by Mary Rupert
A RideKC bus drove through a ribbon this morning on 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas, to celebrate the new 118 18th Street Route that opened Jan. 2.
The new bus route runs on 18th Street from Quindaro to 51st in Roeland Park, according to officials.
The new bus route will connect to 10 other KCATA bus routes, officials said. It runs from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. each hour from Mondays through Fridays.
It is the first new transit service route launched in more than 10 years, according to transit officials.
In a ceremony this morning in the parking lot of Fast Fred’s Market, 1806 N. 18th St., near North 18th and Wood, Mayor David Alvey said RideKC is all about breaking through isolation.
“Thank you for breaking through the isolation that has for too long enveloped our community,” Mayor Alvey said. Isolation is brought about by distance, age, varying abilities, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to education, by race and by demographics, he said.
The new 18th Street Route will bring individuals and neighborhoods together, he said. It will strengthen neighborhoods, individuals and communities, he said.
Unified Government Commissioner Harold Johnson, 4th District, recalled that he rode the bus to work when he was a young adult, and it provided a quiet time when he could read.
Public transportation is a vital part of the development of any area, including the eastern part of Kansas City, Kansas, he said.
It is a sign that good things are coming to eastern Kansas City, Kansas, and the 4th District, he said.
UG Commissioner Melissa Bynum, 1st District at large, said the new bus route combines the work of the UG and the KCATA in a strengthened partnership.
“This route is access to jobs and education,” she said. “This route has access to thousands of jobs along this line, with potentially more jobs coming right around the corner. Starting this line also means that Donnelly can begin to have the university pass program.”
That is a special bus pass offered to college students allowing them to ride anywhere on buses in the metropolitan area. The UG, KCATA and the colleges work together on an agreement to provide a pass.
“We affect people’s lives every day,” Robbie Makinen, KCATA CEO, said in his remarks. Most of those who ride buses in the region use public transit to get to work or to school, he said.
A “How to Ride” the bus program is being offered free to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Jan. 8, at Wilson’s Pizza, 1801 Quindaro Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas. The program covers information such as where the new route goes, what methods of payment are accepted and other details.
The bus will travel along the 118 route. On that route are Fast Fred’s Market, Donnelly College, Prescott Plaza and Sun Fresh, as well as Sav-A-Lot and Walmart Neighborhood Market in Argentine and the Roeland Park Center, including a Price Chopper, Aldi and Walmart.
For more information about the new bus route, visit http://ridekc.org/bulletins/118-18th-street or call 816-221-0660 .
