Air show spectators experience long delays waiting for buses

Spectators leaving the Kansas City air show Saturday afternoon experienced long, hot delays waiting for shuttle buses.

Hundreds of people clogged U.S. 169 and the Broadway Bridge as they trekked to their vehicles by foot. Some who gave up waiting for buses were joined by others who had parked nearby and were walking back to their vehicles.

Some people were calling cabs to pick them up, while police and other workers were distributing bottled water to stranded people.

A number of people took to Twitter to express their anger at the situation.

“This was a complete transportation fail,” one woman tweeted.

Parking was not allowed at the downtown airport where the show was being held Saturday and Sunday. Attendees instead rode two shuttle bus routes. One ran to the south and the other to the north. Temporary bus stop signs were set up along the routes.

Organizers said the traffic crush occurred when the thousands of people who had arrived at different times throughout the day all left at once after the Blue Angels finished their routine capping the day’s activities. Organizers said that at any one time there were 10,000 to 20,000 people at the show throughout the day.

Many people who didn’t attend the air show also flocked to surrounding areas to watch the action. The downtown area was particularly clogged with traffic, which affected the ability of shuttle buses to make their way to and from the airport to pick up and deliver spectators to their cars, air show organizers said.

Pat O’Neill, a spokesman for the air show, said organizers were working to make arrangements so the system will run smoother on Sunday.

This story was originally published August 22, 2015 at 5:32 PM.