Bus service or microtransit? JoCo is moving in wrong direction on public transportation

Johnson Countians will soon face critical choices about quality mass transit and establishing a robust, dependable service that can move workers to jobs.

Unfortunately, some county commissioners want to head in the wrong direction.

That was obvious last week when the seven-member commission met to discuss transit options. The apparent consensus? Reduce service on some regular bus routes, while growing so-called “microtransit” services that pick up and drop off riders on a more ad hoc schedule.

Commissioners backing this approach say microtransit is cheaper and more efficient than the bus. But they are penny-wise, and pound foolish: Small vans will never carry enough passengers to create a high-volume, regular transportation service in the county.

Microtransit can be more convenient for some. But a transit system focused largely on moving a small number of passengers from the front door to the health clinic or hospital won’t meet the needs of younger people who want transit options for work or entertainment.

Good bus service is essential to the 21st-century economy. It would reduce the need for parking in Johnson County housing developments, making apartments more affordable. Fewer parking lots would also mean less stormwater runoff from a changing climate.

Quality mass transit spurs improvements to retail and entertainment options near stops, boosting the local economy. It allows for denser neighborhoods, reducing some city expenses.

Buses pollute, but less than thousands of vehicles clogging interstate highways that are crumbling for lack of repair. Mass transportation can also be safer for passengers.

Yet many Johnson County leaders continue to resist any commitment to a real mass transit system. “We spend $40 million, $50 million on our parks, on our libraries,” said Becky Fast, a county commissioner.

“But we don’t see public transit as a public service like we do parks and libraries. We see it as a program that needs to pay for itself,” she said.

Some county officials are admittedly spooked by the “empty bus syndrome”: large buses, familiar to every Johnson Countian, that sit empty too frequently. Some routes average six passengers per trip.

Mass transit opponents say those empty buses reflect a lack of interest in this type of transportation. The more likely explanation? Passengers won’t regularly use a service that is inconvenient, erratic and fails to meet commuting needs each day.

According to a recent study, Johnson County spent $9.27 per person on mass transit subsidies in 2016. Kansas City spent $114.31. At the same time, Johnson Countians raised sales taxes to pay for a $193 million glass-encased courthouse most residents will never use.

Johnson County mass transit is lacking because it is not a priority. That’s a mistake.

Let’s be clear: The long-held dream of fixed-rail transit from Johnson County is probably dead for the foreseeable future. The region will never invest in light rail or a subway-like mass transit system because the cost is too high.

But younger Johnson Countians, particularly in growing northeast communities, want and need bus transportation to and from work. The decision to initiate fare-free service in Kansas City will increase pressure across the state line to provide the option.

Transit is a service, just like fire protection or public schools.

In the years ahead, communities will be defined by how well they understand this truth. Johnson County is behind the curve and should spend 2020 figuring out a way to catch up.