Latest news with #KCATA
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
KC Streetcar celebrates completion of track work for Riverfront project
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The KC Streetcar is celebrating a major milestone at its future streetcar stop near Riverfront Drive and Berkley Plaza. One-hundred percent of the track work for the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension is now in the ground and complete. KCATA's Adopt-A-Stop program addresses Kansas City's litter Passengers can't ride quite yet, but next year it could be a game changer for KC Current fans. Just 14 months ago, crews broke ground on the Riverfront Extension Project. Spokesperson Tayler Ngo said the project is 73% done. She expects the Riverfront Extension will be passenger ready by early 2026. 'I actually live in Columbus Park, so I ride my bike to the Current Stadium. So for me, it's exciting because I'll be able to go a little bit further than I can now,' Ngo said. 'But also just being able to be part of a cool project that's just the start of the Riverfront development. There's going to be so many cool things around here and we'll be able to have easy transportation to it.' Next steps include shelter and installing the overhead catenary system, which involves arms and wires that deliver power to the streetcar. She said the poles are already in place. 'Right now we're not open, so people can just use that downtown line from the 3rd to Union Station,' Ngo said, 'When streetcar opens people will be able to get on at 3rd and Grand and come down here to Berkley Riverfront Park.' The Riverfront Extension connects the downtown Main Street starter line to Kansas City's Riverfront. The nearly three quarter-mile extension starts at 3rd and Grand in the River Market, crosses the Grand Boulevard Bridge and ends near the midpoint of Berkley Riverfront, which is about a 5-minute walk to the KC Current Stadium. 'The streetcar coming right to the doorsteps basically of CPKC Stadium is going to make our match day experience that much more enriching for our fans,' Jocelyn Monroe, head of marketing with the KC Current, said. Kansas City Zoo to launch thrilling 'Flying Flamingo' zip-line Monroe said the streetcar offers easy access to a growing area and fans score. 'It's going to be a game changer, especially for Current games, for folks to be able to get on anywhere along the line, and be able to come straight to the stadium,' Ngo said. 'It's going to really change the game, eliminate some of the parking congestion down here and ultimately just providing better transportation to the city.' The Grand Blvd Bridge, which closed about two months ago for streetcar construction, is expected to open by the end of this week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
KCATA's Adopt-A-Stop program addresses Kansas City's litter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City has struggled with litter for years now, but KCATA's Adopt-A-Stop program is giving people a way to help address the problem. 'Just because people are maybe often times sitting at our bus stops in lesser than ideal circumstances, that they don't have to sit around in filth, that they don't have to sit around trash, and that standard subconsciously will slowly start to raise,' Owner of Ruby Jean's Juicery Chris Goode said during Tuesday's Earth Day cleanup. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV The idea for the program came a few years ago on Goode's birthday while he was hosting a cleanup event. He adopted the program's first stop at 31st and Troost, located down the road from his business. It's the same stop that he and his family used growing up. 'It's not just being on the bus, you know it's the shelters, it's the area around you. Is it safe, is it clean? and that's very important as you wait for your bus,' KCATA's President and CEO Frank White III said. 'It just shows again, a community asset, people expect that with their tax dollars, and we just want to make sure that we're doing our part to keep our city streets safe.' KCATA officials say the Troost max line is the second busiest route, with more than six thousand riders every day. Goode says even a small act, like picking up trash, will have lasting impacts for families in the community. View the latest headlines from Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas at 'My mom was riding the bus over here with us many years ago with us, 30 plus years ago now. And so, to now be a 40-year-old man and be able to impact you know what my reality once was, is extremely gratifying,' Goode said. Right now they have 30 bus stops adopted in the program, but have a goal of one thousand stops by the world cup in 2026. Go to for more information about adopting a stop. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KCATA announces layoffs, bus route cuts due to funding shortage
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) announced Thursday it will be laying off bus drivers and reducing bus routes. The KCATA Board of Commissioners met Wednesday, and the transit authority announced that the current level of proposed funding provided by the City Council (in Ordinance #250247) is not enough to maintain current levels of bus service. KCATA outlines proposed service cuts that would eliminate routes This means union drivers will be laid off. It also means weekend bus services will be limited to just seven routes, with reduced frequency. One week ago, the Kansas City Council approved the $2.5 billion fiscal year 2025-26 city budget – allocating $71 million for the KCATA, with an additional $6.8 million from a budget amendment to support the transit authority and prevent extensive route cuts. However, it still wasn't enough to prevent layoffs or cuts. Nicholas Miller, President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1287, previously told FOX4 in 2024 that about 160 people could lose their jobs if the funding shortage isn't resolved. FOX4 has reached out to KCATA to ask how many people will be laid off. Sunrise Movement KC – a national organization fighting for economic justice, among other issues – released the following statement, which reads, in part: 'We are shocked at KCATA's proposal for drastic reductions in frequency and service. Mayor Lucas, Mayor Pro Tem Parks Shaw, and City Council members went on the record to the press and at City Hall claiming this ordinance fully funds our buses with no service reductions, even if just for six months. It now appears those claims were incorrect. As written, this ordinance will not only eliminate Zero Fare, but it will fail to do the very thing it set out to achieve: prevent service cuts. Council has repeatedly made demands around fiscal responsibility and measured solutions, yet they have put forward a rushed deal, with devastating implications for the Kansas Citians who depend on bus service. Bus riders know it best when we say frequency is freedom—cuts to frequency are effectively a cut to our routes, leaving us stranded at bus stops with longer wait times, and increasing crowding on buses which may lead to drivers passing us at stops. Reduced frequency and weekend service actively cuts us off from accessing what we need by bus. Kansas City must choose to build a transit system that serves us all. That means fast, frequent, reliable and universally Zero Fare public transit.' The group is demanding that the City Council uphold Ordinance #250247 until the following demands are met: Immediately work with KCATA to provide sufficient funding for current levels of bus service, without any reductions of bus frequency or weekend service on ANY bus routes. Pass legislation to require KCMO to allocate 90% of the Public Mass Transit Fund to KCATA, ensuring taxpayer money designed for mass transit is truly used for preserving fast, frequent bus service powered by union jobs. Protect zero fare—a system that is proven to make our buses faster, more frequent, safer and more popular. The ordinance's timeline and imposition of a $2 fare – the highest in Kansas City's history – is rushed and setting KCATA up to fail, and it will cause significant harm to the bus system and its riders. Do not approve any plan that leads to losses in unionized jobs. Guarantee severance for IRIS workers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas City Council approves $2.5 billion budget for 2025-26
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Thursday, the Kansas City Council approved the $2.5 billion fiscal year 2025-26 city budget. City leaders note the budget prioritizes housing and community development, public safety, public health, and infrastructure improvements while strengthening the city's fund balance to maintain Kansas City's strong economic standing and credit rating. Shawnee man identified in fatal skiing accident in Colorado The budget allocates $341.4 million toward infrastructure and accessibility—a $17.5 million increase from last year, according to the city. This includes: $71 million for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), with an additional $6.8 million from a budget amendment to support KCATA and $3 million for Vision Zero safety initiatives $2.6 million for operation and maintenance of the Streetcar and its expansion Enhanced funding for snow removal and sidewalk improvements $5 million for Blue Ridge Streetscape and Southwest Boulevard projects Lucas is also sponsoring an ordinance to ensure the maintenance of KCATA's services. During a Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee meeting earlier this week, city council members complained that the KCATA hasn't been transparent with them on what routes they're planning to cut or what their deficit was. 'This $2.5 billion budget reflects our values as a community and addresses the priorities we've heard directly from our residents. By increasing our investment in housing to over $314 million, dedicating nearly $700 million to public safety, and advancing transformative infrastructure projects, we're not just maintaining services—we're enhancing them. This budget delivers on our promises to make Kansas City more accessible, more affordable, and more equitable for everyone who calls it home,' Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a news release Thursday. The city said housing remains a top priority with $314.5 million allocated to support initiatives across the city, a $13.2 million increase from the previous year. This funding will support: Emergency rental assistance programs Expanded emergency shelter services The ZeroKC initiative to end homelessness World Cup Legacy projects The Housing Trust Fund Additionally, $1 million will be direction toward implementing the city's small business strategic plan to prepare Kansas City to fully capitalize on hosting the 2026 World Cup, according to the city. Nearly $700 million will go towards public safety, an increase of over $70 million from the previous year, according to the city, with over $340 million for the Kansas City Police Department and over $320 million for the Kansas City Fire Department. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas City could give KCATA another $6.8 million after proposed bus route cuts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The city council's considering giving another $6.8 million to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). The move comes as the KCATA proposes bus route cuts. They're also considering eliminating most weekend services for the remaining routes. Woman charged with murder, man arrested in connection to KC sports reporter death During Tuesday's Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee meeting, city council members complained that the KCATA hasn't been transparent with them on what routes they're planning to cut or what their deficit was. Tuesday, City Councilmember Crispin Rea submitted an amendment that would redirect money that was supposed to go to LED light upgrades to go back to the KCATA. Rea's proposing using reserve money to go to the authority too. He says both sources are from the public mass transit tax. 'That we then also use that money to go to make sure we are not losing bus routes,' Rea said in an interview with FOX4 Tuesday. 'That is funding that is generally intended to be used in emergency situations. When we're on the brink of having to cut bus routes, I can't think of a more appropriate use in that situation.' The KCATA wouldn't comment on Rea's new proposal. Thursday, riders found out they're looking to cut 13 of the city's 29 bus routes, impacting more than 6,800 daily riders. That evening, authority leaders said they were suffering from rising costs and the loss of COVID-19 relief dollars. Tuesday, Councilman Kevin O'Neill said he thought that the KCATA had a $22 million deficit. As the conversation continued, Mayor Quinton Lucas spoke about five minutes later. 'We did ask all those questions two weeks ago when we had the ATA Director in front of us,' Mayor Lucas said to the other committee members. 'We were not given publicly the list of routes, and then, a week later, we see them with the rest of the public about kind of everywhere, that everything purportedly will be cut.' Two seriously injured after car crashes into Louisburg, Kansas hair salon Rea said he doesn't know what the KCATA's budget gap is. He says he believes it's closer to $12 million than the KCATA's publicly stated report that it's closer to $30 million. The KCATA wouldn't comment on that part of Tuesday's story either. Mayor Lucas and the rest of the city council will vote on the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year budget Thursday at 2 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
