Monday, March 31, 2014

Regional Pass signals a new era of regional transit cooperation

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Beginning April 1, a commuter can use a single pass on any of the four local transit services in the region.

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Johnson County Transit, Unified Government Transit and the City of Independence all will accept The JO Standard Express Monthly Pass from Johnson County Transit.

The Standard Express Monthly Pass is available at KCATA office at 1200 E. 18th St., at Crown Center customer service, and online at The JO’s website: thejo.com.

This multi-agency agreement is one of the first outcomes of the Regional Transit Coordinating Council.

“This is an important step in making transit easier to navigate for current riders and more attractive to new riders in the Kansas City region,” said Robbie Makinen, co-chair of the Transit Coordinating Council and chair of the KCATA Board of Commissioners. “This is the first of many things that the Coordinating Council is working on to make transit a stronger travel option in our region.”

This universal pass acceptance is a precursor to a regional pass. A regional pass will be created following the regional fare study that is currently being conducted.

To use The JO pass on Metro, JO and Inde-Bus service, simply slide the pass swipe in the farebox reader on top of the farebox. On Unified Government Transit, just show the bus driver the pass. The pass is valid for fare on all fixed route service except for higher priced Metro commuter express routes and The JO’s K-10 route to Lawrence, Ks.

Other priorities for the Regional Transit Coordinating Council include regional paratransit coordination and integration of travel information online and via phone.