Transit Action Network (TAN)

Advocates for Improved and Expanded Transit in the Kansas City Region.

Posts Tagged ‘IndeBus’

Transit Talk Feb 10 – Car Free By Choice in KC on 90.1FM KKFI

Posted by Transit Action Network on February 9, 2015


KKFI 90.1 FMWhat would happen if you decided to get rid of your car? Could you get around town on public transit? Why are people choosing a lifestyle without a car? How effective is public transit for getting around the region?

Find out what it is like to be “Car Free by Choice in Kansas City” as Sarah Madrid, David Johnson and Mike Lewyn discuss their reasoning for being car free and their experiences on Transit Talk with host Janet Rogers of Transit Action Network.

Where: RadioActive Magazine, 90.1FM KKFI Kansas City Community Radio

When: Tuesday Feb 10 @ 6 PM

Listen to the podcast

Many people don’t have a car because they lack the money to support a car or they have a physical impairment which keeps them from driving. Being without a car can be difficult. However, more and more people are deciding to turn in their keys and say goodbye to the costs and hassles of having a car.

Join us on Tuesday to hear from three people who made the decision to go without a car. Find out how they manage.

Sarah Madrid, grew up in KC and returned after a career in the US Foreign Service where she lived car free for many years in foreign countries.

Mike Lewyn recently moved to KC and brings a fresh evaluation of our city’s public transit network. He teaches law at UMKC.

David Johnson, a local transit advocate and member of the Streetcar Authority has been car free in KC for many years.

If you aren’t very familiar with the transit system but want to try it, there is a trip planner on the KCATA website that will tell you what you need to know to get from your current location (or a beginning location) to your destination. http://www.kcata.org/maps_schedules/trip_planner or call (816) 221-0660 for help. Wyandotte County, Johnson County and Independence buses all use this same trip planner.

Google maps allows you to plan your trip, you just have to click on the bus icon.

You can look up additional information for The JO  (As of February 1, 2015 KCATA manages The JO) http://www.jocogov.org/dept/transit/home

The Independence IndeBus http://indebusmo.com

Information on all of the Unified Government Transit (UGT) buses is available at www.KCATA.org. Some additional information is available at http://www.wycokck.org/dept.aspx?id=224&menu_id=1030

If you know your KCATA bus route then this website helps by showing you the current location of your bus. http://itsab.us/tracker/ Just click on your route and all the locations for the buses on that route will be displayed. This information is available on a regular phone with internet capability. A smart phone is not necessary.

You can try out all of the apps suggested on the KCATA app center to find out which one you like best. http://www.kcata.org/maps_schedules/app_center

Rider guides for new riders

KCATA http://www.kcata.org/rider_guide

The JO http://www.jocogov.org/dept/transit/jo/rider-guide

IndeBus http://indebusmo.com/travel-training/

If you have additional questions contact the transit agencies

KCATA, The JO and UGT call center (816) 221-0660

IndeBus 816-461-4287 (IBUS)

You can contact Transit Action Network at TransactionKC@gmail.com

Our next Transit Talk on Radio Active Magazine is MARCH 31.

Posted in Local Transit Issues, Regional Transit Issue | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

KKFI Transit Talk Aug 19 Special Transportation in the KC Region

Posted by Transit Action Network on August 18, 2014


KKFI 90.1 FMJameson Auten, KCATA Vice President of Regional Service Delivery, Sheila Styron, Public Policy Specialist at The Whole Person, and Janet Rogers of Transit Action Network discuss Special Transportation issues in the Kansas City region, including upcoming coordination improvements between the four transit agencies and why, no matter how disabled you are, you can only use the Johnson County Special Edition bus if you live in Johnson County.

Where: Radio Active Magazine on KKFI 90.1FM Kansas City Community Radio (KKFI.org)

When: Tuesday August 19 @ 6PM 

Listen to PODCAST:   http://content.blubrry.com/kkfi901fm/RadioActive_Magazine_2014-08-19.mp3

Auten will discuss the special transportation services available through the transit agencies and Styron will discuss the reasons for ADA transit services as well as her personal experience as a user and why she prefers to use the regular bus service as much as possible.

The American With Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes paratransit (meaning “along side” transit) eligibility rules for people with disabilities. Systems falling under the ADA guidelines are considered ADA complementary services. The services are provided for eligible individuals within ¾ of a mile from a fixed route bus service. Commuter Express services are not required to provide special transportation service for people with disabilities.

Our four transit agencies provide special transportation for people with disabilities as well as seniors, even if they don’t have disabilities. Johnson County’s service is not an ADA complementary service.

RTCC_Paratransit_service_information

The current services have various eligibility requirements, costs, hours of operations and contact numbers, and trying to use them can get quite complicated.

Earlier this year Auten made a presentation to the Regional Transit Coordinating Council (RTCC) about the fractured nature of the current services.  Auten’s presentation: RTCC Paratransit Coordination

This council has adopted the task of improving and streamlining the paratransit services in our region. TAN covered RTCC’s commitment to improve regional paratransit services  earlier this year.

RTCC Tackles Big Transit Issues – Funding and Paratransit

If a transit agency provides special transportation for Non-ADA clients, then they can set their own eligibility rules and costs for Non-ADA trips. All of the transit agencies provide Non-ADA services for seniors starting at either 60 or 65 years of age.

One of the biggest upcoming transit issues is how the aging baby boomers will impact the cost and availability of both ADA and Non-ADA services as this large segment of the population needs more transportation. Auten told us that Share-A-Fare currently has 600 people a month signing up as either renewals or new customers. Since approximately 10,000 Americans are turning 65 everyday, this sign-up number is not surprising, but it is daunting when you consider the future impact on special transportation services.

Who to contact: One of the goals of the RTCC is to have one call center to schedule all paratransit trips. Until that happens, KCTA will forward your call to the appropriate agency if you call them. Here are all the numbers and websites for the paratransit services provided by our transit agencies.

ADA and Non-ADA service

KCATA Share-A-Fare  website  816-842-9070

Unified Government Transit Dial -A-Ride  website  913-573-8351

Independence (IndeBus)  IndeAccess  website  816-461-IBUS  (816-461-4287)

Non-ADA service ONLY

This service is ONLY available to people who live in Johnson County (includes seniors and people with disabilities).

Johnson County Special Edition  website  913-782-2210

The next Transit Talk is scheduled for October 14.

Posted in Events, Local Transit Issues | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Attend Transit Stakeholders Forum Mar 27

Posted by Transit Action Network on March 24, 2014


all transit agenciesJoin the discussion about regional branding!

Don’t miss the second Transit Stakeholders Forum. This forum gives everyone an opportunity to provide input into decision-making for Kansas City’s regional transit system. This meeting will focus on the regional branding effort. All of the transit providers (KCATA, Johnson County Transit, Unified Government Transit, Inde Bus and eventually the streetcar) will operate under one umbrella logo, or “regional co-brand” while maintaining their individual identities. Please attend and provide your perspective.

The results of this discussion will provide input to the Regional Transit Coordinating Council and help define the core values and other branding elements that will represent our regional transit system.

A regional co-brand is an important step toward future cohesion of the region’s transit system. The new brand will apply to future initiatives like a one-stop regional transit website, a fare collection system, and a regional transit map. It will help existing users more easily navigate a region-wide system and help attract new transit users.

When: Thursday, March 27 @ 5-6:30 p.m.
Where: Kauffman Foundation Conference Center,
4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110
Metro Routes: Metro 25, Troost MAX, 47
The JO Routes: The JO Connex/556

You can submit a comment or question if you can’t attend.  Please email smartmoves@marc.org.

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/228917683967865/?ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

 

Posted in Events, Regional Transit Issue | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Attend the First Transit Stakeholder Forum – Dec 17

Posted by Transit Action Network on December 9, 2013


marclogoMid-America Regional Council (MARC) has announced the first meeting date for the new Transit Stakeholder Forum.Transit_Stakeholder_Fourm-2

When: December 17, 2013,  5 pm to 6:30 pm
Where: Mid-America Regional Council
600 Broadway, Suite 200, Kansas City, Mo

No membership is required for this forum and meetings are open to the public.

This meeting marks the beginning of a new chapter in transit outreach in the region. This forum provides an opportunity for public feedback from users, potential users and advocates to improve the transit experience in KC.

MARC wants to widen participation in transit discussions by including all interested parties and getting positive feedback for improvements to the regional transit system.

From the MARC website:

This forum provides public input for the Transit Coordinating Council, which advises MARC, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and local transit partners and jurisdictions on issues, such as regional transit planning, coordination and implementation of priorities.Transit_Coordinating_Council-2 The goals for this forum include:

  • Providing input to the area stakeholders about improvement of accessibility of area transit services.
  •  Providing input on the expansion of regional transit services, in ways that are consistent with the Smart Moves Regional Transit Vision.
  •  Allowing for some interaction with members of the Transit Coordinating Council or members of partner agencies and MARC representatives.

The Transit Stakeholder Forum (TSF) and the Transit Coordinating Council (TCC) work together to replace the MARC Transit Committee. The TCC has already started working on system improvements toward achieving seamless transit and part of the first meeting will be spent presenting those changes and asking for input to make the improvements even better. Some improvements include an online interactive regional transit map for the whole system and getting Google Trip Planner and the Regional Call Center to work for the whole system. Read our previous post New Transit Coordinating Council Off To a Good Start to see what TCC has been working on.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to meet with representatives from each of the transit agencies.

This meeting is not a one-time event, although the Forum doesn’t currently have a meeting schedule. A meeting schedule should be discussed at the first meeting. The TSF is one of MARC’s standing committees and it functions as an adjunct to the TCC. They need to work together to get the best results.

The TSF can help minimize or eliminate the barriers to seamless travel in the KC region and provide a better transit system, but only if the public gets involved. The biggest challenge will be to make improvements within the limited funds available for public transit. TCC is already working to increase those funds.

TAN has advocated for a public transit forum for a long time.  Now that we have it, let’s make it a success!

If you are unable to attend this meeting and wish to submit a comment or questions through TAN, please send us an email at TransActionKC@gmail.com See you on December 17th!!!

See MARC’s webpage for the Transit Stakeholder Forum

Posted in Action, Events, Local Transit Issues, Regional Transit Issue, Seamless Transit | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »