Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee (Feb. 3, 2026)

By Drew Arends, Kansas City Documenter

These notes were produced through Kansas City Documenters, which trains and pays community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings, strengthening transparency and accountability in local government.

Summary

• The committee approved an ordinance allowing Kansas City Water Services to accept a $1.87 million state grant for the city’s lead service line inventory and inspection program, including pilot inspections in Columbus Park and Lykins.
• KCATA presented plans to resume RideKC fares starting June 1. The fare types are full fare ($2 per trip), reduced fare ($1 per trip) and free fare. 
• With ongoing changes at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, service changes, in addition to city budget subsidies for reduced and free fares, remain  undetermined.

Notes

• Meeting Attendance
  • In-person: Melissa Robinson, Eric Bunch, Johnathan Duncan and Lindsay French 
  • Online: Kevin O’Neill

• Ordinance 260086
  • This was the first of two ordinances presented by Water Services. It asked the City Council to authorize the director of Water Services to execute a $9.95 million construction contract with Kissick Construction Co. Inc. to replace the water main in the area of Brooklyn Avenue to Hardesty Avenue from East Ninth Street to East 24th Street; to authorize a maximum expenditure of $10.99 million; and to recognize the ordinance’s accelerated effective date.
  • David Porter of Water Services said that, given funding authorization, water mains would be replaced on the east side of the 3rd District. In fiscal year 2026, nearly all targeted water mains have been completed, totaling more than 20 miles.
    • Robinson asked when the 3rd District work would start and finish.
      • Porter said construction should begin in a month and end in slightly over a year.
      • Robinson asked what public outreach plans existed to alert residents who would be affected by the water main replacements.
        • Porter said mailers would be sent out and virtual town halls would be held. 
  • The ordinance was approved unanimously and moved out of committee to be heard at the next full City Council meeting. 
• Ordinance 260097
  • This was the second of two ordinances presented by Water Services. It authorizes the department to accept a $1.87 million state grant for the city’s lead service line inventory, inspection and validation program.
  • Porter said the ordinance would be funded by a state grant meant to fulfill EPA requirements. 
  • A colleague said the city would send customer notification letters over the next two weeks to all residents with galvanized or unknown lines. The letters would also inform residents of lead’s adverse effects. Water line replacement will start in the city’s “disadvantaged census tracts.” 
  • According to the docket memo, work will begin as a pilot study in two neighborhoods — Columbus Park and Lykins — and will “consist of a series of water service line inspections using hydro-excavation on approximately 400 properties located within two pilot neighborhoods.”
    • Blake Anderson of Water Services explained how the city had determined which lines were galvanized, unknown or both and provided contact information for residents with these types of lines to call for more information about their lines, including how residents could test their water for lead.
      • This could help KC Water avoid unnecessarily replacing lines. 
    • Robinson asked how much of the $1.87 million would go to public outreach.
      • Anderson said the department had reached out to local media, sent letters and planned to continue the outreach. He said the $1.87 million was only for construction and that the city had allocated funding for communications in a separate contract. They plan to use all this money and then ask the council to renew the contract. 
      • Robinson said community engagement takes many forms. For example, when receiving mail from the city, not everyone opens all of it or many think it’s a water turn-off notice and avoid it. Robinson asked Water Services to send the council its public outreach strategies for review. 
    • Duncan asked whether it would be unusual to not detect lead, as previous efforts in the city had shown.
      • Anderson said the city was luckier than other cities and that history suggested fewer lines would be galvanized.
        • Water Services Director Kenneth Morgan said many lines had been replaced in the country because of requirements when building, selling or renovating real estate. But when properties are inherited, these requirements can be bypassed when the records are unknown.
    • Duncan asked how tenants or renters in multifamily housing could test their water for lead, what they should do if they find it, and whether they use the Healthy Homes Rental Inspection Program. 
    • Anderson said the Neighborhood Services Department planned to help with the Healthy Homes program. Robinson asked what the timeline for implementation was.
      • Anderson estimated about 10 years because of the cost and number of lines that may need to be replaced. 
  • The ordinance was approved unanimously and moved out of committee to be heard at the next full City Council meeting.
• Ordinance 260087
  • This was the first of two ordinances presented by the Aviation Department. It asked for the council’s approval to estimate revenue of $145,000 from the state grant account and to authorize acceptance of a State Aviation Trust Fund grant offer from the state through the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to provide funds for air service promotion and marketing.
  • Justin Meyer of the Aviation Department said Kansas City International Airport wanted to promote new air service, including lines to and from Austin, Texas; Orlando, Florida; Boston; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Raleigh, North Carolina; Los Angeles; and Gulf Shores, Alabama. He noted that the expanded services would help with increased World Cup travel.
    • Robinson asked what the normal annual budget was for promotion and marketing.
      • Meyer said this would be a significant increase.
  • The ordinance was approved unanimously and moved out of committee to be heard at the next full City Council meeting.
• Ordinance 260098
  • This was the second of two ordinances presented by Aviation. It asked the council to authorize the aviation director to enter into a $5.1 million amendment to a tenant reimbursement agreement with Trammell Crow Kansas City Development Inc. for the Commerce Center development at KCI or a total contract amount of $34.3 million; and to appropriate $5.1 million from the Kansas City Aviation Fund’s unappropriated fund balance.
  • The ordinance is an amendment to a 2007 agreement and a follow-up to a November 2025 ordinance, said Pete Fullerton, assistant director of the Aviation Department. The ordinance would help KCI diversify funding streams. The agreement has helped KCI generate more money with new leased acres and more employees.  
  • Fullerton said the original 2007 agreement allocated $15 million, the latest amendment allocated $14 million, and this ordinance requested $5.1 million. It would pay for improvements such as grading, road and other utility extensions and engineering. It would also enable the creation and leasing of as many as three new logistics centers, two of which are confirmed, and would create at least 250 jobs.
    • Duncan said KCI’s economic impact was immense. 
    • Robinson asked whether any tenants had agreed to lease the new spaces.
      • The committee was told that tenants were being pursued but that nothing was finalized. The ordinance was moved out of committee to be heard at the next full council meeting.
• Ordinance 260129
  • This was the first of two ordinances presented by the Public Works Department. In it, the department asked the council to approve estimating revenue of $1.5 million in the Capital Improvements Grant fund; appropriate that amount to the Cliff Drive Bike/Pedestrian Facility to River Market Connector project; designate requisitioning authority; recognize the required local grant match; and recognize the ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
  • The ordinance was presented by City Engineer Nicolas Bosonetto as a project of the Mid-America Regional Council’s Planning Sustainable Places program. It would make a trail connecting Cliff Drive to Industrial Trafficway, near Columbus Park and the Berkley Riverfront Park. It estimates and appropriates $1.5 million in grant funding, with a required local match.
    • Bunch asked what the schedule was.
      • Bosonetto said at least four months and that public engagement tasks were planned. 
  • The ordinance was approved unanimously and moved out of committee to be heard at the next full council meeting.
• Ordinance 260133
  • This was the second of two ordinances presented by  Public Works. It asked the council to: reduce an appropriation of $500,000 in the Capital Improvements fund for the Interstate 35 to Chouteau Drive Levee Trail project; estimate revenue of $3.1 million in the Capital Improvements Grant fund; appropriating that amount from the unappropriated balance of the Capital Improvements Grant fund to the U.S. Highway 169 and Madison to Metro North Mall Drive Trail overpass project; recognize the required local grant match; and recognize the ordinance’s accelerated effective date.
  • Bosonetto presented the ordinance as a bike/pedestrian bridge to connect two pieces of development in the Northland. If approved, the bid to begin construction for the project would be released in March. Public Works asked for grant appropriations of about $5 million for the bridge and about $1 million for the trail.
    • Bunch asked what the trail’s timeline was.
      • The panel said construction should start after permitting, possibly in mid-2027.
      • Bunch asked how the gap would be closed between the bridge and the trail.
        • No plan currently exists. 
      • Bunch said Public Works should consider a trail impact program when planning future development. 
  • The ordinance was approved unanimously and moved out of committee to be heard at the next full City Council meeting.

• KCATA presentation on Return to Fares
  • AJ Farris and Tyler Means of the KCATA led the presentation.
    • Phase 1 Rollout (June 1)
      • Tap to pay, mobile app.
      • Reduced fare capabilities in place (can be obtained through the app or accessed in person at KCATA). 
    • Phase 2 Rollout (Date TBD)
      • Complete rollout of ticket purchasing with retail network (digitize cash at stores for bus pass). 
      • Reloadable smart card.  
    • Next Steps
      • Begin procurement of limited-use pre-programmed tickets. 
      • Continued coordination for pass programs. 
  • Duncan asked how KCATA would manage the reduced fare, who would be eligible for it and what the costs would be to install the program. 
    • Farris said KCATA would manage reduced fares with partnerships from other programs. Eligible people include SNAP beneficiaries and those over 65 years old. 
    • Duncan asked how KCATA was managing the partnerships.
      • Farris said conversations were starting with colleges, businesses and others and because they know what the new fare price and rollout timeline will be, they’re ready to ramp up. 
      • Means said it would cost $7.8 million over 10 years to install the new technology. 
      • Duncan asked whether federal funding could help cover costs.
        • Means said it could fund 60% of costs, and 40% would come from fares collected. 
  • French asked whether KCATA had a plan for an educational campaign. French said the rollout’s timing was “concerning”, and the city should ensure people were informed, especially when the city encourages increased bus use for the World Cup.
    • Farris said this was another part of the presentation and continued. 
  • Farris addressed the RideKC fare policy.
    • There can be different fares based on transit service types (Local, MAX, Express, etc). There have been such different fares. But KCATA does not plan to differentiate fares at launch, when all services will cost $2.
    • Rider categories are listed as Adult, Youth, Children, Senior, Disabled, Medicare Cardholder and Low-Income.
      • By federal law, senior, disabled and Medicare cardholders are guaranteed reduced or free fares. 
    • The fare types are full fare, reduced fare and free fare. 
    • Fare capping will exist so riders can only pay so much per day (two times), per week (10 times) and per month (32 times). 
    • Pass programs are being developed and as agreements between KCATA and partners throughout Kansas City. 
    • The new fare levels are as follows:
      • Full Fare
        • Single Trip: $2
        • Daily Pass: $4
        • Weekly Pass: $20
        • Monthly Pass: $62.50
      • Reduced Fare
        • Single Trip: $1
        • Daily Pass: $2
        • Weekly Pass: $10
        • Monthly Pass: $31.50
  • Farris presented the communication and education plans. He said that change may be difficult, but that it was important to prepare and educate riders. The current communication channels are the website, social media, radio, email, SMS and the transit app. They also hope to add their own channels. 
  • Messages on buses and at bus stops will include updated signage, audio messages and rider information sessions at the East Village Transit Center and other places. There will be countdown announcements, and one week before the fares launch, audio PSAs will play on the buses. 
  • There may be a grace period for those who cannot pay fares immediately. KCATA will hire more staff, especially during the World Cup, and transit ambassadors will help fellow bus riders navigate the changes. 
  • French asked how KCATA would reach those without social media access to help them get reduced or free fares.
    • Farris the travel ambassadors and audiovisual announcements on buses should highlight FAQs such as how to access reduced and free fares. 
  • French asked whether KCATA planned to hold community sessions to reintroduce or enlist new partners for the updated reduced and free fares.
    • Farris said they planned to have exposure events at places such as back-to-school nights and employment fairs where people could test the new technology that would be on buses. 
  • O’Neill asked whether KCATA had escalation training prepared for drivers to handle passengers upset about the fares.
    • Farris said that drivers already undergo escalation training but that with the new fares, drivers should allow agitated riders to board even if they can’t pay, as long as they pose no threat. If drivers ever detect a passenger is a danger, they would call local law enforcement. 
  • Robinson said people who depend on buses should learn about the process as soon as possible. Means said KCATA was still developing the process and had been unprepared until now to start outreach.
    • Robinson asked whether KCATA’s board had discussed whether the city should get guidance about allocating money in the annual budget to  support reduced and free fares. Robinson also asked whether there was a cost estimate. Means said KCATA and the city manager hadn’t discussed it at length. Talks about reintroducing an employer pass program with the city have occurred but not about subsidizing low-income riders.
      • Robinson said that was “unfortunate” and that “the budget is going to be introduced here in days, and so, I would’ve liked to have seen some definitive nature around how we could be supportive of that.”
      • Robinson referred to the fare differences between the streetcar and the bus and said local streetcar riders made more money but didn’t pay for the service. Bus riders, who may need the service more now, must pay for rides. Robinson said the city needed to figure out how the service can be provided free to riders. 
  • Bunch, a recent appointee of KCATA’s board, said the city and KCATA had different fiscal years, which made budget allocations difficult but were working together to improve that process.
  • Having navigated a fiscal cliff before, they hope to avoid it this year. They’ve created a system for hours and budgeting and hope they can discuss best practices for transit planning. 
  • Duncan asked about the status of KCATA’s search for a new executive director.
    • Bunch said the search was paused but would include a national request for proposals. Robinson asked KCATA and the city manager to seek support in this year’s city budget to promote and manage reduced and free fares. 
• Meeting Adjourned 

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• Some of the ordinances from the Public Works and Aviation departments were forwarded to the full council without many questions from the committee. There was no public comment on any of the ordinances. Is this normal for this committee? How many topics come through that the public does not know about and may be predetermined? 
• French asked whether the timing of new fares during the World Cup would cause problems for the city and KCATA. How much money would they make if ridership increased during the World Cup? 
• Who are the transit ambassadors, who were frequently cited as a means to support bus riders interested in reduced or free fares? How will KCATA and the city manage reduced and free fare applications?

Read more about this meeting and see all Kansas City Documenters notes here.