Severe Weather

Snow, Ice and Winter Weather 

When winter weather hits, safety is our no. 1 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 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the latest information about how conditions are impacting transit.

Tune into local news broadcasts for announcements of service delays. Track your bus on the app Transit.

Sign up for RideKC Notify to get service notifications from RideKC via text, or email.

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 RideKC 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: See below

The reroutes listed below are common problem spots during inclement weather. Make sure you are familiar with them before severe weather hits. These routes may have to be rerouted. Conditions may make additional reroutes and or delays necessary. RideKC will communicate this information through social media, local news media, ridekc.org, and RideKC notify. 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. 

9 9th Street: Buses will continue south on Hardesty to Truman Rd., to Ewing if 12th St. is impassible between Ewing and Winchester.

11 Northeast-Westside. Buses will take 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.

24 Independence: Buses will continue east on 8th St to Charlotte., if Locust is impassible.

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.

35 35th Street: Buses will continue south on Van Brunt if Hardesty between 31st and 35th is impassible.

39 39th Street: Buses travel eastbound to Wabash, to 38th St., to Prospect to 39th St., and layover at 39th and Prospect if 39th is impassible due to the incline.

47 Broadway. Eastwood Hills buses will use 51st St. between Eastwood Trafficway and Sni-A-Bar Rd., if Ararat is impassable. Near St. Lukes Hospital, buses will continue sout hon Boradway to 47th St. if Wyandotte is not passable.

63 63rd Street: Buses will continue on 63rd St. between Manchester and Winchester due to the incline.

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 lot 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 the normal route to Sterling Ave. & Truman Rd. 305 will continue north on Sterling to Hwy. 24 & turn left, westbound. The route will continue on 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 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's 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:

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 & ride customer, please be aware that KCATA crews clear some of the park & rides while others are cleared by the property owners. KCATA crews will be out long before rush hour on heavy snow days to make sure the following park & rides are cleared as quickly as possible.

Antioch Crossing Park & Ride, Kansas City, Mo
Gregory & Wornall, Kansas City, Mo
75th & Wornall, Kansas City, Mo
75th & Prospect Transit Center at Alphapointe, Kansas City, Mo 
Boardwalk Square Transit Center, Kansas City, Mo
31st & Troost, Kansas City, Mo
3-Trails Transit Center, Kansas City, Mo
Independence Transit Center, Independence, Mo
Mission Transit Center, Mission, Ks
Heartland Community Church, Olathe, Ks
JCCC, Overland Park, Ks
KU Edwards Campus, Overland Park, Ks
137th & Antioch, Overland Park, Ks
Oak Park Mall, Overland Park, Ks
66th & Hilltop, Shawnee, Ks
Shawnee Station, Shawnee, Ks
Lawrence College and Career Center, Lawrence, Ks

 

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: "Route 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	JCCC	Universities Troost MAX (51st)	JCCC	Universities Troost MAX (51st)
402	Oak Park Mall	16th & Central	127th & Mur-Len / 116th & Renner	16th & Central
403	K-7 & Santa Fe	KU Med on 39th Street	K-7 & Santa Fe	KU Med on 39th Street
404	119th & Metcalf	East Village Transit Center, 12th & Charlotte	119th & Metcalf	East Village Transit Center, 12th & Charlotte
475	KU Edwards	75th & Troost (MAX)	KU Edwards	75th & Troost (MAX)
495	87th & Scarborough	74th Terr. & Broadway	74th Terr. & Broadway	87th & Scarborough
510*	JCCC (westbound)	KU - Lawrence	JCCC (westbound)	KU - Lawrence
520	Strang Line Park & Ride	12th & Pennsylvannia	Strang Line Park & Ride	12th & Pennsylvannia
563	66th & Hilltop	12th & Pennsylvannia	66th & Hilltop	12th & Pennsylvannia
569	137th & Antioch	12th & Pennsylvannia	137th & Antioch	12th & Pennsylvannia

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, RideKC Freedom, or IRIS. 

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.