Kansas City 'Zero Fare' Cuts Coming Soon

For public transit riders with a sense of history & humor . . .

REVENGE OF THE KANSAS CITY BUS PASS!!!

The reality of the situation . . . 

- Nobody ever objected to assistance to low-income residents who really need a bus pass for work, hospital visits or mobility in general. 

- The "Zero Fare" scheme has been a horrific FAIL that only served to worsen public safety and endanger drivers & passengers. 

- This transit scheme gone wrong proves the City Hall can't perform BASIC MATH and was really just concerned about legit demands to charge a fare for the toy train streetcar extension. 

Sadly . . .

The Zero Fare moniker will linger even as charges for many bus riders are soon to return.

Check the preview . . .

The KCATA for months has discussed the possibility of ending the zero fare program it began in 2020. The KCATA has warned city officials that it’s standing at the edge of a fiscal cliff. In early March, KCATA officials told city council members that the agency faces a $26 million funding gap after COVID-19 federal relief dollars are spent by 2025.

The KCATA said the agency would have to make service cuts if it doesn’t find new revenue to fill that gap by next year.

A draft of the new contract between the KCATA and Kansas City says the city wants to provide zero fare for residents that meet “agreed upon eligibility requirements.” The KCATA and city officials will work together on a plan to provide zero fare or “functional zero fare” for people who rely on those services.

It’s unclear what will constitute “eligibility requirements,” and how residents will prove such eligibility. The contract doesn’t go into further detail about zero fare or what “functional zero fare” means.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Can Kansas City afford its free buses? Council set to negotiate KCATA contract

The new, draft contract between the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and the city contains vague language that suggests the transit agency would limit zero fare to riders who meet certain criteria. The program has been in place since 2020.