Kansas City Area Transportation Authority

The Kansas-Missouri border splits Kansas City, and divides the metro region more evenly, and sometimes problematically, than any American metro region cut in two by a state line. It affects how public transit and emergency services work — and puts the metro in the middle of a tug-of-war for business.

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.

The Kansas-Missouri border splits Kansas City, and divides the metro region more evenly, and sometimes problematically, than any American metro region cut in two by a state line.

The Current’s new riverfront stadium was meant to encourage fans to take transit, bike or walk to games instead of driving. But Kansas City still hasn’t caught up — and it’s left the team and other entertainment venues to fill in the gaps.

Kansas City's buses will remain free to ride after City Council renewed its annual contract with the Transportation Authority. The agency still faces a $26 million budget shortfall, threatening bus service for future years unless something changes.

El Concejo Municipal de Kansas City renovó su contrato anual con el Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA-organismo de transporte del Área de Kansas City), que mantiene la tarifa de transporte en cero, pero da instrucciones al Gerente Administrativo de la Ciudad, Brian Platt, para considerar los costos y beneficios de un programa alternativo de “una tarifa gratuita funcional”.