Study recommends new express bus services to KCI Airport
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new study is calling for more transit options to Kansas City International Airport.
The KCI Airport Public Transit Services Action Plan — conducted by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Mid-America Regional Council and others — recommends adding express bus services along two corridors.
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Currently, the only public transit service to KCI is a RideKC bus that runs once an hour between downtown and the airport and takes an hour to travel with its various stops.
After the new KCI Airport terminal opened in 2023 and with the FIFA World Cup coming to Kansas City in 2026, transit leaders decided to look at more options.
One proposed route would start in downtown Kansas City, with pick-up and drop-off locations at Union Station and the Kansas City Convention Center. Another route would run from Johnson County with a potential stop in Kansas City, Kansas.
Both options allow the KCI express route to connect with existing bus routes.
“The KCI transit study is a result of a strong partnership between regional agencies and stakeholders who share a common vision of providing efficient and reliable transit services to the airport,” Frank White III, president and CEO for KCATA, said in a release.
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“Together with our funding partners, we are excited to evaluate these new express and other local bus options that will serve both travelers and airport workers and enhance the connectivity of our region.”
The study evaluated the demand for transit access to KCI, travel time competitiveness, planning-level costs and potential ridership when looking at routes. The Kansas City route has the highest number of potential riders, according to the study.
Experts recommended the routes run every 30 minutes for 18 hours, seven days a week.
The study also calls for fleet upgrades, new branding and other improvements like signage, shelters, lighting and more.
The initial estimated costs for the proposed KCI bus services would be $6-8 million, and it would cost an additional $3-6 million each year for operating costs per route.
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Officials note the study is specifically focused on transit that could be implemented in a short timeframe, but transit leaders envision it could ultimately be replaced by “more premium service such as rail.”
Future transit could also connect with cities like Lee’s Summit, Independence, Liberty and Leavenworth.
