On-Demand Public Transit in Kansas City Leaves a Lot to Be Desired

Kansas City's novel effort to handle transit’s last mile problem has failed to attract ridership.

1 minute read

March 1, 2017, 12:00 PM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Downtown Kansas City

stevekc / Flickr

Kansas City's pilot project for Bridj hasn't attracted much ridership; whether that's because the project itself is not viable, because it’s a low density area or because not enough people know about the service has yet to be determined. "KCATA itself hasn’t yet released ridership numbers, but data reported to the Kansas City MPO reveals that six months into the pilot, it had seen 597 total rides. These numbers are a far cry from the 200 riders per day projected at the program’s outset," reports an article by TransitCenter.

Whatever the reason, the low ridership means the cost of the program was extremely high, over $1,000 per ride. "KCATA should be applauded for its experimentation and should continue to do so. But ultimately agencies and advocates debating on-demand first/last mile services in low density contexts need to take a close look at the numbers and question whether transit with extreme per-ride costs is viable," TransitCenter writes.

Friday, February 24, 2017 in TransitCenter

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Red SF Muni ticketing machine.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time

A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

May 21 - San Francisco Examiner

Electric car charging station with several Chevy Bolts charging in parking lot of store in Bellingham, Washington

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth

Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

May 21 - GovTech

Top view new development riverside residential and commercial neighborhood with vacant land in Texas, USA.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas

Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.

May 21 - The Texas Tribune