What Johnson County residents will enjoy in 2022: enhanced bus and van transit

Johnson County residents can look forward to enhanced bus and van transit starting in the second quarter of 2022.

On Nov. 4, the county commission approved several pilot programs for transit, paid for by one-time infusion of federal money — $3.85 million annually for four years.

“The board has established strategic priorities for transit, which include creating a transit system that is accessible, effective and efficient; is regionally coordinated; and connects housing, workforce and jobs,” Commission Chairman Ed Eilert said in a news release.

The programs include:

▪ Streamlined commuter express service that will simplify schedules and start routes closer to highways to reduce travel times by roughly 10%. Officials say commuter routes had functioned much like local routes for miles before reaching the highway, slowing the trip time.

In addition, a new express route will take commuters to downtown Kansas City from the Strang Line Park and Ride lot in Olathe.

▪ Local fixed-route improvements that include increased frequency, a new route in the 87th Street corridor, midday service on all routes and, for the first time, Saturday service on four routes: Metcalf-Plaza, Metcalf-Downtown, Antioch-Olathe and 75th Street.

The 87th Street corridor includes employers from Lenexa to Overland Park, as well as the Central Resource Library, social service agencies and resources for job seekers.

▪ New paratransit service for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and people with disabilities.

▪ A larger service area for the Uber-like Micro Transit program, and the introduction of Sunday service for micro transit. The service area will be divided into north and south zones, which overlap between 95th and 135th streets. Fares will be $3 within a zone and $5 across zones.

The current low fare of $1.50 has contributed to surging demand for the door-to-door micro transit, putting a strain on the system. The higher fares are an attempt to moderate demand and increase revenue without making the service too expensive for those who really need it.

The plan is different from an earlier one that would have cut some routes while expanding Micro Transit. Josh Powers, the county’s business liaison, said by email that officials heard support for some elements of that proposal but concern about others.

“That feedback was incorporated into the analysis that led to these most recent recommendations,” he said.

County commissioners Charlotte O’Hara and Michael Ashcraft voted against the plan.

O’Hara said fixed-route transit hasn’t proved attractive in a spread-out county where people love their cars. Transit, she said, should focus on the most needy.

“I think that we have been trying to pound a square peg into a round hole for many, many years,” she said. ”To me, what we’re doing is what government so often does: take a failed program and we’re going to make it bigger.”

But others said the availability of federal money, which would have been spent elsewhere if Johnson County didn’t take it, offers a chance to try out and tweak the enhanced services.

Commissioner Janee Hanzlick said county officials have begun to view transit in a new light.

“We have not, until recently, looked at it as: How is this part of our quality of life, how is this part of our economic development, how is this part of our being part of the region,” she said.

Transit hasn’t drawn more riders, she said, because it hasn’t been frequent or fast enough.

“I always go back to what Commissioner (Becky) Fast said a long time ago; maybe last year: ‘We have funded transit just enough to make it terrible.’ ”

Lucky Loki finds new home

It could have been a short life for K-9 officer Loki, a 2-year-old Malinois/shepherd mix from Poland.

The Olathe Police Department purchased the animal from a kennel in Pennsylvania, but a medical screening revealed an undeveloped kidney. The kennel agreed to replace Loki with another dog, but if the kennel took Loki back, he would have been euthanized instead of undergoing surgery.

Enter the city of Spring Hill, which needed to replace police dog Niko, who was retiring. When Olathe sought a new home for Loki, the Spring Hill Police Department stepped up.

“By all accounts Loki is a highly driven canine that will fit in well with Spring Hill’s needs,” the city said in a news release.

Loki will need surgery eventually, but in the meantime, is going to work with Spring Hill Officer Lance Wipf, an experienced K-9 handler. Loki will be pinned at the Spring Hill City Council meeting on Nov. 18.

Olathe police Sgt. Joel Yeldell said the kennel replaced Loki with a new dog for Olathe, who will be introduced to the community once he completes training.

Olathe school bonds go on March ballot

A replacement for Santa Fe Trail Middle School is among the priorities in a $298.3 million bond issue that will go before Olathe School District voters in March.

On Nov. 4, six members of the Olathe Board of Education unanimously endorsed the mail-in election.

“Projects within bond proposals would touch every school in the district and would not increase the mill (tax) rate currently levied to pay off bonds,” the district said in a news release.

Students at Santa Fe Trail, 1100 N. Ridgeview Road, would remain in their current building while the new school is built. Among other elements of the bond proposal:

▪ Renovation of high school media centers and middle school auditoriums.

▪ Furniture replacement across the district.

▪ A new operations service center and conversion of the current one to a second bus and transportation center.

▪ Accessible playgrounds at all elementary schools.

▪ Enhancements for career and technical education.

▪ Technology upgrades, including new electronic devices used by students.

▪ Safety improvements.

Bond funds can be used only for infrastructure, not for salaries or other operating expenses.

County tax base grows 4.49%

Johnson County’s property tax base increased 4.49% from last year, despite a drop in the value of personal property like cars and trucks.

As of Oct. 31, the total valuation was nearly $12.3 billion, compared with roughly $11.7 billion a year earlier. County officials use that value to set the property tax rates for cities, school districts and other jurisdictions.

The value of real estate, by far the largest component of the tax base, increased 4.52% to almost $11.9 billion. Personal property valuation fell 5.46% to $72.3 million. State assessed utilities increased by 5.74%.

With the tax rates now set, the county can send out tax bills. The 2021 mill levies and valuations can be found at jocogov.org/dept/records-and-tax-administration. Click on Tax Roll Reports and then Abstract/Mill Levy Reports.

Lenexa seeks input on blueprint for future

How should Lenexa grow and develop over the next 25 years? What about transportation, recreation and/or the arts?

Those issues and more will be explored in the coming months as Lenexa updates its comprehensive plan. At this stage, city officials want to know what residents think about the future of their city.

The city has posted a questionnaire at lenexa.com, as well as a mapping tool that allows residents to highlight issues and opportunities.

This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What Johnson County residents will enjoy in 2022: enhanced bus and van transit."