of belonging in the U.S.

Monday marked the third protest in just one week from Kansas City-area climate activists, who demand that Jackson County step up to fund the KCATA. One protester was detained and more than 50 activists were removed from the legislature's chambers.

A patchwork of counties and cities huddled around the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers makes it harder to develop affordable, efficient public transit in the Kansas City region. Transit funding decisions get handled within each jurisdiction, with little or no coordination between them, and the KCATA has no power to levy taxes.

Johnson County's transit service sees about 379,000 riders a year on fixed routes, compared to 32,800 microtransit riders and 84,100 paratransit riders. County commissioners are considering adjusting fares and services to attract more riders.