(Kansas City, Mo. – Dec. 16, 2015) The Board of Commissioners of the KCATA congratulates Joe Reardon on being asked to lead the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
Robbie Makinen, Chairman, Board of Commissioners: “The Greater Kansas City Chamber has made an excellent choice in selecting Joe Reardon. He remains a leader in bringing the greater community together to tackle regional issues. With Joe’s recent leadership and work at the KCATA, we know that public transportation and the benefits it provides will continue to be a priority for the region.”
Joe Reardon, President & CEO: “I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the board, staff, and employees at KCATA. We have made significant progress in continuing to forward the board’s visionary agenda to fully develop the regional transportation authority. I am especially proud that over the last year we have solidified strong partnerships to manage transit services for a number of communities, including Johnson County, Kansas and Independence, Missouri.
Additionally, we developed a new partnership with Jackson County, Missouri to jointly acquire the 17-mile long Rock Island Corridor. Our transit oriented development strategy continues to make progress as we near completion of a successful development agreement with Briarcliff Development for a mixed-use development at 3rd and Grand. Finally, our micro transit public/private partnership with Boston-based Bridj will deploy its Pilot Project in Kansas City in the first quarter of 2016. This will mark the first such partnership in the US.”
Reardon: “I am confident that with the continued strong leadership of the board, Robbie Makinen in the role of interim President/CEO, and Sam Desue as Chief Operating Officer, the KCATA will continue to progress in its regional transit strategy.”
Robbie Makinen has served as the KCATA Board Chairman for nearly five years. Robbie’s ability to build relationships has been instrumental in KCATA’s success to create closer ties among transportation agencies in the area, critical to having a unified, metro-wide public transit system as envisioned with the ATA was create in the 1960s. Makinen was key to the formation of the Regional Transit Coordinating Council (RTCC), which he co-chairs. This group not only includes transit partners, but elected officials and other influential stakeholders from both sides of the state line. As a result of the RTCC, impactful regional initiatives are underway, such as the regional transit brand RideKC, a regional fare strategy, expanding and improving regional paratransit and more coordinated transit funding strategies.