Next stop, Logistics Park: RideKC service heads deep into Johnson County

Kansas City's metro bus system is enhancing service to Johnson County and making other improvements, the agency announced this week.

The RideKC service has added a new route to southern Johnson County jobs and expanded night service to two popular routes linking Johnson County with Kansas City. The changes took effect Monday.

The new route provides three morning trips from 3-Trails Transit Center in south Kansas City to Logistics Park in Edgerton Kan., ending at 193rd and Essex, and three afternoon trips from Logistics Park back to 3-Trails.

Buses will run every 60 minutes in the morning and afternoon. The service is geared toward providing better access to the new jobs at the Logistics Park, a rapidly-expanding business park and warehouse district, in south Johnson County.

Night service, after 7:30 p.m., has also been added to a route that connects Metcalf Avenue with the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City and another route that connects the KU Edwards campus on south Quivira Road to 75th Street and Troost in Kansas City. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority said the service should improve late evening access to education, jobs and shopping.

"That really opens up a lot of opportunities," agency spokeswoman Cindy Baker said.

Additional improvements will add service to the Tiffany Springs area in Kansas City's Northland and will extend service hours until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday on various routes serving Independence. More information is at ridekc.org.

In April, the transit agency launched new service from downtown Kansas City, and Kansas City, Kan., to thousands of jobs at the Logistics Park warehouse district. Baker said that, so far, only a small number of riders are using the service. An extensive marketing campaign is underway, including outreach to the Logistics Park employers, to build that ridership over time.