As part of the Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA)’s 2019 State Conference and Expo held last week in Kansas City, Mo., several member providers were recognized by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region VII. The Bus CU Transit Services and Cape Girardeau County Transit received an Award of Excellence for ridership increases; and Robbie Makinen of the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) was presented with an Award of Distinction.
The Awards of Excellence were given to public transit systems with the highest ridership increases between 2017 and2018 in the categories of urban and rural. The Bus CU Transit Services in Springfield was recognized among large urban transit providers for an increase of 25,062 riders. Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority was recognized among rural transit providers for an increase of 15,376 riders.
Robbie Makinen, president and chief executive officer of KCATA and MPTA secretary, was honored with the Award of Distinction for his leadership in partnering with the KC Streetcar Authority, the City of Independence, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and the Johnson County Government to provide seamless and efficient transit access to more than 16 million riders annually through “RideKC.” He was also recognized for his leadership role in the integration of app-based technology for new Bus Rapid Transit projects, as well as developing new transit-oriented development projects and initiating free fare programs for veterans.