2008 Ridership Increase

Posted on: Jan 07, 2009

KCATA ANNOUNCES 2008 RIDERSHIP INCREASE

(Kansas City, Mo. – Jan. 5, 2009) The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) has announced that 2008 Metro ridership is projected to exceed 16.5 million trips, the highest annual ridership in nearly two decades. “Kansas City has not experienced this level of ridership in many years,” said Mark Huffer, KCATA general manager. “Certainly as prices at the pump soared, so did ridership. However, as gasoline prices went down, ridership remained steady.” The ridership numbers for November and December are preliminary and will be certified over the next month. Several initiatives aimed at educating new riders contributed to the increased ridership. For the first time, How-To-Ride Clinics were held throughout the metro area. KCATA offered two online trip planners, including the popular Google Transit, where people could try out travel plans in the comfort of their home or office. GPS capabilities ensure that Metro buses are on time nearly 93% of the time. All of these features have attracted new customers to the system. For more information, visit [url=http://www.kcata.org]http://www.kcata.org[/url], or call the Regional Call Center at (816) 221-0660. The center’s hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.