Main St., Broadway, Troost bus hours expand with streetcar

By Jason Doss from Kansas City, MO (Southbound on Main) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Although the new downtown streetcar doesn’t run in Midtown, it has triggered expanded bus service to help people get to jobs here. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority also wants to make it easier for visitors to the Plaza, Westport and other areas to transfer between buses and the streetcar.

The KCATA says it has gotten requests for additional service as the streetcar begins running. It says expanded night service will improve access to jobs in Midtown, downtown, and help riders transfer between buses and the streetcar, which will stop operating at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

“Our new service will help people get to work at odd hours when transportation can be hard to find. Plus, it will provide new ways of reaching entertainment hot spots at convenient times without the hassle of driving,” said Robbie Makinen, chief executive officer and president of the KCATA, in a news release. “This is just another example of how the KCATA is leading the way in finding new and innovative ways to make transit seamless and easy to use in the greater Kansas City region.”

Details

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) will expand late-night bus service connecting to the downtown streetcar and serving key employment centers and entertainment venues in Kansas City on May 13, and again in July.

• Beginning Friday, May 13, the new later service on Friday and Saturday nights will be available on Main Street MAX. The service will be extended until 2 a.m. the following morning, giving riders a few extra roundtrips each day.
• Beginning Friday, July 8, Troost MAX and the 47-Broadway will be extended to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
• The last Main Street MAX bus currently leaves downtown at 11:37 p.m. on Friday and 12:06 a.m. on Saturday. The last Troost MAX bus now leaves downtown at 11:42 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The last Broadway bus leaves downtown at about 10:15 on Friday and Saturday nights. The Main St. MAX connects to streetcar at Union Station. It will not travel north of Union Station; riders can reach Crossroads, downtown and River Market on the streetcar. 47-Broadway Late Night will be shortened during the expanded late-night hours. The Broadway Late Night route will end at 47th Street. Late night service on Troost MAX travels to Troost & 75th Street. The Main Street MAX route travels to 75th & Wornall in Waldo.