Transit Action Network (TAN)

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

Posts Tagged ‘KCATA’

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Jump on The Truman Trolley in Independence for Great Experiences at a Great Price

Posted by Transit Action Network on September 10, 2010


Independence is full of great attractions and historic sites. You can ride the Truman Trolley all day for $1 (unlimited boardings) Monday through Saturday until October 2 (children 5 and under ride free).

Stop at any or all of these attractions:

National Frontier Trails Museum and Chicago and Alton Depot, Bingham-Waggoner Estate, Harry S. Truman Library and Museum and Truman Home, Vaile Victorian Mansion, 1859 Jail and Marshal’s Home and Truman Visitors Center, Mormon Visitors Center and ‘Community of Christ Headquarters, Clinton’s Soda Fountain and Independence Square.

If you aren’t in Independence you can get the Trolley from Union Station for either a full day or half-day transit adventure.  Call the day before to make a reservation and the Trolley will pick you up at Union Station, take you to Independence, deliver you around Independence all day and then take you back to Union Station all for the same $1!!!

Pickups from Union Station are at 10:00 am and 1:30 pm. Returns from Clinton’s Soda Fountain to Union Station are at 1:00 pm and 5:30 pm.  Remember advance reservations are needed for the Union Station connection.

Find out more about the TRUMAN TROLLEY here.

For additional information or reservations call 816-512-5555 or go to www.visitindependence.com

To combine this transit adventure with public transit options check the KCATA trip planner at www.kcata.org

Posted in Local Transit Issues, Transit Adventures | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Let’s Tweet Up Transit!!!

Posted by Transit Action Network on August 19, 2010


The JO's Route 575 connects with KCATA's MAX at Waldo

Announcing Transit Action Network’s first occasional Tweet Up Transit Sweepstakes.

If you care about transit like we care about transit, let’s get on the bus and tweet about it.  Specifically, let’s ride and tweet about The JO’s new and expanded service routes, plus Route M (AKA, the Route of the Dinosaurs). https://transactionkc.com/2010/07/20/take-the-jo-to-the-jurassic/

There’s a prize at stake.

Here’s how it works:

Between now and Friday, September 3, ride any of the following Johnson County Transit routes and then tweet about it.

+ Route 556 / 856 – Metcalf Plaza (135th and Metcalf to the Plaza and Cleaver Blvd and Troost)

http://www.thejo.com/pdf/maps/556.pdf

http://www.thejo.com/pdf/maps/856.pdf

+ Route 575 / 875 – 75th Street (KU Edwards and JCCC to Waldo)

http://www.thejo.com/pdf/maps/575.pdf

http://www.thejo.com/pdf/maps/875.pdf

+ Route 664 – Metcalf Downtown (135th and Metcalf to Downtown Kansas City)

http://www.thejo.com/pdf/maps/664.pdf

+ Route M / 672 – Midday (Great Mall and Olathe to Downtown Kansas City and Union Station)

http://www.thejo.com/pdf/maps/Route_M.pdf

Tell us which route you rode and a little about your experience.  Most important, include our Twitter name @transactionkc (so it’ll show up on our Twitter timeline), plus the hashtag #thejo.  For each day that you tweet we’ll enter you into a drawing for a big prize.  There are 15 days — including weekends, when you can’t ride but you can still tweet — so you can have up to 15 chances to win.

At the end we’ll post all of the tweets — or at least the best ones — on our blog.  And we’ll award the prize.

So come on, let’s get out there and ride.  And tweet!  (Employees of Johnson County Transit, KCATA, and MARC are encouraged to enter but are not eligible to win.)

Oh, yeah — the prize.  The prize will be a 10-ride pass on The JO.  We know, that’s not a very impressive prize.  But hey, you think we’re millionaires?  😉

Posted in Local Transit Issues, Seamless Transit, Transit Adventures | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

NOTICE: Urban Core Transit Issues-meeting Tues Aug 17.

Posted by Transit Action Network on August 14, 2010


StreetCar from KCATA Streetcar Concept Webpage

Condensed from a press release from the Office of Councilman Russ Johnson, August 13,2010

The Traffic & Transportation Subcommittee of Kansas City’s Parking and Transportation Commission will hear information on the current status of urban transit as well as options for the future. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 17th at 2:45 p.m. at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), 1200 E. 18th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

The KCATA will present information concerning its financial status, the current condition of downtown transit, examples of transit options from other cities, and future opportunities for downtown transit, including street cars.

“The Traffic and Transit subcommittee is excited to make progress on improving urban core public transit issues,” said Councilman Russ Johnson. “The Subcommittee welcomes members of the public who are interested in hearing the presentation and learning more about the condition of existing transit and the challenges we face.”

The Traffic and Transit Subcommittee  is charged with addressing public transit, pedestrian, and vehicular traffic issues.  Although no recommendations will be made during this meeting, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the presentation and issues under the scope of the subcommittee.

The subcommittee will also hear a report from the Missouri Department of Transportation concerning its I-35 feasibility study.

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

July KCATA BOC meeting:Comprehensive Service Analysis, Public Input and Customer Satisfaction Survey

Posted by Transit Action Network on August 8, 2010


KCATA Board of Commissioners meeting July 28, 2010

July 28- KCATA Board of Commissioners Meeting

Comprehensive Service Analysis

The KCATA Comprehensive Service Analysis (CSA) is underway. Link to find out about the 2010-2011 Service Analysis.

Take the Preference Survey for the CSA. It is  important that transit riders speak up and take this survey. It is available in English and Spanish.  The choices are hard.

Link to the CSA July2010 presentation by Nelson Nygaard about the analysis.

KCATA expects to have public meetings in the Fall. We will keep you informed of these meetings.

Public Input:

Ron McLinden, advocate with Transit Action Network, presents appeals for seamless transit at the July 28,2010 KCATA BOC meeting

Ron McLinden, an advocate with the Transit Action Network, spoke about the new services started by Johnson County Transit. He expressed TAN’s strong support for this service and the importance of these routes toward the development of Bus Rapid Transit in Johnson County. TAN had met previously with Cindy Baker, KCATA Director of Marketing, about combining signage and schedules between KCATA and the JO for these new routes. Since Cindy had said KCATA was willing to do this, Ron expressed appreciation for this important step toward seamless transit.

Clay Chastain spoke. He offered an “olive branch” to the KCATA and wanted them to work with him on a transit package to take to voters this  November. The board listened politely and thanked him for coming.

Clay Chastain presentation to KCATA BOC July 28,2010

Customer Satisfaction Survey

ETC Institute recently conducted a Customer Satisfaction Survey about KCATA.  This survey showed overall improvement from the previous survey in 2007.

Sixty-five percent of those surveyed used the service for either going to work or job seeking, supporting the idea of how important the service is to the community. More people are transit dependent than in 2007.

Riders felt there were big improvements in on-time performance and  transit service. Ninety–one percent of riders surveyed would recommend the MAX and the METRO.

Overall results were very positive and better than in 2007 but there is always room for improvement.

Suggested improvements: Improve the courtesy on the Metro information line, integrate technology to distribute information and improve the condition of the buses.

Greatest need: increase weekend service and service between 6am ad 6pm.

Posted in Local Transit Issues, Meeting Reports, Rail, Seamless Transit | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Action! – The Green Impact Zone

Posted by Transit Action Network on July 24, 2010


July 21-The Green Impact Zone* (GIZ) is one of our current “targets” for action! Loaded down with KCATA brochures and our own  Summer Fun on Transit-GIZ flyer, we introduced the Transit Action Network (TAN) to several GIZ neighborhood leaders.  We expressed our desire to be one of the partners working to transform the “Zone” toward sustainability and energy-efficient living.

We reminded everyone that earlier this year TAN and GIZ residents contacted our representatives in Jefferson City during their work on the state budget. Together we helped play a role in $3 million being set aside (at least tentatively) for KCATA. The release of the funds is dependant on the state’s economic condition.

We want to continue working with the Green Impact Zone to encourage the KC City Council and the Missouri State legislature to adequately fund our transit service.

Several leaders were interested in our handouts, and we asked them to consider us a transit resource. We even “invited” ourselves to attend meetings in their individual neighborhoods to learn more about the transit needs as seen by those who live in the GIZ.

*The Green Impact Zone is a cooperative effort to focus federal stimulus funds on projects in a 150-square block area of Kansas City, Mo. – bounded by 39th St. on the north, 51st St. on the south, Troost Ave. on the west, and Prospect to 47th to Swope Parkway on the east.

Posted in Meeting Reports | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Take The JO to the Jurassic

Posted by Transit Action Network on July 20, 2010


This monster announces the "Dinosaurs Unearthed" exhibit from its post outside Union Station...

...while inside Union Station, this animatronic Dilophosaurus greets visitors with a friendly roar.

There’s a dinosaur exhibit at Union Station, “Dinosaurs Unearthed”     http://www.dino.unionstation.org/

Kids love dinosaurs, right?  And there just happens to be a bus from Johnson County right to Union Station, Route M.

Put it all together and what to you get?  A great “Transit Adventure” from Johnson County to see the dinosaurs.  Or to see the kid-friendly attractions at Crown Center like Kaleidoscope, or the ever-popular fountain at Crown Center Square.

Johnson County Transit, “The JO” is primarily a commuter bus system, with morning and afternoon trips to and from Downtown Kansas City.  If you have transit needs between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, you’ve been pretty much out of luck – except for Route M (AKA Route 672), a little-known route that makes a single round trip from Olathe to Downtown Kansas City and back in the middle of the day.

Route M, “Midday,” is your key to taking half-day trips to and from points in Kansas City from Johnson County.  It serves several major park-and-ride locations in Johnson County on the way to Downtown Kansas City, Union Station, and Crown Center:

+ Great Mall of the Great Plains

+ Downtown Olathe

+ Johnson County Community College

+ Oak Park Mall Shopping Center

+ Metcalf South Shopping Center

+ 6000 Lamar Transit Center

From one of these locations you can take a morning commuter bus to Union Station to see the dinosaurs and return via Route M (leaving from Union Station shortly after 1:00 pm), or take Route M to Union Station and return via one of the afternoon commuter routes.

We’ve prepared a summary schedule of some of the buses you can take in combination with Route M. (bus schedule to see the dinosaurs ) Other routes are also available, but we’ve chosen the ones that probably work for most people.

Round up the kids, head for one of The JO’s park-and-ride lots, and take The JO to Union Station for an adventure into the Jurassic (Closed Mondays)

Fares:  Regular fare on The JO is $2.00 for adults, $1.50 for kids 6-17, and free for kids 5 and under.

For extra adventure, you can transfer from The JO to MAX or another Metro bus to visit other attractions up and down the MAX corridor stretching from Waldo on the south to Downtown and River Market on the north.  Your JO driver can give you a transfer good for 2 hours on any Metro route.  For your return, pay the regular fare on the Metro ($1.50 for adults, 75 cents for kids 6-17) and get a transfer that’s good on The JO.

So get out there and have a Transit Adventure.  And post a comment on our blog to let us know how it went.

Note: Future adventurers and world travelers need to be familiar with 24-hour clock time, so we have used it on our schedule:  08:00 = 8:00 am, 16:07 = 4:07 pm, 20:10 = 8:10 pm (There is a 12 hour difference between “pm” times and the 24-hour clock; “am” times are the same) The JO buses operate only Monday through Friday.  We’ve made every effort to provide accurate schedule information, but schedules change from time to time.  We suggest you check The JO’s website – www.thejo.com – or call the regional transit information center, 221-0660, for the latest information.


Posted in Transit Adventures | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Inaugurating the New Johnson County Transit Service

Posted by Transit Action Network on July 9, 2010


Margie prepares to board Route M bus at 10th and Main

Ron and Margie board Route 856 bus at 6000 Lamar transit center

Hear!  Hear!  There is good news for regional transit…  as of July 6, 2010 the range of transit possibilities to and from Johnson County and Kansas City, MO just got a whole lot bigger!

The JO’s Route M, the midday route that makes a single round trip from Olathe to Downtown and back, plus NEW Routes 856 and 875 opened up opportunities for KC residents to get to Oak Park Mall and Metcalf South Shopping Center, Johnson County Community College (including the Carlsen Center for the Performing Arts and the Nerman Museum) and KU Edwards Campus throughout the day.  And for Johnson County residents, the new routes improve access to the Plaza, the Nelson-Atkins and Kemper Museums of Art, UMKC, Union Station and Crown Center, and Downtown Kansas City via MAX from Waldo or from the Plaza.

On July 6, Margie and Ron celebrated the launch of this new transit service in Johnson County by being among its first riders.  We selected a relatively short loop trip beginning and ending at 10th and Main Transit Center in Downtown Kansas City.  Margie arrived there via ATA Route 129 from Boardwalk Square in Platte County, and Ron arrived via ATA’s MAX route from Midtown.

We used our Metro transfers to board The JO’s Route M at 1:00, and got off at the Transfer Center at 6000 Lamar in Mission. Here we had easy walking access to the Johnson County Administrative Center, Powell Community Center, and several restaurants and retail shops. The NEW Route 856 Metcalf Flex bus arrived early and Don, the driver, snapped a photo of us boarding.  He, too, was celebrating his new assignment!!

Just imagine  –  Route 856 riders have access to everything along Metcalf from 63rd to 135th streets!!  We got off at 75th Street  –  the site of Walgreen’s and CVS among the retail options.  Did you know that more than 65 buses pass by 75th and Metcalf every weekday?

Soon we boarded the NEW eastbound Route 875 Flex bus with Paul at the wheel.  And we were off to Waldo and our next transfer onto the MAX at Wornall and 75th where you’ll find good places to eat  –  unique roof top dining at The Well, “traditionals” such as Waldo Pizza, and Coffee Girls’ new location is just a block west near 75th Street Brewery.  The retail shopping excels, also!

The JO’s Routes 856 and 875 are something new for the Kansas City area: “route deviation” transit.  They follow set routes on a fixed schedule, but the driver can go off-route to pick up or drop off riders who have called a day in advance.

Routes 856 and 875 complement Routes 556 and 575 that operate during the morning and evening commute periods.  These buses travel the same route but don’t go off-route.  Since both connect to MAX, it’s possible for more people to get to and from work and school.  Now, they and many more residents of the region have access to health care, shopping, and a variety of restaurants along these routes throughout the day!

Ron sent a few “tweets” along the way.  Read them at http://twitter.com/transactionkc.

Margie Richcreek reporting

"OH, there is the bus stop"

Ron "tweets' about the experience at the Waldo MAX stop

Posted in Transit Adventures | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

New Silver Route in Independence

Posted by Transit Action Network on July 2, 2010


Before the opening event ceremony at Centerpoint

Mary Hunt, Senior Planner, and Mayor Reimal show the map of the new Silver Route

Mark Huffer, KCATA General Manager, speaking at the opening event

Independence Community Development Director Jennifer Clark and Senior Planner Mary Hunt celebrate the opening of the Silver Route with transit rider Pyllis Mays

July 1 – The opening event at Centerpoint Hospital for Independence’s new Silver Route transit service shows what can happen when people think ahead and creatively. Several years ago Independence structured the Centerpoint Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to fund a new bus route. The route will run Tuesday and Thursday and connect Centerpoint Medical facilities, the Social Security Administration, 39th & Noland (Walgreens and CVS are both there), Olde Oak Tree Apartments, the Midwest Genealogy Center (a Mid-Continent library and the largest public genealogy library in the country) and the Independence Transit Center.

Independence Mayor Don Reimal pointed out that this is a really good use of TIF money and it shows that when Independence has the money they provide transit.  He emphasized that no money was used from general revenues. KCATA General Manager Mark Huffer pointed out that this is probably the first use of TIF to fund transit in Missouri.

Phyllis Mays, an Independence transit rider and transit advocate who helped develop the route, was the first person to ride the new route.

The buses for this route have been fitted with two wheelchair positions since Independence has identified the need to accommodate additional wheelchair passengers on this route.

We salute Independence for its funding commitment to its regular transit service. Sales taxes are down and the Community Development Department, which administers the transit service, has had budget cuts of 30% over the last two years.  The decision was made to absorb those cuts in other ways and keep the budget for the regular transit services consistent at $1 million.  Anyone who has paid attention to the sales tax funding crisis for transit around the whole country should find this an exceptional commitment to transit in difficult financial times.

JR

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Transit Adventure: A Trip to Harry’s Town via KCATA and Amtrak

Posted by Transit Action Network on June 18, 2010



Jayson lives in Midtown Kansas City.  A few months ago he decided to go carless, and he started a blog, http://www.carfreeinkc.com, to write about his experiences.  He posts occasional reports about his transit adventures, and we especially like the one about a trip he and a friend took from Kansas City to Independence (KCATA Route 24 from Downtown) and return via Amtrak to Union Station.  It’s a pretty easy half-day trip, but you will probably want to make train reservations in advance, http://www.amtrak.com, to avoid an extra charge.  Amtrak fare is generally $8 for adults (second adult and senior tickets are less) and $4 for kids 2-15.  Here’s his account of the trip:

Posted in Amtrak, Transit Adventures | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

KCATA Commissioners approve Comprehensive Service Analysis

Posted by Transit Action Network on June 6, 2010


May 26. Ron McLinden and Janet Rogers attended the KCATA Board of Commissioners meeting.

Items of note:

There are new opportunities for federal funds and KCATA will be applying for this money. Under “Clean Fuels” and “State of Good Repair” programs the requests will be out of items that are already in the ATA’s capital budget, such as hybrid vehicles and electric service trucks, a new revenue collection system and a new bus cleaning system.

The ATA will also be looking for eligible “livable communities” projects using the TIGER and TIGGER grant programs of ARRA.

KCATA is contracting for a Comprehensive Service Analysis of its bus operations. The 15-month $533,881 contract is with Nelson-Nygaard, a transit consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco. See the ATA staff presentation to the BOC-Comprehensive Service Analysis

If you don’t already know, rather than having major service cuts or raising fares again this year, KCATA is using its sales tax reserve account to maintain service. The Finance Department made a report saying if things continue as they are now, KCATA expects to exhaust it reserve fund early in 2014. Of course, improved sales tax revenue, full funding from Kansas City’s ½ cent sales transportation tax and one-time money from the State of Missouri would help to postpone or eliminate the problem.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

Small Steps Toward Seamless Transit

Posted by Transit Action Network on May 19, 2010


The Transit Action Network wants “seamless transit” for the Kansas City region.

What do we mean by seamless transit?  Basically it comes down to making it easier to connect among the three transit systems (ATA, The JO, and UGT).  Shared bus stops with posted schedules and other information, especially where routes intersect.  A common monthly transit pass, or at least having the three systems accept each other’s monthly passes. Simple things.

At lot is happening in transit right now, and it might seem reasonable to postpone some of these details while dealing with more immediate issues.  We think this is precisely the time to do it.

Looking just at Johnson County, for example, there are opportunities that shouldn’t be lost.  Beginning In July, Johnson County Transit will add trips on Metcalf and Shawnee Mission Parkway, and will launch a new route on 75th Street that will connect with MAX and other ATA routes in Waldo.  In addition, federal stimulus money has been awarded to JCT to prepare for BRT (bus rapid transit) in the Metcalf / Shawnee Mission Parkway corridor, with connections to MAX at the Plaza.

The ATA’s Route 175 currently operates along Metcalf between 95th and 119th, three trips in the morning and three in the afternoon.  That route, along with the new JCT service to begin in July, presents opportunities to improve connectivity for transit users.

Consider:

1 – Add information about the new JCT service at MAX and other stops in Missouri, and to let people know that the two systems honor each other’s transfers.

2 – At Waldo, make sure the new JCT route serves the MAX stop directly, rather than forcing people to cross 75th Street and walk 150 yards to connect to MAX.

3 – At Waldo and the Plaza, add a map of the several routes that radiate outward from those stops.

4 – At the Metcalf South park-and-ride lot, add a schedule poster and information about where to board the ATA Route 175 bus that passes by on 95th and Metcalf, but doesn’t serve the park-and-ride.  (Better yet, reroute the 175 to serve the park-and ride lot.)

5 – When new bus stops are posted along Metcalf, have them show what routes serve them, ATA as well as JCT routes.

6 – Wherever passenger shelters are installed, provide information about transit service.  Every shelter is a 24/7 presence for transit, and should be used as part of the transit marketing plan.

7 – Show all connecting routes when JCT and the ATA publish new or revised pocket schedules, or publish such information on their respective websites.

JCT and the ATA, working with MARC, have been partners in applying for and receiving the federal stimulus money for transit that was announced back in February.  They should use this closer level of cooperation and coordination to make their respective transit services work more like a seamless regional system.

Ron McLinden

May 18, 2010

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