10/25/2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams today participated in a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction of a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Kansas City. The Prospect MAX BRT line will provide faster and more convenient access to jobs, schools, and services in downtown Kansas City.

Acting Administrator Williams was joined by Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) CEO Robbie Makinen and Kansas City elected officials at the future site of the East Village Transit Center to launch construction of the BRT line, which was supported by a $29.9 million grant through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. FTA’s CIG funding for this project was announced in April 2018.

"The U.S. Department of Transportation, under the leadership of Secretary Elaine L. Chao, supports Kansas City and KCATA as they work to bring more efficient bus services to connect residents to work, school, and other destinations," said Williams.

Similar to other BRT systems, Prospect MAX buses will provide faster service through a 10-mile corridor with traffic signal prioritization and off-board ticketing. The BRT line will include modern features, such as real-time arrival information, WiFi service, and passenger-friendly transit centers, that connect to bus routes serving Missouri and Kansas communities.

Prospect MAX, the third BRT line in Kansas City, is expected to improve transit service and spur economic development in the city’s Prospect corridor. Kansas City’s Main MAX opened in 2005. Troost MAX, which was partly funded with a $24.5 million CIG award, opened in 2011. The combined BRT lines serve approximately 13,000 riders per day.

FTA’s CIG program supports major transit capital projects nationwide. Under the current Administration, FTA has advanced 13 new CIG projects totaling approximately $3.3 billion in funding commitments. Construction of the Prospect MAX line is scheduled to be completed in October 2019.

Learn more about the event and the project’s impact in our two-minute video.

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