UMKC Students To Add The Metro To Their Education

(Kansas City, Mo. – August 18, 2011) University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) students will be able to use their new student IDs to ride MAX and the Metro, thanks to a new partnership between the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and the University.

Last spring, students and the University’s Board of Curators approved a transportation fee that creates an all-access transit pass on KCATA bus service.  All students are assessed a $14 fee per semester to fund the universal pass.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with UMKC,” said KCATA General Manager Mark Huffer. “The University’s Volker and Hospital Hill campuses are in great locations and are served by several routes, including the popular Main Street MAX and Troost MAX. This partnership is a great step forward for transit in our community.”

Classes start at UMKC on August 22, and KCATA plans several how-to-ride activities during the next week. On Friday, August 19, a MAX vehicle will be on display and available for tours at the Campus Move In Day near the student housing at 50th & Oak.  On Tuesday, August 23, and Wednesday, August 24, KCATA will bring a MAX bus to the Student Union Building. Students can learn how to find a route, use the bike racks on front of the bus, board the bus, swipe their pass, and get off the bus.

Additionally, UMKC residential advisors and the Activity and Program Council took a test ride before the start of classes to become familiar with the bus so they can help other students use the service.

MAX and Metro service will be an attractive alternative for students who want to save money, improve the environment, and not worry about fighting for a parking space on campus.

The Metro offers more than 70 routes and more than 30 park-and-rides throughout the Kansas City region.

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The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority is the only public transportation agency serving the Greater Kansas City metropolitan region. Created in 1965 through special state legislative action in Missouri and Kansas, the ATA today operates a fleet of 300 Metro buses providing more than 52,000 customer trips per weekday.