transportation

About 75% of Kansas City bus stops don't have anywhere to sit while you wait, and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority keeps removing benches despite complaints from riders. Sunrise Movement KC is taking things into their own hands, but their makeshift seats may be removed as quickly as they're assembled.

During the record-setting 43-day government shutdown, Missouri Republican Rep. Sam Graves said he got a lot of calls from air traffic controllers — who had to work without pay, despite already being overworked and understaffed. But another shutdown could just be a few months away.

The Kansas City Council approved traffic restrictions to keep kids safer on the road after a driver hit and killed a child last month. The ordinance prohibits right turns on red in school zones during school hours.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said Wednesday there have been nearly 750 highway fatalities so far this year.

Kansas City has been in the national news a lot lately, including one surprising place: stories about the New York City mayoral election. Many national news outlets, most of them conservative-leaning, have zeroed in on candidate Zohran Mamdani’s proposals for free bus fare and government-run grocery stores, and they’re using Kansas City as a negative example of both.

Kansas City ended free bus fares and saw a grocery store shutter. Both issues showed up in the New York City mayoral race, where conservative outlets used the city's policies to attack leading candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The Main Street extension of the Kansas City streetcar line is finally open for riders after years of disruptive construction. The owners of Crows Coffee and Ragazza say they're trying to capitalize on the increased foot traffic.

The new extension through Midtown and the Plaza area also brings transit-only lanes. Drivers can get fined or towed for driving and parking in the lanes, which are meant to help the streetcar move faster.

"Free buses" is one of the big ideas that helped Zohran Mamdani win the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City. But in Kansas City, the bus system is going the opposite direction after years of free fares — mostly because of a lack of transit funding.

KC Streetcar hosted a preview ride Wednesday along the Main Street extension, ahead of its opening on Friday, Oct. 24. Here’s what the Union Station to University of Missouri-Kansas City loop was like.

RideKC is discontinuing the popular Main Max bus line to avoid duplicating service with the KC Streetcar’s Main Street extension. A new route will take riders further south to 75th Street, while other bus lines undergo changes to connect riders to streetcar stops.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recently approved $1.7 million of general revenue funds for an extra run of the Amtrak River Runner starting in April 2026. Kansas City is hosting six World Cup matches next summer.