RideKC Kicks Off East-West Transit Study

The Project Team Wants to Hear From YOU! 

(Kansas City, Mo.) – The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), in cooperation with several project partners, announces the launch of the RideKC East-West Transit Study to evaluate an east-west, high-capacity transit connection between the area around the University of Kansas Health System campus in Kansas City, Kans. and the area around the Truman Sports Complex (Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium) in Kansas City,  Mo.  

RideKC East-West Transit Study project partners include the Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA); the City of Kansas City, Mo. (KCMO); Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kans. (UG); and the University of Kansas Hospital Authority. This study is unique because it’s a multi-party, bistate effort to analyze the technical and financial feasibility of high-capacity east-west transit connections across the state line. The corridor includes connections to the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension as well as north-south RideKC MAX BRT and bus services on both sides of the state line. Building on previous studies which have identified specific corridors as potential transit opportunities, the project study area is from Rainbow Blvd. to the west and the Truman Sports Complex to the east, and 31st St. to the north and 43rd St. to the south. 

The project team is seeking community input to help determine the needs and priorities for the study in order to build a better-connected regional transit system. Feedback is critical to ensure the future of high-capacity transit in Kansas City is equitable and transformative. In addition to public and community meetings, the project team will host a series of one-on-one interviews, advisory committee meetings, and presentations throughout the study in order to keep the public connected.  

“Community input is critical to fill existing east-west transit gaps in our region,” said Robbie Makinen, KCATA president and CEO. “We want to understand the community's needs first, and then use the feedback we receive to help guide the study.” 

“With the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension under construction and the Riverfront Extension estimated to break ground in 2023, the time to plan future connections is now,” said Tom Gerend, Executive Director, KC Streetcar Authority. “The Main Street extension will serve as the spine of the region’s transit system, building connections to a multitude of Kansas City’s communities. But that work can only be done successfully by working with our communities to build a transit system that matches their needs and goals,” continued Gerend.   

There are several opportunities for people to provide feedback during the East-West Study: 

• Take a survey! A survey eliciting feedback about transit needs and priorities is available on the project website and open through Friday, June 17, 2022. The survey is also available in Spanish. Participants can request a paper survey be sent through postal mail by emailing planning@kcata.org or calling 816-346-0300.
• Attend a public meeting: A public meeting is tentatively scheduled for late summer 2022. Stay tuned at www.eastwesttransit.org for exact meeting dates.
• Attend a community workshop: Later this fall, the community will be invited to participate in a workshop to weigh in on options for corridor alignments and transit modes. Stay tuned at www.eastwesttransit.org for an exact meeting date.
• Participate online: Later this summer, the project team will launch an interactive study map pinpointing alignment and transportation mode options. The community will be able to leave comments and share ideas through this website.

To learn more about the RideKC East-West Transit study, visit the project webpage at www.eastwesttransit.org.