Moving around without a car.

RideKC (Kansas City Area Transportation Authority)

RideKC is the brand. KCATA is the underlying agency. They run buses in KCMO, KCK, Independence, Wyandotte County, parts of Johnson County, and partner with smaller transit agencies elsewhere in the metro. Buses cross the state line.

• Customer service: 816-221-0660
• Website: ridekc.org
• Trip planning: Google Maps + Transit App (better real-time)

Cost

As of May 2026, KCMO bus rides are free (Zero Fare program — the longest-running free transit program of any large U.S. city). Surrounding suburban routes may have small fares. Confirm at ridekc.org.

Headways

• MAX (bus rapid transit) — Troost MAX (Route 71), Main MAX (Route 47), Prospect MAX (Route 75): every 10-15 minutes peak, 20-30 off-peak. The most reliable.
• Other routes: typically every 30 minutes; some hourly. Confirm before you depend on a route.
• Sundays + late evenings: reduced service. Some routes do not run.

Useful routes

• Route 71 (Troost MAX): Downtown KCMO ↔ Waldo, along Troost Avenue. Through east-of-Troost neighborhoods.
• Route 47 (Main MAX): Downtown ↔ UMKC ↔ Plaza ↔ Waldo, along Main Street.
• Route 75 (Prospect MAX): Downtown ↔ South KCMO via Prospect.
• Route 101 (KCMO ↔ KCI): Downtown ↔ Kansas City International Airport.
• Route 24 (Independence): Downtown ↔ Independence via I-70.
• Route 35 (KCMO ↔ KCK): Crosses the state line.

KC Streetcar

Downtown streetcar — free, no ticket. River Market to Crown Center / Union Station, with the 2025 extension south to UMKC and the Country Club Plaza. Useful for downtown navigation; not useful for crossing the metro.

• Operating hours: approximately 6am-midnight weekdays, later on weekends
• Frequency: 10-15 minute headways
• Website: kcstreetcar.org

Paratransit (ADA service)

RideKC Freedom — door-to-door service for riders with disabilities who cannot use fixed routes. Requires application + ADA certification.

• Application: ridekc.org
• Customer service: 816-842-9070

KC Scout (highway data)

KC Scout is the metro's traffic management center. Their cameras and incident feed are useful before driving I-70, I-35, I-435, or I-635 anywhere in the metro.

• Website: kcscout.net
• Traffic cameras + incident map: live

Other transit options

• JO (Johnson County Transit): KS-side suburban transit — ridekc.org/jct
• Independence IndeBus: local Independence service
• BikeKC / RideKC Bike: bike share, downtown / Plaza
• Greyhound / Megabus: intercity bus, Union Station
• Amtrak: Missouri River Runner (KC ↔ STL); SW Chief (KC ↔ Chicago, LA). Union Station.
• KCI airport (MCI): RideKC Route 101 from downtown, ~45 min

What it actually feels like

• If you don't have a car and don't live near a MAX route, plan an hour extra each way.
• Late-night service is thin. After 11pm on most routes, you're walking, riding, or paying for a rideshare.
• Crossing the state line by bus is possible (Route 35, others) but transfers can add 20-30 min.
• Bus stops do not all have shelters. In summer or winter, that matters.
• The Transit App (third party) often has more accurate real-time data than Google Maps for RideKC.