Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Bi‑State team presents preferred alignment for 24‑mile BRT corridor; 15% designs and funding work underway
Loading...
Summary
Project team members said a 24‑mile east‑west Bi‑State corridor connecting Kansas City, MO and KS is at the end of phase 2, with a planned mix of BRT and BRT‑light service, station‑area concepts for several KCK sites and 15% designs advancing while the team pursues layered funding.
Laura Sharp and the Bi‑State project team presented an update on a 24‑mile east‑west transit and reinvestment corridor linking Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas, telling a Wyandotte County community meeting that the project is finishing phase 2 and advancing 15% designs.
The corridor plan links transit service with station‑area development, affordable‑housing strategies and community improvements. The team said it evaluated many alignments and service types and selected a preferred alignment; it is now refining designs for a mix of bus rapid transit (BRT) and BRT‑light in different segments of the corridor.
Adam Weigel, a senior planner with Olsen, described the difference between service types: BRT‑light is closer to existing higher‑frequency bus services operating in mixed traffic with enhanced stations, while full BRT includes higher capital investments and dedicated bus lanes that can increase speed and reliability. “BRT light…that type of service is kind of like the MAX services that KCATA operates,” Weigel said; he added that the corridor’s central portion is planned for higher frequency and dedicated lanes while outer reaches will operate more like MAX services.
The team showed conceptual station‑area plans for four KCK sites (Village West, 78th Street, downtown and the Indian Springs Mall site) and emphasized safety, last‑mile pedestrian connections and tailoring station design to neighborhood assets. Engineers said the current work is 15% design: full construction details will require deeper traffic and parking analyses and additional funding. The project timeline presented fiscal planning and funding strategies through the late 2020s and a target for final design and full service around 2030, contingent on funding and partner approvals.
Funding and governance: presenters said early funding included a RAISE grant and that layered strategies — local and state commitments, grant applications and regional coordination — will be necessary. The presentation listed project partners and consultants and invited public feedback via an online form and QR code.
What’s next: the team will continue community engagement, refine station areas and use the 15% designs to support grant applications and partner decisions. The presenters encouraged residents to review the station concepts and submit feedback online.
