public transit

Hotel rooms, buses, and liquor laws are just a few of the problems that Kansas City will need to figure out in the next year, before the first World Cup games kick off at Arrowhead Stadium next June.

The group planning Kansas City’s matches hopes to build a regional transit network that gets residents and hundreds of thousands of visitors across the metro quickly and easily. They’ll need more money and regional cooperation to do so.

Kansas City will fund its rideshare program for another month while city council determines a long-term transit solution, which may include bringing some bus services under city control.

Kansas City will end its rideshare service IRIS by the end of Wednesday, leaving more than 100 drivers without a job and hundreds of people with fewer transit options.

All the track has been laid for the KC Streetcar routes north to the Berkley Riverfront and south to UMKC. But riders won't be able to enjoy the transit options this summer, and opening dates have yet to be set.

Currently, it’s illegal to bring guns on public transit even with a concealed carry permit. Supporters of the bill say it would allow passengers to protect themselves and safeguard Second Amendment rights, but opponents say it will endanger passengers.

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.

The Kansas City Council passed a $2.5 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, its largest ever. The police department will get even more money than before, while council members will discuss a proposal next week to fully fund the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in the short term.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority's proposal to cut bus routes would also defund IRIS, a rideshare service intended to fill the city’s transportation gaps. For people without cars, that would take away most public transit options.

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.

One of the measures, Senate Bill 74, would bar cities and counties from imposing their own open carry firearm restrictions. Another includes a provision that someone who kills another person with a gun in self-defense would be presumed to be acting reasonably, removing the burden of proof.