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City(ies), County(ies), State:
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Leavenworth, Wyandotte, and Johnson counties in Kansas and Clay, Platte, Jackson, and Cass counties in Missouri
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Supplementary Project Mode(s):
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* Active Transportation
* Other (Microtransit)
Just by choosing transit as a component of any given trip, a person most often must also take advantage of other modes. For example, a commuter could drive 10 minutes to a mobility hub/park & ride, get on a bus, ride for 20 minutes, and then get off and walk 5 minutes to his or her office. Another person might bike 10 minutes to a bus stop, put her bike on the bus and ride for 10 minutes and then get off and bike 15 minutes to her final destination. Besides biking and walking, car and bike share as well as microtransit are all modes that are encouraged by investment in transit.
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Project Description: |
The Smart Moves 3.0 plan envisions a mobility landscape that includes efficient, high-ridership transit service linked by well-located mobility hubs where riders can transfer from one fixed route to another or connect with mobility services to get where they need to go. This plan also recognizes that efficient transit thrives on density. Smart Moves 3.0 serves as the regional blueprint for implementation of a new and improved transit and mobility system. Transit agencies, local governments and the Mid-America Regional Council will use this plan to guide the development of new projects and initiatives that seek to:
• Increase the number of jobs accessible by transit and mobility services.
• Increase ridership of transit and use of other mobility options.
• Increase development/redevelopment along high-capacity corridors and near mobility hubs.
• Increase availability of customer information and resources through technology.
• Increase funding for transit and mobility services.
• Decrease greenhouse gas emissions and other transportation-related pollutants.
The intent of this project is to make using transit and mobility services an attractive and viable option for more Kansas City area residents and workers. Expanding the region’s transit and mobility system (in terms of route options, frequency of service, days of service, and microtransit) will not only benefit those who do not have a car (by choice or by necessity) but others as well. For instance, expanding the transit system and increasing ridership will take more cars off the road, thereby decreasing traffic for those that choose to/must drive. This decreased traffic will also benefit bicyclists and pedestrians in terms of making their travel safer and more pleasant as well as improving air quality. Decreased traffic/congestion will also benefit the movement of freight as well.
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Scope: |
The basic categories of transit service in Smart Moves 3.0 are:
• Fast and Frequent (15 minutes or less)
• Supporting (30 minutes)
• Express
This application is specifically for Smart Moves 3.0 Supporting and Express transit services as well as six microtransit areas (with two being implemented per plan decade).
Supporting service:
The SmartMoves 3.0 plan proposes investing in Supporting services throughout the region that connect with the Fast and Frequent network, and fill in the gaps of that network. These lines serve as cross-regional routes, providing regional mobility and opportunities for job access. Typically, transit propensity along these routes is lower than along the Fast and Frequent network, and the recommended service is adjusted accordingly.
Express service:
The Smart Moves 3.0 plan proposes expanding the existing Express network to provide more opportunities for connecting travelers throughout the region. This express network will expand the regional reach of the RideKC Transit network and bring more users into the family of services.
Microtransit areas:
Microtransit or other similar mobility services may be used to connect high-activity centers or mobility hubs, and enable users to travel easily between them on more flexible schedules (and pick-up/drop-off locations) than traditional transit. Vehicles are typically equipped with Wi-Fi devices, and other amenities, which may be appealing to those who need or want more on-board amenities than what traditional transit offers.
Currently, Johnson County is running a microtransit pilot with the goal of continuing the service. This project is providing RideKC with the opportunity to learn about when riders will use microtransit and how. The costs associated with this pilot were used as a basis to estimate costs for future additional microtransit services for RTP 2050, the locations of which are not yet decided. Microtransit may be an ideal solution for areas where there is a significant gap in the fixed route system and where development patterns and ridership demand may not warrant significant fixed route services, or to be utilized to improve first and last mile connections to fixed routes in the SmartMoves network. Fare policy for this network is still being determined.
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