Severe Weather
Snow, Ice and Winter Weather
When winter weather hits, safety is our number one concern. Buses may experience delays or need to use alternate routes during severe weather. RideKC Freedom paratransit service may also be affected by winter weather. Check this website or call 816-221-0660 for the latest information about how conditions are impacting transit.
Tune into local news broadcasts for announcements of service delays. Track your KCATA bus with WebWatch or the app Transit.
Sign up for RideKC Notify to get service notifications from RideKC via text, email or voice message.
Find current information on social media or in the passenger bulletin section of our website.
Social media
Kansas City region: Twitter @RideKCTransit - Facebook
Johnson County, Kan.: Twitter @RideKCJoCo - Facebook
Kansas City, Kan.: Twitter @UGTransit - Facebook
Kansas City Streetcar: Twitter @kcstreetcar - Facebook
Travel Tips
- Use caution getting on and off buses, and walking to the stop. In winter, thawing and refreezing may occur; even if pavement looks clear, it may be icy.
- Dress for the weather.
- Carry a cellphone.
Snow Reroute Plans
Each transit agency in the Kansas City area has its own snow plan whenever wintry conditions require rerouting normal service.
KCATA: See below (For Paratransit snow plan and phases, see here.)
Johnson County: See below
Independence: Snow Routes
The reroutes listed below are common problem spots during inclement weather. Make sure you are familiar with them before severe weather hits. Conditions may make additional reroutes and or delays necessary. RideKC Freedom service may also be affected by winter weather.
Routes affected by Snow Plan
Check the list to see if your route is part of the Snow Reroute Plan.
11 Northeast-Westside. Buses will Summit to 17th Street, 17th to Broadway, Broadway to Southwest Blvd (resume route at Summit and Southwest Blvd).
12 12th Street. At the western end of the route buses will take 12th to Jefferson, Jefferson to 8th, and 8th to Pennsylvania. Buses will take 12th to Hardesty, Hardesty to Truman, Truman to Van Brunt, Van Brunt to 17th, and 17th back to Hardesty.
18 Indiana. Buses will use 68th St. between Cleveland and Jackson instead of 68th Terr.
23 23rd Street. Buses will not travel to Blue Valley Court Townhouses. Instead, eastbound buses will enter Blue Valley Park from 23rd & Topping, circle and return to regular route at 23rd and Topping.
31 31st Street. Buses will use 40 Hwy. to Sterling Ave. Buses will not use Pittman Rd. in either direction, nor travel through Stonegate Meadows Apts.
47 Broadway. Eastwood Hills buses will use 51st St. between Eastwood Trafficway and Sni-A-Bar Rd., if Ararat is impassable.
301 Green Route. 301 may experience delays. There will be no service behind Target at Crackerjack and Bolger.
302 Blue Route. 302 may experience delays.
303 Purple Route. 303 will stay on Noland. The route will travel into the parking lot at Price Chopper at 42nd Terrace. There is no service to Liberty, 45th & Washington. Blue and Purple will start at the transit center at 07:05 AM.
304 Yellow Route. From the Independence Transit Center, 304 will travel the normal route to Hwy. 24 & east to Osage Village Dr. The route will turn around in the Quik Trip parking instead of Osage Village Dr. From Quik Trip, the bus will travel the normal route to the Transit Center.
305 Orange Route. From the Independence Transit Center, 305 will travel normal route to Sterling Ave. & Truman Rd. 305 will continue north on Sterling to Hwy 24 & turn left, westbound. The route will continue Hwy. 24 to Brookside and turn around in the former DQ parking lot. There will be no service north of 24 Hwy. to Mt. Washington. From Brookside, 305 will travel east on Hwy 24, South on Sterling, east on Truman, north on Forest continuing the normal route will travel to the Transit Center. There will be no service south of Truman Road to Ennovation Center & 15th Street. There will be no service west of Sterling, along Truman and Ash.
306 Red Route. From the Independence Transit Center, 306 will travel east on Truman, south on Lee's Summit, and east on 23rd into the parking lot of Price Chopper. It will return to 23rd and travel to MCC. It will use the regular route between MCC and CenterPoint. From MCC, 306 Red Route will travel west on 23rd to Price Chopper. From there it will travel west on 23rd, north on Lee Summit, and west on Truman. There will be no service to Belmont & Greentree. No service to Independence Townhomes.
RideKC Flex Snow Pick-up & Drop-off Plan
During bad weather, road conditions may not allow RideKC Flex to reach certain parts of a Service Area. Travel may be restricted to major streets. Customers may need to go to a major street to catch RideKC Flex. During inclement weather, call the RideKC Flex office at 816-346-0346 to check travel restrictions. RideKC Flex will reflect system-wide delays with the same Inclement Weather Plan as RideKC Freedom and Micro Transit.
- Phase A: Many customers may experience delays of 30 to 60 minutes past scheduled pickup times.
- Phase B: Significant delays are occurring system wide with some customers experiencing delays of more than 60 minutes past their scheduled pickup times.
- Phase C: Delays of over 1 hour are likely with significantly longer delays possible. Customers with non-critical trips are encouraged to cancel and re-schedule.
- Phase D: Due to extremely hazardous conditions, service is temporarily suspended. Customers should contact Reservations to re-schedule their trips.
Areas where buses may not be able to travel:
299 Gladstone-Antioch Flex
Jefferson & Broadway (between Englewood & 72nd)
Antioch at 64th St. over to 72nd East (before Antioch changes to Prospect)
65th, Wayne, Flore & Shady Lane Rd.
Bennington (Between Parvin & 48th)
45th Terr (Winn to to Chouteau Trafficway)
298 NKC Flex
Sunny Hills Apartments
French Quarters to Clark Ferguson
399 Raytown Flex
59th & Woodson to 350 & Woodson
83rd St. to 350 Highway
99 South Kansas City Flex
Willow Creek/100th & Wornall
Neighborhoods Wornall & Holmes (between 99th & 95th)
Wornall & Holmes (Between 91st & 92nd)
Holmes to Troost (Between Minor & 120th)
Lydia (Mews, between Bannister and 99th)
Hillcrest between Bannister and Redbridge
South of Red Bridge, west of 71 Highway
West of 99th between James A. Reed and Blue Ridge
Bannister & Spring Valley (neighborhoods both North and South)
Ruskin Heights Neighborhood (between Red Bridge, Longview Rd., Blue Ridge and Greenwood)
Park & Rides and Transit Centers
If you are a park and ride customer, please be aware that KCATA crews clear some of the park and rides while other park and rides are cleared by the owners of the property. KCATA crews will be out long before rush hour on heavy snow days to make sure the following park and rides are cleared as quickly as possible.
Antioch Crossing Park & Ride, Kansas City, MO
Gregory & Wornall, Kansas City, MO
75th & Wornall, Kansas City, MO
Boardwalk Square, Kansas City, MO
Bannister & Troost, Kansas City, MO
31st & Troost, Kansas City, MO
Red Bridge & 71 Hwy., Kansas City, MO
Mission Transit Center, Mission, KS
Mid-America Nazarene Church, Olathe, KS
Heartland Community Church, Olathe, KS
National Guard Armory, Olathe, KS
JCCC, Overland Park, KS
KU Edwards Campus, Overland Park, KS
Rosana Square, Overland Park, KS
137th & Antioch, Overland Park, KS
Blue Valley Baptist, Overland Park, KS
Oak Park Mall, Overland Park, KS
66th & Hilltop, Shawnee, KS
Shawnee Station, Shawnee, KS
TradeNet, Gardner, KS
Lawrence College and Career Center, Lawrence, KS
Other Park & Rides will be cleared by property owners as quickly as possible.
RideKC Johnson County Snow Plan
When the RideKC Snow Plan is in effect, the Johnson County routes included in the table below may have limited service.
On RideKC social media and on RideKC.org, look for this announcement: "Routes is in effect for a.m. and/or p.m. trips on [time]. Northbound trips will begin at [time] and southbound trips will begin at [time]."
Plan to board your bus at your usual boarding location.
Upon the Snow Plan announcement, Johnson County routes will begin service so that northbound buses depart the designated location 90 minutes before southbound buses, unless otherwise announced.
(Route 510 westbound will depart 90 minutes before eastbound trips).
Buses will provide one trip from:
| Route | A.M. Northbound | A.M. Southbound | P.M. Northbound | P.M. Southbound |
| 401 | 137th & Antioch | Universities MAX | 137th & Antioch | Universities MAX |
| 402 | Oak Park Mall | 16th & Central | 127th & Mur-Len | 16th & Central |
| 403 | K-7 & Santa Fe | 12th & Washington | K-7 & Santa Fe | 12th & Washington |
| 404 | Rosana Square | 12th & Washington | Rosana Square | 12th & Washington |
| 405 | 107th & Nall | No service | No service | 12th & Washington |
| 435 | Regular service, unless otherwise announced | Regular service, unless otherwise announced | Regular service, unless otherwise announced | Regular service, unless otherwise announced |
| 475 | KU Edwards | 75th & Troost (MAX) | KU Edwards | 75th & Troost (MAX) |
| 482 | No service | No service | No service | No service |
| 495 | 87th & Scarborough | 74th Terr. & Broadway | 74th Terr. & Broadway | 87th & Scarborough |
| 510* | JCCC (westbound) | KU - Lawrence | JCCC (westbound) | KU - Lawrence |
| 519 | Old 56 Hwy. & Robinson | See 519/595 below | See 519/595 below | 12th & Washington |
| 563 | K-7 Santa Fe | No Service | No Service | 12th & Washington |
| 569 | 151st & Mur-Len | No Service | No Service | 12th & Washington |
| 595 | New Century Pkwy. | See 519/595 below | See 519/595 below | 12th & Washington |
| 519/595 | See 519 or 595 above | 12th & Washington | New Century Pkwy. | See 519 or 595 above |
Overland Park Flex Service (482) will not operate when the RideKC Snow Plan is ineffect. All buses will travel the regular route, unless street closures or other road incidents require detours.
Expect longer than usual wait times between northbound to southbound transfers at the Mission Transit Center. Southbound to northbound transfers will not be possible.
Micro Transit and Paratransit Weather Plan
During inclement weather, road conditions may cause delays for Micro Transit or RideKC Freedom.
Phase A: Many customers may experience delays of 30 to 60 minutes past scheduled pickup times.
Phase B: Significant delays are occurring system wide with some customers experiencing delays of more than 60 minutes past their scheduled pickup times.
Phase C: Delays of over 1 hour are likely with significantly longer delays possible. Customers with non-critical trips are encouraged to cancel and re-schedule.
Phase D: Due to extremely hazardous conditions, service is temporarily suspended. Customers should contact Reservations to re-schedule their trips.
