Kansas City Council: Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee (May 5, 2026)

By Kyaira Boughton, Kansas City Documenter

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org 

Summary

• The committee unanimously authorized a water-main replacement between Oak Street and Virginia Avenue for approximately $5.4 million.
• The committee anticipates a bond issue on the November ballot to fund water-main replacements but has not received the specific ordinance yet.
• The committee approved an allocation of $85.6 million to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. The expenditure is less than what the KCATA said it needs, likely necessitating service cuts.
• Bus fares will be reinstated on June 1.

Notes

1. Ordinance 260371 – Authorizing water-main replacement from Oak Street to Virginia Avenue and East 43rd Street to East 47th Terrace.
   1. The proposed ordinance authorizes the water services director to execute a $5.4 million construction contract with Abay Construction Inc. for the water-main replacement; would authorize a maximum expenditure of $5.9 million; and would recognize the ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
      1. The department chose the area for replacement because the infrastructure is old and prone to breakage and because it is the most ready for construction among other options. This is the first location of the fiscal year.
      2. If a bond issue is not passed, then four projects will be removed from the water-main replacement list, a department representative said.

• Councilwoman Melissa Robinson asked for clarification on water bond progress. The full council would have to vote to place the bond issue on the November ballot.
• Robinson asked about environmental justice impact information on the water-main replacements. The staff member said that due to changing federal requirements, the department was under the impression that there was no longer a need to include that information.
• The committee unanimously approved the proposed ordinance.

2. Ordinance 260374 – Detaching from the City of Kansas City approximately 8.129 acres
   1. This ordinance authorizes the detachment of approximately 8 acres of public right-of-way generally located along East 155th Street between Kentucky and Kurzweil roads from the corporate limits of Kansas City, Missouri, to facilitate concurrent annexation by the city of Raymore.
   2. The proposal came to expedite repair of a 155th Street bridge that had collapsed. Many Raymore residents depended on the bridge for travel. The move would shift city lines to the north right-of-way line, keeping all addresses intact.
   3. The committee unanimously approved the proposed ordinance.

3. Approving various traffic regulations in compliance with Chapter 70 of the Code of Ordinances.
   1. The ordinance would change aspects of specific roads such as one-way to two-way conversions, parking changes and traffic adjustments. This is done periodically, and once a change is made, it must be made law within 90 days.
   2. The committee unanimously approved the proposed ordinance.

4. Ordinance 260402 – Authorizing agreement with Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to provide transit services
   1. The ordinance would authorize an agreement not to exceed $85.6 million with the KCATA to provide transit services for the city between May 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027. It would reduce the contingent appropriation in the general fund by $1,000, direct the city manager to work with the KCATA to define, advance and implement fiscal year 2026-2027 transit priorities and recognize the ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
   2. The $85.6 million combines revenue from different sales taxes. However, KCATA says it needs at least $100 million to avoid service cuts. 
   3. World Cup:
      1. KCATA buses will help with transportation if the streetcar system breaks down. They also will provide “overcrowd support” if the streetcar can’t clear enough people from each station. The assumption from KCATA is that the streetcar will be the primary service for the Fan Fest area.
      2. Some bus routes will operate with extended hours, such as the 201, which will run until 2 a.m.
      3. Because of a “weird” federal requirement, a presenter explained that out-of-town visitors can only use paratransit unless they are registered in another location. International visitors will not have that registration.
      4. Thus, officials have bolstered the freedom-on-demand service. The on-demand service is intended to support transit to park-and-rides.

• Fourteen percent of daily riders will be affected by service cuts.
• Robinson questioned the impact of service cuts on her constituents. She focused on a statement by a presenter that leftover capital improvement dollars from the Prospect MAX route had been shifted to World Cup preparations.
• Fare revenue is used to match federal capital improvement dollars. Because there hasn’t been a fare, KCATA has not upgraded its fleet recently. Capital improvement dollars also go to shelters and signage. Because about 95.2% of service comes from Kansas City, that same percentage of improvement will occur within Kansas City.
• Fare boxes are being installed in buses. Fares will be reinstated starting June 1. The final week of May, public engagement events will be held. A bus with validators will be available on the final day so people can test them and buy passes. KCATA has partnered with United Way to facilitate the functionally free program. United Way will use its network of social service providers to disseminate bus passes until phase two fares start.
• Robinson proposed an amendment to add second- and third-quarter tax revenue overruns to the KCATA contract. The amendment failed.
• The committee unanimously approved the ordinance.

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• How will the KCATA fare system integrate with Johnson County and ConnectKC systems?
• Who would be responsible for turning Robinson’s proposed amendment into a full ordinance? Will she propose her amendment in a full council meeting?

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