Missouri Public Transit Association

SWIFTER, SMOOTHER TRANSIT SERVICE GOAL OF NEW KCATA PILOT PROJECT

(Kansas City, Mo. – Sept. 24, 2015) Swift, smooth and safe. Those are the goals of a new pilot project under way at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to ensure quality bus service for thousands of riders.

          Starting October 4, KCATA is strategically removing under-used bus stops along six routes. Reducing the number of stops and starts will provide a smoother ride and help keep buses on time. Phase I includes six routes for the improvements: 25-Troost, 24-Independence, 30-Northeast, 121-Cleveland/Antioch, 108-Indiana and 173-Casino Cruiser. The next phase will focus on downtown stops.

Bus stops selected for removal are based on a number of factors, including the number of boardings at those locations, the proximity of nearby stops, as well as safe access to the stops from the street and sidewalks. KCATA reviewed the number of people boarding at each bus stop. In some cases, the average number of daily boardings was at or near zero.

          Removing closely placed stops that are rarely used should ensure buses operate on time and provide more reliability for transit riders. It also will allow KCATA to concentrate upkeep and improvements at stops where ridership is higher.

          The effect of the pilot will reduce the number of bus stops clustered so closely together. For example, there are about nine bus stops every mile on the southbound Troost route. When the plan is implemented, there will be about five stops every mile. There are now about eight stops every mile on the Northeast route. After stops are removed, there will be about five stops every mile.

Chuck Ferguson, the KCATA’s chief planning officer, briefed the KCATA’s Board of Commissioners on the plan Wednesday afternoon.

He told the board that planners are eager for public comment for the proposed changes. “We are embracing the opportunity to engage the public on a plan we hope provides top-flight bus service,” Ferguson said. “The results of this pilot will help us plan for future stop improvements on other routes.           

          Alerts are posted at each of the affected stops, notifying riders about the coming changes. Detailed information is also available online at www.kcata.org. Anyone with concerns can email the KCATA at [email protected] or call 816-346-0300 and leave a comment.

 

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The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority is dedicated to connecting people to opportunities throughout the Greater Kansas City metropolitan region. Created in 1965 through special state legislative action in both Missouri and Kansas, the KCATA today operates a fleet of more than 270 Metro buses providing more than 54,000 customer trips per weekday.

Request for Proposals

September 16, 2015  

The Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) seeks an outstanding individual with experience in managing a complex membership organization. He or she must be a masterful communicator and external facing leader with the ability to move the organization forward, grow membership and adapt to industry challenges.  

MPTA is a statewide 501(c)(6) association comprised of transit entities and individuals who value personal mobility as a basic quality of life by promoting access to public transit services.  

Reporting to a 16-member Board of Directors, the Executive Director develops and recommends to the Board those policies, plans and programs that will effectively meet the needs of the membership, and that will enhance the growth and reputation of transit and MPTA.  

This is a full time position and will be considered an independent contractor; as such, any individual retained in the position will be responsible for all employment-related benefits. Firms interested in filling the position will be required to assign a single individual to fulfill this role and provide information about that individual in their response.  

Statements of Proposal will be received until 3:00 PM, CST on Monday, October 19, 2015.  Proposals arriving after the date and time specified may be declared non-responsive and will not be considered for evaluation.  These materials should be sent electronically via e-mail to MPTA President at [email protected].  

While electronic communication is preferred, documents that must be mailed may be sent to: Cindy Baker, President, MPTA, Chief Communications Officer, KCATA, 1350 E. 17th St., Kansas City, MO 64108.

For information regarding the Scope of Services or RFP please contact Cindy Baker, 816/3460209, [email protected].   Additional information regarding the Association and its membership is available at the Association’s Web Site: http://www.mptaonline.com.    

Cindy Baker President/MPTA

Download the MPTA Executive Director RFP for additional information.

New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand Webinar

MARC is hosting the following bicycle and pedestrian-related webinar at our conference center.

Please RSVP before a scheduled presentation by using the links below.

Cost: All webinars are free.

Where: MARC Conference Center, 600 Broadway, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64105

 

Sept. 16, 2015 • 1–3 p.m.

 

New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand

(rebroadcast from Feb. 18)

The NCHRP project 08-78 developed new methods for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand for planning and project development. The project’s final report is NCHRP 770, a guidebook that presents an array of methods for planning applications with context and instruction on their selection and use. This webinar focuses on a new tool outlined in NCHRP 770 that enables practitioners to estimate demand from the interaction of land use and transportation.
 
The new multimodal accessibility tool allows planners to include all modes of travel in an analysis and examines changes in the pattern of land use or the travel network to determine which strategy provides the greatest benefits.

This session will review the limitations of current models for estimating demand, describe the research behind the development of the new tool, and give examples of how the model is being used at regional, corridor and neighborhood levels.

Presenter:
J. Richard Kuzmyk, Principal, Renaissance Planning Group
 
APBP has applied to the AICP for 1.0 Certification Maintenance credits and will provide an attendance certificate.

KC STREETCAR PARTNERS WITH KC AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT SUPPORT AND SERVICES

Kansas City, Mo., – The Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA) recently entered into a cooperative partnership with the KC Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and the City of Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) for streetcar related support and services.

At the August meeting of the KC Streetcar Authority Board of Directors, Tom Gerend, executive director of the authority, and Joe Reardon, CEO and President of the KCATA, briefed the KC Streetcar Authority on the plan for shared services.

“Today’s announcement for shared services reinforces our strong partnership with the KCATA and our desire to maximize the efficiency of streetcar operations while helping to support the advancement of a seamless, world-class regional transit system,” said Tom Gerend, executive director of the authority.

As part of this partnership, the KCATA will provide important services to KC Streetcar operations. This support includes:

-        Inclusion of KC Streetcar into KCATA regional radio operations.

-        Inclusion of KC Streetcar in KCATA’s Regional Call Center Passenger Information Hotline

-        Federally Required ADA Complementary Paratransit Service

-        On-Request Safety Oversight Assistance

-        On-Request Bus Bridge Services

-        On-Request Technical and Operations Support Services

 

Once the streetcars are operational, the KCATA will provide streetcar schedule and arrival information to callers through their Regional Call Center.  This information will also be displayed on the real-time arrival signs and digital kiosks located at a majority of the downtown streetcar stops.  The KCATA will also provide paratransit service, otherwise known as “Share-A-Fare” service, for eligible riders in the streetcar service area that can’t independently use the streetcar system because of a disability.  In the event that streetcar service is interrupted for an extended period of time, the KCATA, in coordination with the KCSA, will employ bus bridge services in order to transport riders to their destinations.

 

“The streetcar is a significant addition to the transit landscape in the Kansas City region,” said KCATA President/CEO Joe Reardon "This cooperative agreement furthers our efforts to enter into strong partnerships to provide a more seamless, enhanced and multimodal transit system for residents throughout Kansas City.  We are excited to work with KC Streetcar and share our expertise and skills to the support the streetcar operation."

 

This cooperative agreement is the next step in an already established partnership for a cohesive and efficient regional transit system.  In November 2014, RideKC was born, the new Greater Kansas City Transit brand, which includes both the KCATA and the KC Streetcar. It’s under this partnership with other transit-related agencies that a regional brand was created to unify our transit system and serve as an umbrella for all modes of transportation operating in the greater Kansas City area.

 

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For more information, visit the KC Streetcar website at www.kcstreetcar.org or please contact Donna Mandelbaum, Communications Manager with the KC Streetcar Authority at 816.627.2526 or email at [email protected]. The KC Streetcar is also online on Twitter (@kcstreetcar), Facebook (@kcstreetcar) and Instagram.