public transit

Kansas City’s transit authority could become among the first in the nation to use AI-powered cameras on city buses to help strengthen security and more quickly detect banned passengers. But critics worry about privacy and scaring away riders.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority could be one of the first in the nation to add AI-powered facial recognition cameras to its bus fleet this fall. National nonprofits and a KCATA commissioner are concerned about the privacy and security of riders.

Where are the transportation bottlenecks around Kansas City? MARC is studying how the World Cup is affecting travel, with thousands of extra cars on highways, passengers on buses and streetcars, bikes on trails and pedestrians wandering downtown.

Traffic stacked up before Kansas City's much-anticipated Argentina-Algeria match, with many fans abandoning their vehicles and walking to Arrowhead Stadium. Officials are making changes ahead of Saturday’s match between Ecuador and Curaçao.

Argentina and Algeria face off June 16 at 8 p.m. at Kansas City Stadium. Demand for ConnectKC26's direct bus service to the stadium for the match is surging, with some routes already sold out.

A ambos lados de la frontera estatal, los usuarios del transporte público en el área metropolitana de Kansas City tendrán que pagar el pasaje de autobús por primera vez desde el 2020. Sin embargo, algunos residentes podrán optar por tarifas gratuitas o reducidas.

The streetcar’s 3.5-mile Main Street extension opened in October 2025, and another extension to CPKC Stadium opened last month. A team is now studying extending the north-south line farther, to North Kansas City. The Kansas City Streetcar Authority will host two open houses this month for residents to learn more.

Beginning June 11, the ConnectKC26 shuttles will connect key World Cup destinations like the airport and stadium to a central bus mall at 27th Street and Grand Boulevard, near the Fan Festival.

A storm caused tech issues with fare validators on some KCATA buses, adding extra confusion for riders during the first week of fares. There is currently a three-week grace period for riders who cannot or do not know how to pay.

June 1 marked the end of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s free bus fare policy, the first in the country when it was implemented in 2020. Some riders are worried about how bus fare will affect their budget.

Kansas City metro bus riders now have to pay fares after six years of free rides. After decades of underfunded public transit, advocates worry that this will worsen a "death spiral" of fewer riders.

There's a major reason Kansas City, its surrounding suburbs, two states, and a whole lot of corporate sponsors and local organizations put so much money and time into the World Cup. Organizers see this as their chance to "change the way the world thinks about Kansas City."