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G8.1 Project title:
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Regional Fare Support
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G8.2 Project description: |
The project is a regional bus pass program that discounts the fares of customers that are associated with contracted employers, educational institutions, non-profits, and safety-net/healthcare providers. The goal is to double the number of bus pass program participants over the next 5 years. As part of this effort KCATA will discount bus passes to offer transit access at little or no cost to the end user. The program will be fully accessible to users, regardless of age, ability or income, and will target moving people from single occupancy vehicles to public transit.
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G8.3 Project contact: |
Dick Jarrold, Senior Vice-President of Planning and Economic Development
djarrold@kcata.org
Tyler Means, Innovative Services Manager
tmeans@kcata.org
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G1. Project Type: |
Public Transportation - Transit Operations
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G2. Funding Stream: |
CMAQ
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G3. TIP Number: |
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G4. State: |
Regional (bistate)
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G5. Project county: |
1. Region Wide
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G6. Project municipality: |
1. Multi-City
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G7. Multiple agencies / jurisdictions?
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No
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G8.4 Purpose and need:
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This project is designed to increase transit use and reduce emissions by growing the number of participants in bus pass programs. KCATA has in place an Employer Pass Program and University Pass Program which allows 3,500 employees and students of four educational institutions to access transit services for little to no cost. This project would allow KCATA to offer the same opportunity to new employers, educational institutions, non-profit agencies, safety net/healthcare providers, community improvement districts and transportation management associations. Furthermore, these opportunities would be set at varying fare rates that can be tapered off over a 3- to 5-year period, and the funding for this project would allow KCATA to offset the revenue losses associated with offering discounted bus passes. This would allow time for entities entering the program for the first time to build up the fiscal support needed to build a sustainable bus pass program.
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G9. Origin and ending
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Route:
From:
To:
Length (Miles):
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G10. Functional Classification:
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Not Applicable
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G11. In Transportation Outlook 2040?
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No
Decade:
--Select--
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G12. Muli-Agency Plan?
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No
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G13. Included in a CIP?
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No
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G14. Planning stage:
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Preliminary Plan
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G15. Reviewed by state DOT?
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No
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G16. Right-of-Way acquisition: |
All acquired or none needed
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G17. ROW by local public agency process manual?
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Yes
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G18. Other unique local goals and objectives?
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Yes
KCATA and its regional partners have established the goal of sustaining and expanding public transit ridership by creating unique opportunities through implementation of a variety of transit access programs. This includes, but is not limited to, bus pass programs for employers/employees, universities/students, Veterans, non-profit organizations and safety-net service/healthcare providers. Conceptually, public transportation solutions – bus, streetcar, vanpool and other rideshare – are offered to participants of a prescribed group at a deeply discounted cost. These programs have been approved by the KCATA Board of Commissioners, as well as the RideKC partners.
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G19. Transportation Disadvantaged Population:
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Given the regional magnitude of the fare support programs and the requirements associated with the American Disabilities Act, this project has positive impacts on all the following disadvantaged populations: persons with disabilities, older adults, minorities, persons with low-incomes (including persons living in zero-car households), and Veterans.
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G20. Relevant Public Engagement:
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Traditionally, the public engagement around developing bus programs has been done from the top by reaching out directly to employers and educational institutions, and from the bottom by reaching out directly to employees and students. KCATA has reached out to employers by having KCATA staff going to various economic development corporations (EDCs) and sharing the opportunity with multiple employers in the EDC’s given area. In this instance, staff provides a presentation, take questions and leaves behind materials. Additionally, KCATA advertises the opportunity of creating a pass program on their website. The bottom up approach is more simplified. KCATA periodically posts flyers on vehicles to make customers aware of the opportunity to save money via discounted pass programs. Additionally, KCATA staff attends job fairs and other social fairs to advertise the bus pass program to those in attendance.
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G21. Planned Public Engagement:
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The engagement methodology described in G20 will still be used. The main difference is that KCATA hopes to further reach out into communities to ensure that all citizens within the Kansas City region are aware of the opportunity to participate in bus pass programs. This will be done by disseminating information to healthcare providers and safety net organizations that work closely with transportation disadvantaged populations. Additionally, upon request, KCATA staff will meet with groups, small and large, to discuss how to develop such pass programs.
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G22. Sustainable Places Criteria:
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--------Age in Place---Compact, Walkable Centers---
Complete Street Design---------------
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------------Pedestrian-Oriented Public Realm---
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Transit-Ready Corridors----Unique Community Characteristics
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G22.1. Describe CSP relationship:
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This project will allow for increased access to transit services by reducing costs of transit to the end user. This cost reduction will allow for people, regardless of age and economic status, to access transportation services and link to other modes or community services with ease. Additionally, the increased access to transit will increase ridership and allow for further development of transit-ready corridors and more-dense, mixed-use developments. Thus, creating unique communities with walkable centers and direct transit accesses.
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G23. Implements Sustainable Places Initiatives?
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Yes
This project aligns with the goals of CSP/PSP programs by allowing for low- to no-cost access to transit services throughout the region. In turn, this creates the level of connectivity the people of the Kansas City region have to public transit services and a variety of modes and community services that are interlinked to the transit network. Furthermore, this project is not limited to only one corridor, but allows individuals, regardless of age, ability or income, to access opportunities throughout 5 counties of the Kansas City region.
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G24. Serves Regional Activity Center?
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Yes
Highest-Intensity and Most-Walkable Centers
The RideKC fixed-route network and adjoining ADA-complementary/non-ADA services network serves large swaths of five counties within the Kansas City region. The transit network has direct connections to and through downtown Kansas City, Kansas; downtown Kansas City, Missouri; Midtown and the Plaza of Kansas City, Missouri; 63rd Street at Brookside and between Troost and Prospect Avenues; North Kansas City, Missouri; Independence, Missouri; and through large parts of northeast Johnson County. The service which connect these areas of high-intensity and most-walkability, allow people of the Kansas City region high accessibility to connect to other service modes and opportunities throughout the region for little to no cost.
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G25. Environmental justice tracts?
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Yes
The RideKC fixed-route network and adjoining ADA-complementary/non-ADA services network serves large swaths of five counties within the Kansas City region. The transit network has direct connections to and through all the identified Environmental Justice tracts except for Harrisonville, Buckner and Leavenworth County. The service which connect these areas and allow the people residing in these areas to access and connect to other service modes and opportunities throughout the region for little to no cost. This will be done by creating bus pass programs with those safety net and social service agencies/organizations that work closely with the populations that make-up environmental justice tracts.
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G26. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions?
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Yes
In 2017, the pass programs that have been implemented accounted for 2,271,000 one-way trips via transit instead of single occupancy vehicle. It is assumed that this project will allow for growth of the pass programs into new sectors, which in turn will result in more trips being taken on public transit instead of in a single occupancy vehicle. Thus, the project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of carbon-based fuels.
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G27. Natural Resource information:
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Improving transit and transit oriented development helps preserve and protect sensitive lands from development.
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G28. Community Links at Watershaed Scale:
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The transit system in Kansas City is regional in nature and transects multiple
watersheds. Improving transit and transit oriented development helps preserve and protect sensitive lands from development. Decreasing the need for impervious surfaces reduces storm water runoff and improves water quality.
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G29. Explain local land use or comprehensive plans:
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N/A
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G30.1 Complies with MARC’s CSP?
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Yes
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G30.2 Exception to the MARC CSP?
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No
N/A, this is not a construction project, nor is it a vehicle purchase.
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Traveler Type (All Ages & Abilities)
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Pedestrians:
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Mobility Aids:
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Bicyclists:
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Transit Riders:
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Cars:
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Trucks:
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Motorcycles:
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Buses:
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Green Streets:
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