Board Elects New Officers

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority Board Elects New Officers

(Kansas City, Mo. – January 28, 2009)  The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority Board of Commissioners recently elected new officers. Serving a two-year term as chairman is Gary Mallory of Cass County, Mo.; A.J. Dusek, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Ks., serves as vice chairman; Margaret Vogt of Johnson County, Ks., is secretary; and Donovan Mouton, of Kansas City, Mo., will continue to serve as treasurer.

Mallory has been active in politics for several years, serving as City of Belton Alderman for three years, Mayor for 10 years, Cass County Clerk for 12 years and is currently the Presiding Commissioner of Cass County. He is currently chair of Mid-America Regional Council’s board. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Little Blue Valley Sewer District, Cass County Corporation of Economic Development, Missouri Association of Counties, Allen Bank & Trust Company,  and Missouri Transportation and Development Council. Mallory was appointed as a Commissioner of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in 2005 by Governor Matt Blunt.

The Board of Commissioners includes five commissioners from Missouri and five from Kansas. The Commissioners serve four-year terms, with a two-term limit. The Board of Commissioners meets monthly.

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Fare Proposal F.A.Q.

Additional Information, updated Jan. 28:

Metro Funding Sources: Passenger fares account for approximately 17% of The Metro’s operating revenue. [PDF, 109 KB]
Missouri Funding: Funding from the state of Missouri has dropped in the past 10 years. [PDF, 110 KB]
Sales Tax Revenue: The proposed budget for the City of Kansas City has a 14.6% decrease in funding for KCATA. [PDF, 143 KB]
Fares In Other Cities: Fares in Kansas City would still be lower than fares in many other cities. [PDF, 150 KB]
Proposed Fares: The $3 Day Pass will remain the same price, while single ride fare would go to $1.50 and a monthly pass would cost $50.

What will the new fares be if this proposal goes into effect?
Base fare for local service - $1.50
Half fare for reduced farecard holders - $0.75
Monthly Pass - $50
Reduced fare Monthly Pass - $25

When would the fare increase go into effect?
A 25-cent fare increase has been proposed to go into effect March 1, 2009.

When did local bus fares last increase?
The last fare increase was three years ago in February 2006.

Why is a fare increase being proposed at this time?
KCATA’s primary funding sources are tax revenues derived from a sales tax levied in Kansas City, Mo. This tax has been growing at a rate of 2.1% annually for nearly a decade. Additionally, investment in public transit from the state of Missouri this year is $832,000 in 2009, compared to over $2,400,000 in 1996. KCATA does not have a reliable revenue stream that is experiencing growth.

Passenger fares only provide about 17% of the cost of transit service. As costs rise, which they have done in the last three years since the 2006 fare increase, it is important that revenue from passenger fares increase as well.

In addition, like many public and private organizations, KCATA is impacted by the current economic crisis affecting the national and local economy. Sales tax collections are down substantially, which will have a significant impact on KCATA operations.

The city of Kansas City, Mo., has released its proposed budget for its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2009. KCATA’s budget assumes funding of $50.4 million from Kansas City, Mo. Unfortunately, the city’s preliminary budget proposes funding that is approximately $8.2 million less.

Didn’t voters just pass a transit tax in April 2008?
The sales tax in April 2008 was a renewal of an existing tax established more than six years ago to stabilize the system. The 2008 election did not provide additional monies.

How does KCATA’s proposed fare compare with other cities?

Even with the 25-cent fare increase, Metro fares will be equal or lower than most peer city transit systems.

                                                                                                                                       

City	Base Fare
Salt Lake City	$2.25
St. Louis	$2.00
Milwaukee	$2.00
Philadelphia	$2.00
Pittsburgh	$2.00
Cleveland	$2.00
Denver	$2.00
Indianapolis	$1.75
Minneapolis-St. Paul	$1.75
Nashville	$1.60
Dallas	$1.50
Memphis	$1.50
Cincinnati	$1.50
Des Moines	$1.50
Charlotte	$1.50
Little Rock	$1.35

How much money will be generated by the new fare?
The increase in fare will produce approximately $1.7 million in additional revenue, assuming ridership holds at current levels. Passenger fares represent approximately 17% of the cost of Metro service.

How do I provide comments about the fare increase?
The comment period closed on Feb. 3.
Public meetings on Jan. 23, Jan. 27, Jan. 28 and Feb. 3

Will this new fare also apply to Unified Government of Wyandotte County bus service?
KCATA is proposing this local bus base fare on all local bus services operated by KCATA (The Metro), including Metro routes in Kansas City, Ks. The Unified Government is considering a similar fare for their services and will discuss this at the public meeting on Jan. 27, at the Kansas City, Ks., City Hall. 

 

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2008 Ridership Increase

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 http://www.kcata.org, 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.

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