Kansas City’s public transit system stands at a crossroads. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) faces a potential $12 million budget shortfall that threatens to cut bus routes, jobs, and services for thousands of residents.
The city council must adopt the final budget by March 20, with the new fiscal year beginning May 1, so this is a decision that will be made quickly.
The 2025-2026 proposed budget presented by Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Manager Brian Platt allocates around $70 million to KCATA, which is less than the funding amount for the previous year and transit officials say it falls far short of what’s needed to maintain current service levels.
“Having a fully funded transit system is so essential to our city: 60% of our riders depend upon public transportation to get to and from work, not to mention those that are trying to get to doctors’ appointments as well as the grocery stores,” said President of Local 1287 of the Amalgamated Transit Union Nic Miller to The Defender. “A reduction in service not only affects KCATA employees—union and non-union—it affects our entire community.”
Impact on Communities
The potential service cuts would have a disproportionate impact on the city’s third and fifth districts, which have predominantly Black populations and higher transit ridership. The cuts would include reductions to routes that would affect 5,000 to 6,500 people.
“With ridership being greater than any other districts, the third and the fifth would be dramatically impacted by whatever decisions are made by the policy of the council and the mayor,” said Rodney Bland, President of Freedom Inc. “That’s the heart of our community and folks can’t get to work safely if we keep reducing [support for KCATA].”
The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1287, which represents bus drivers, has warned that approximately 150 jobs are at risk if funding is not secured.
Multiple demonstrations have been held in support of funding the KCATA. In January, more than 100 bus riders, drivers, and climate activists with Sunrise Movement KC and Stand Up KC gathered outside KCATA headquarters to protest potential cuts. Some demonstrators have been particularly vocal, disrupting a Jackson County Legislature meeting and protesting outside Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr’s home to demand regional funding solutions for public transit.
Dispute Between the City and KCATA
Mayor Lucas has been sharply critical of KCATA’s governance structure and management, suggesting the agency’s problems go beyond simple funding issues.
“The KCATA challenge, in my opinion, isn’t actually a pure budget thing, but the governance and management type thing. They are several million dollars short, partially because of the delivery concern and a service delivery issue,” said Mayor Lucas in a radio interview. “You can beat up zero-fare transit and put fares back on tomorrow but from what I’m reading [KCATA] will still have a long-term structural imbalance in how they are operating.”
Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks Shaw has also expressed concerns about KCATA’s operations while acknowledging the city’s responsibility.
“We definitely need them to streamline processes and services,” said Parks Shaw to KCUR. “Kansas City has continued to primarily support the work that they’re doing, but I think the fact that many of the other cities and counties—that were utilizing KCATA services—have now backed out of that service, is very telling.”
KCATA CEO Frank White III has forcefully defended his agency’s management and efficiency. White noted that while the city contract allows for 25% overhead, KCATA operates at 15%.
“We are not mismanaged financially, we aren’t top heavy and we do good with a little,” said White. “Since I’ve been CEO we’ve been very transparent, we are one of the most regulated industries around so we keep receipts on our stuff, I’ll show you anything.”
White points to a study conducted by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) that compared the KCATA to 11 peer agencies and found that the KCATA rated as the second most efficient despite being one of the lowest funded.
Kansas City collects two sales taxes related to public transportation: a 3/8-cent sales tax that goes entirely to KCATA and a half-cent public mass transportation tax. Only about half of the revenue from the latter goes to KCATA, with the remainder diverted to other purposes like street lighting. Third District Councilwoman Mellissa Robinson says she disagrees with this practice.
“When the public transit tax passed, the reason why the city had some oversight was to make sure that there were checks and balances with the KCATA, it was not to be able to divert money to other things like sidewalks and street lights,” said Robinson. “I feel like we’re eroding the public trust when we go for these taxes and we’re not doing the right thing. We’re not following through on our promises and our commitments.”
Safety Concerns and Future of Zero Fare
Beyond funding and governance, safety has emerged as a significant concern for city officials and riders alike. Councilwoman Robinson shared a personal connection to the issue.
“My son rides the bus almost every day and reports back on the things that are happening,” said Robison. “We need to ensure that we’re investing in the technology that they need to keep riders safe.”
White acknowledged safety challenges under the current zero-fare system implemented during the pandemic, noting an increase in security incidents and the need to divert funding to safety measures.
“We have seen security incidents go up,” said White. “We’ve made adjustments by adding more private security, more road supervisors, and hiring two KCPD officers as well as private security guards. When those dollars are going toward security issues, they’re not going to service on the street.”
The future of Kansas City’s zero-fare program, which began in 2020 during the pandemic, now looks to be in jeopardy. According to KCATA, the agency collected approximately $9.8 million from fares before the program began—funds that could help address the current budget gap.
The decision about whether to maintain zero-fare transportation ultimately rests with the City Council, not the KCATA board. Many council members have signaled they’re open to changes.
“It’s going to definitely look different,” said Parks Shaw “We may have to look at proposals that will offer ‘functionally free’ service, where it may still be free for some, but they might need to have a card or go through some additional steps.”
A KCATA study found that reinstating fares at 2019 levels of $1.50 per ride could raise between $5.8 and $7.1 million annually but could potentially reduce ridership by up to 33%.
“We have to make sure that our bus systems are safe,” said Councilman Darrell Curls. “I believe that there is probably some middle ground that I think that we can come to, it just is going to take some political will.”
Possible Solutions
The transit funding crisis highlights broader challenges in developing comprehensive regional transit in the Kansas City metro area, which spans two states and multiple counties.
Several municipalities, including Raytown, Grandview, and Gladstone, have ended their bus contracts with KCATA over costs. Their share of running the buses increased as Kansas City resisted subsidizing suburban service. White says that many of the smaller cities stopped funding the KCATA when COVID relief money ran out.
“I would love for Kansas City to really get into the regional conversation,” said Parks Shaw. “I think KCATA and all of the entities in this region need to come together to talk about how we can truly create a regional transit system that works for all of us.”
One potential compromise gaining traction is a “functionally free” fare system. Under this model, riders who meet certain socioeconomic qualifications would still ride for free, while others would pay reduced or full fares.
White noted that before zero-fare was implemented, KCATA already had programs to assist those in need.
“We always had zero fare in some fashion. We [used to have] veterans’ community passes, U-pass programs with schools and colleges, and low-income passes,” said White. “No one was ever denied a ride who needed one.”
Councilwoman Robinson, who has been a proponent of a functionally free system since White became CEO, believes it would offer a more sustainable approach.
“We want everyone who needs to ride the bus to be able to do that, but it needs to be in a way that is comfortable and safe for everyone,” said Robinson.
What Happens Next
The city council must adopt the final budget by March 20, with the new fiscal year beginning May 1. In the meantime, advocacy groups continue to organize and apply pressure on elected officials.
Transit activists are encouraging residents to attend the remaining budget hearings and contact council members directly. Organizations like Sunrise Movement KC have circulated petitions calling for full funding of KCATA and the preservation of current service levels.
KCATA officials continue to work on contingency plans, including potential service modifications and exploring additional funding sources.
Meanwhile, riders are left wondering if the bus routes they depend on will continue to operate at current levels. For many, particularly in the city’s east-side neighborhoods, public transit isn’t merely a convenience—it’s a lifeline to jobs, healthcare, grocery stores, and essential services.
“I feel like the KCATA is a community asset,” says White. “We have a responsibility to the community to make sure that folks that need a ride, get a ride.”
As a union employee with kcata the decisions that has been made has not had the best interest of our concerned riders in the communities that we’ve discontinued our public services to hit the concerns of management now because of poor mishandled funds, so the team suffers and careers are at stake because no one wants to hold those accountable for making poor business decisions
Where is the Map of route cuts?