Kansas City’s struggling KCATA proposes route cuts, layoffs amid budget shortfall

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Kansas City may soon have fewer bus routes and drivers, according to a proposed plan from the KCATA.

The transit authority presented a detailed plan addressing possible route cuts, reduced service, and layoffs. The information came from the city’s ATA Commissioner’s Board Meeting Wednesday.

Last week, Kansas City council members approved nearly $78 million for KCATA.

This week, at the Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee meeting, the council discussed giving an additional $46 million to fully cover operations through October.

The Kansas City council is expected to vote on that ordinance next week, but they want changes from the KCATA in return. Those changes include a program that charges people who can afford to pay for rides.

The KCATA said it has a $30 million budget shortfall this year.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said Tuesday he wants to know where the budget gap came from.

“What is explaining all of that and it sure as heck isn’t better routes it isn’t faster and more reliable routes and timing, I’m not seeing where all of that is and I think that is something we want to have addressed before we are putting more money in,” said Lucas. “I think what you saw from City Council is standing up for poor and working-class bus riders, protecting our routes, but also make sure that we are doing the auditing and the accounting work to see why KCATA has seen such a dramatic cost increase in recent years as compared to previous ones.”

Information from the KCATA shows the money that may be allocated from the city is $4.5 million less than what is needed to continue to provide the current service to Kansas Citians.

The KCATA laid out other changes during its meeting on Wednesday, March 26. Those include:

• Reducing service
  • Previously: 3:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
  • New: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Weekend service
  • 30-minute intervals
  • Routes
    • Main Max
    • Troost Max
    • Prospect Max
    • Route 24
    • Route 31
    • Route 101
    • Route 201
• Weekday service
  • 15-20 minute intervals from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Main Max
    • Troost Max
    • Prospect Max
    • Route 24
  • 30 minute intervals before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
    • Main Max
    • Troost Max
    • Prospect Max
    • Route 24
  • All other routes reduced to hourly service
  • Paratransit service and zones reduced to match geographical or service hour changes

The KCATA stressed nothing is final until city council approves the budget.

Depending on the amount of money approved by the city council, the KCATA also announced it may have to cut routes completely.

Routes that could be eliminated, according to the KCATA are:

• Route 9
• Route 11
• Route 19
• Route 21
• Route 23
• Route 25
• Route 27
• Route 28
• Route 29
• Route 57
• Route 63
• Route 71
• Route 75

Information about the possible service changes can be found on the KCATA Portal.

The KCATA has different variations of its plan, depending on the funding it receives.

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