KC Light Rail

The Star served up an update earlier this week on the Troost bus rapid transit project (Green Line), ghettoized in the weekly "Neighborhoods" print section (which is practically MIA online).

Kansas City's second "BRT Lite" (regular buses, no off-board ticketing or level boarding, limited lane dedication and signal priority, super low cost) route will augment the existing #25 fixed route service that nets the highest ridership in the city. The project is fairly straightforward, save for the unfortunate coincidence of having to cross Parks Department property at Brush Creek; now that funding has been secured for the replacement of that bridge, construction on the line can proceed.

Peak headways will match the current #25 and Main Street MAX (Yellow Line), but travel times compared to #25 will improve due to the limited number of stops. The two MAX routes will overlap at some stops inside the downtown loop (12th & Grand, for example), so the LED signage on the front will indicate to which route a bus is assigned; unfortunately, the KCATA did not correct the situation where the Main Street MAX line does not directly serve the 10th & Main transit center. Service is expected to begin in Fall 2010.