Transit Study Proposes Two New Express Routes to KCI

The KCI Airport Public Transit Services Action Plan was released and is calling for more transit access to the airport’s new single terminal.

The study, conducted in collaboration with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, the Mid-America Regional Council and other regional partners, calls for additional express bus services along two corridors.

The first proposed route would be located in downtown Kansas City with pick-up and drop-off locations at Union Station or the Convention Center area with additional connections to the East Village Transit Center. The second route would begin in Johnson County, with potential interim stops in Kansas City, Kansas, to connect with existing bus service on State Avenue.

Currently, the only fixed-route public transit service to KCI is a RideKC bus route that operates once per hour and takes an hour to travel between the airport and downtown Kansas City.

The routes would operate at a 30-minute frequency for 18 hours, seven days a week to align with employee shifts, according to the study.

“The KCI transit study is a result of a strong partnership between regional agencies and stakeholders who share a common vision of providing efficient and reliable transit services to the airport,” Frank White III, president and CEO for KCATA, said in a release.

Initial estimated costs for the KCI bus services plan would be $6-8 million. It would cost an additional $3-6 million in annual operating costs per route.

Additionally, the study recommends fleet upgrades, new branding and an assortment of amenity improvements.

Future transit services could offer direct connections to other regional destinations in Lee’s Summit, Independence, Liberty and Leavenworth