RideKC urges riders make only essential trips as service cuts loom amid COVID-19 spread
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will be cutting bus service because of the impact of the increasing community spread of COVID-19 and is urging riders to make only essential trips.
The KCATA announced Tuesday that the temporary roll back of some transit services is due to COVID-19 causing higher than normal absenteeism among its workforce.
In general, most RideKC core routes currently operating every 15 minutes will continue at that level of service, the agency said in a news release. Lower frequency routes will be temporarily canceled to allow operators to focus on the routes where the need is the greatest.
Here are the routes that will be temporarily discontinued effective Monday:
- 23 23rd Street
- 29 Blue Ridge Limited
- 51 Ward Parkway
- 234 Boardwalk-Antioch
- 297 Tiffany Springs Flex
- 340 TMC-Lakewood
- 535 Liberty-Shoal Creek Express
- 550 Lee’s Summit Express
- 570 Blue Springs Express
- 571 71 Highway Express
The 529 KCI Express Limited will also operate on a reduced schedule beginning Monday. Northbound trips will run starting at 5:07 a.m., 6:07 a.m., 11:37 a.m., 3:54 p.m., and 4:24 p.m. Southbound trips will start at 5:56 a.m., 6:56 a.m., 12:26 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.
As part of the Safer at Home orders and health recommendations by local governments, the transit agency is recommending riders only make essential trips for groceries, physical and mental health needs and work.
“RideKC will continue to provide essential service to riders at zero fare,” said Robbie Makinen, KCATA president and chief executive officers.
“If customers must make essential trips, they can have confidence that RideKC is continuing all of the safety protocols that have been in place consistently throughout the pandemic, such as a mask requirement, rear door boarding and limiting the number of seats available.”
In a posting to its website Tuesday, RideKC said three more bus drivers have tested positive for COVID-19 this month. From April through October, nine bus drivers tested positive for COVID-19.
The drivers who tested drove the following routes within the last month:
- Route 11 Northeast-Westside, between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 27.
- Route 201, between 5 a.m and 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9.
- Route 229, between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9.
- Route 201, between 5 a.m and 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 10.
- Route 229, between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 10.
- Route 25 Troost, between 5:30 and 9 a.m. on Nov. 10.
- Route Main MAX, between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Nov. 16.
- Route Main MAX, between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Nov. 17.
Contact tracing indicates that the that the workers exposure to the coronavirus is mostly due to activities and risks from outside the workplace, the KCATA said.
Overall, the KCATA has had 29 workers out of its 750 employees test positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Many of the workers had no contact with public, said Cindy Baker, chief external affairs officer for the KCATA.
Face coverings are required for riders and bus drivers as well as social distancing. Fares are suspended on all buses and paratransit services, except for the 199 Micro Transit and 499 Micro Transit services.
Riders are asked to board and exit buses at the back door unless they have a disability that requires the ramp or kneeling feature available at the front of the business.
For more information or to plan your trip, contact the Regional Call Center at 816-221-0660 between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 11:12 AM.
