Transit leaders discuss World Cup transportation plans
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Transit leaders from around the Kansas City metro met at Children's Mercy Park Wednesday to discuss plans for transporting tens of thousands of fans when they arrive at next year's World Cup.
But during the panel held at 'The State of the KCATA' the head of that organization says he hopes still unfunded ideas don't turn out to be 'just lip service.'
It comes at what Frank White III calls 'a time of transition.' Thursday they'll lay out plans for possible service cuts at a public meeting at the East Village Transit Center.
'We will be ready to carry tens of thousands of people both visitors, employees and residents up and down the Main Street spine,' Tom Gerend, executive director of the Kansas City Streetcar Authority told the audience.
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Streetcar line extensions have already been funded and are nearing completion. Kansas City International Airport also opened a single terminal airport in 2023. But that doesn't mean there will be enough flights for the expected influx of visitors.
'If every fan in the stadium was an out of town visitor it would take us 3 days to move them all out,' Justin Meyer, deputy director of Aviation, said.
Transit leaders are prepping for a massive task, getting people everywhere they need to go for the World Cup in Kansas City in 2026.
'These are huge challenges moving an unknown number of people to unknown places is difficult,' Josh Powers, director of Johnson County's Transit Division, said.
'If you come into Kansas City Airport we are responsible for getting you to downtown, getting you to the Fan Fest,' Jason Sims, Kansas City 2026, transportation director, said.
Johnson and Wyandotte County hope to have circular bus and shuttle routes connecting fans to areas like the Overland Park Convention Center, Lenexa City Center and Legends where they may be staying or want to visit.
But KCATA's president says there are other riders to consider.
'Our focus will be on our core service. There will be people that don't want to go to the World Cup, who don't care about the World Cup, so we want to make sure that our services are there every day,' White said.
Thursday KCATA will host a meeting to discuss potential service changes amidst rising costs and stagnant funding. Voters approved a 3/8 cent sales tax for transportation in 2023, but KCATA has lost other pandemic relief funding.
'These are strategies we've been trying to implement over the years. Post-COVID, World Cup have really propelled that conversation and narrative to get more regional participation in the funding of this organization,' Reginald Townsend, chairman of the KCATA Board of Commissioners said.
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'That is the true legacy can we fund transportation and not just lip service?' White asked.
The man tasked with coordinating World Cup transportation plan is confident Kansas City will be ready bringing in an additional 200-300 buses that month.
'Always in transportation there are funding needs and they are working through those funding needs. But for Kansas City 2026 and for the World Cup committee we are excited about everyone coming together because its going to take everyone to execute transportation in this region,' Sims said.
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