KANSAS CITY’S MAX BUS
RAPID TRANSIT
Metropolitan Kansas City
Bi-state (Kansas/Missouri)
 1.8M population
 KCATA all bus system
 63 routes
 10 municipalities
 55,000 average weekday ridership

MAX Objectives







Attract new riders
Operate more like
rail
Unique branding
Reduce travel time
Support economic
development
Implement quickly
No new taxes
Arterial BRT Lines

Main Street MAX
 $21
million
 6,000+ daily riders
 Opened July 2005

Troost MAX
 $30
million
 8,500+ daily riders
 Opened January 2011
Main St. MAX Orange Line
River Market
Downtown
Crown Center
Midtown
The Plaza
Infrastructure Improvements
Partnered with KCMO
 Repaved 6 lanes
 Concrete pads at all stations
 Repaired sidewalks, inlets &
reset manhole covers
 Traffic signal upgrades

MAX Station Design Goals
Distinctive “station” rather than stop
 Enhance image
 Reflect MAX brand
 Within existing ROW

Main Street MAX Stations
Stations as Landmarks
Permanence
 Station naming

 Landmarks
Real-time information
 Wayfinding

MAX Vehicles
Main Street MAX Operations
4 a.m. to 1 a.m.
 Frequency

 Weekdays:10
minutes all
day; 15 at night
 Saturdays: 15 minutes
all day; 30 at night
 Sundays: 30 minutes all
day
Main Street MAX Success
High customer satisfaction
 Increased ridership
 Positive community response
 Attracting choice riders
 Visitor and event service
 Regional BRT system

Troost MAX Green Line
Troost Corridor
Historic racial dividing
line
 Lower income
 High transit dependency
 Economic need
 Neglected infrastructure

Troost Corridor
7,500 daily boardings
 Connecting routes
 Major activity centers

 Downtown
 Hospital
hill
 Green Impact Zone
 Universities
 Federal Complex
Very Small Starts

Substantial branded stations
 44
stations/2 per intersection
 3 park-and-rides
Signal priority at 30 intersections
 14 low-floor buses
 Artwork at 3 locations
 Planning started in 2006
 Operational Jan. 1, 2011

Green Line Operations

Troost MAX
 Every
10 minutes all day
 >20% travel time savings

Troost Local
 30
minutes all day
 Serves MAX stations

Corridor operating costs
 Pre-MAX
$4.5 million
 MAX & local $4.9 million
Troost MAX Stations
Every 4 blocks
 Park-and-Rides


Multi-directional
protection
Troost MAX Stations
th
75
St. MetroStation
Green Initiatives

Hybrid-electric buses
Green Initiatives

43 Rain gardens
Green Initiatives

All electric service truck
Green Initiatives

Pervious concrete
Green Initiatives

More efficient lighting
“Catalyst”
“Unite”
“Every Day I Have the Blues”
Transit Oriented Development

27th & Troost grocery store
 Addressing
urban food desert
Transit Oriented Development

39th & Troost MetroCenter
 Head
Start Day Care
Transit Oriented Development

Rockhurst University
 Mixed-use
commercial/parking garage
Transit Oriented Development

Rockhill Greens
 13.5
acre redevelopment
 Senior housing & commercial tied to Brookside Med
Center
Sustained Success
Customer satisfaction
 Ridership growth
 UPASS Program

 August
2011
Development
opportunities
 Demand for MAX
lines

Lessons Learned – Challenges
Bus lane enforcement
 Signal priority
 Boarding delays
 Station placement in
ROW
 Increased operating
cost

Lessons Learned – Opportunities
Branding
 Rider
preference
for BRT
 Partnerships
 Pedestrian
connections

Contact Info
Mark Huffer
General Manager & CEO
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
816-346-0210
mhuffer@kcata.org