transportation

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."

La Autoridad de Transporte del Área de Kansas City volverá a cobrar tarifas a partir del próximo mes. Cuando eso ocurra, United Way colaborará con organizaciones sin fines de lucro de la zona para ofrecer tarifas gratuitas y reducidas.

Riders across the Kansas City metro, on both sides of the state line, will have to pay to ride the bus for the first time since 2020. But some residents will qualify for free or reduced fare.

Kansas City, the smallest World Cup host city, is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the tournament. It's building a second transit system to get people where they need to go, but that will disappear when the crowds leave.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will begin charging fares again next month. When it does, United Way will connect with area nonprofits to provide free and reduced fares.

After the World Cup, Kansas Citians relying on public transportation will find it even harder to catch a ride to work. Inadequate regional funding is forcing the KCATA to slash routes in September.

Nearly 10% of Kansas City bus riders will lose access to key routes starting Sept. 6, as KCATA cuts seven weekday lines and two weekend routes. Officials say funding challenges have pushed the system into a “death spiral” of declining service.

After years of construction, the Kansas City Streetcar Authority’s Riverfront extension is now open. The 0.7-mile extension takes the streetcar from its previous northern terminus of the River Market to the Berkley Riverfront.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will cut more than one-fourth of its weekday Kansas City routes and change hours on many others later this summer. Officials say they need more regional funding to bring routes back.

Hotel industry leaders worry that the World Cup's promised "hotel boom" is failing to materialize, while advocacy groups issued a travel advisory warning international visitors of likely civil rights violations by the Trump administration. But so far, Kansas City officials are sticking by their ambitious estimates.