Transit Action Network (TAN)

Transit Action Network wants to congratulate KCATA on the new Troost MAX scheduled to open on New Year’s Day. KCATA will be handing out t-shirts to the first 250 people who ride Troost MAX. For the opening they will be planting tulips at 10 a.m. on the corner of 18^th & Troost.

The Troost MAX line will run every 10 minutes on weekdays. MAX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) only stops at MAX stations along the route, therefore making the trip faster. Click here for information about the new service. http://tinyurl.com/2elu35c

The new Troost MAX route will have lots of  Kansas City “FIRSTS”- – Kansas City’s first hybrid-electric buses, the first commissioned art in transit, the first “pervious” concrete parking lot in KCMO, KCATA’s first electric service truck and KCATA’s first rain gardens.

This is the GREEN line for a reason. There are lots of environmentally friendly features. Clean diesel engines to reduce nitrous oxide, rain gardens at 30 stations, energy-efficient LED lighting at MAX stations and solar lighting at local stops, benches made of a more sustainable “Ipe” wood from Brazil, recycling receptacles with solar powered trash compactors at stations, and pervious concrete to absorb water and reduce run-off at the new 31^st St. Park-and Ride.

There are five hybrid electric buses, which use battery power from start to 25 mph, then kick into diesel, which also recharges the battery. Fuel economy is expected to increase 20%.

Original public art decorates the Troost MAX route. Make sure to enjoy these sculptures at night when the special lighting makes the art even more impressive.

The Artwork:

Matt Dehaemers’  “Catalyst” at 31^st and Troost.  A large-scale kinetic sculpture that resembles a tree, playing off one origin of the word “Troost”, that is designed to open and close like a flower.

Jefre’s “Unite” at 39^th and Troost. A sculpture that resembles the image of hands coming together, evoking a joining together or way to cross a divide. The sculpture is covered in drawings that area children created based on what they want to be when they grow up.

David Dahlquist’s “Every Day I have the Blues” at 75^th and Troost. A giant piano tribute to Kansas City’s rich jazz history. The piano is red epoxy-painted steel with an aluminum structure and LED lighting. You can walk under the piano lid or sit on the keyboard.

Janet Rogers and Ron McLinden of TAN attended the December 15^th KCATA Launch Reception to acknowledge all the people who have worked on the project from the congressional delegation to the FTA to the artists to the contractors and consultants.