The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) in Kansas City, MO, joined the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS, (UG) to break ground Sept. 19 on the Midtown KCK MetroCenter in Kansas City, KS. KCATA provides service to both cities.

"The new, $4.5 million Midtown MetroCenter will become a hub for economic development," said Kansas City, KS, Mayor Joe Reardon. He called the new station "the most significant investment made in public transit to date [that] will undoubtedly serve as an essential project to begin the transformation of the Indian Springs site."

A central component of the transit center project is the addition of an 11,000-square-foot facility that will house:

* A substation for the Kansas City, KS, Police Department’s midtown unit, providing a round-the-clock police presence;

* A new headquarters for the Area Agency on Aging’s mobility management services; and

* A Transit Community Space available for a broad range of community meetings and activities.

When the Midtown KCK MetroCenter opens in August 2013, it will accommodate eight buses. However, the plan allows for future development that would expand the capacity to 12 buses if needed.

Another public transit facility in the city—the Downtown KCK MetroCenter—is also under construction at 7th & Minnesota Ave. Both public transit centers will offer improved customer waiting areas and real-time passenger information. At the centers and along the route, KCATA and UG will build passenger shelters and benches, add bus stop platforms and landscaping, and improve pedestrian connections.

"More and more people are figuring out that transit is an excellent way to save money and go green," said KCATA General Manager Mark Huffer. "We are excited to partner with the Unified Government to bring better facilities and a better passenger experience to our transit customers in Kansas City, KS."

State Avenue/KCK Connex improvements are also included in the program. This 14-mile public transit route begins at the 10th & Main MetroCenter in downtown Kansas City, MO; travels through downtown Kansas City, KS; and ends at Village West at 109th & Parallel Parkway.

The total project represents a $13 million infrastructure investment, funded primarily through the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program. Additional funding sources include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, FTA, and UG.