The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) announces good news for RideKC customers beginning Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. First, the newly built East Village Transit Center at 12th & Charlotte will open for bus service. Second, starting in August, several routes will restore weekday service, or add trips where crowding has been occurring.
“These improvements will allow workers and other residents to get to essential services,” said Robbie Makinen, KCATA president & CEO. “RideKC has taken several steps to ensure the safety of our customers and operators, including suspending fares, and requiring masks, social distancing and rear boarding. Together, we can all keep public transportation safe.”
East Village Transit Center Opens
The East Village Transit Center will open as the main downtown transit facility, replacing the 10th & Main location that has become too small for RideKC’s needs. The facility at 10th & Main will close to transit Aug. 2. East Village provides frequent east-west connections to the core of downtown and serves as the downtown anchor for the new 10-mile Prospect MAX line. The transit center will be accessible for people with disabilities and will include one-step level boarding, bike racks, RideKC Bike rentals, and show real-time arrival information. Future improvements include free public WiFi. An indoor waiting area is expected to open when COVID-19 is no longer a local threat. The Customer Service Lobby at 18th & Forest will relocate there at that time. Nearly 20 MAX, local and express routes will serve the East Village Transit Center.
RideKC Bus Service Restored, Improved
In line with RideKC’s Service Restoration Plan, regular weekday service will be restored on select routes effective Aug. 2, 2020. This expanded service is based on a detailed review of current ridership patterns, the need to maintain social distancing, and restoring access to essential jobs and services in areas with no other coverage.
Several routes will have regular weekday service restored. Several additional routes will maintain existing service, with Saturday schedules operating on weekdays, but with added trips in the early morning. Some routes may have time changes. Many routes will now travel to East Village Transit Center as the 10th & Main Transit Center closes.
Routes operated by the Unified Government, Johnson County, and the City of Independence are not impacted. Detailed maps and timetables are available at ridekc.org. For more information, call the Regional Call Center at 816-221-0660 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.