A free airport shuttle from Johnson County to Kansas City International Airport for the World Cup is up and running. The question remains if it will be viable beyond the international event.
On June 1, buses for the Johnson County United Airport Drop and Ride program began running from Overland Park and Lenexa to KCI to supplement Kansas City’s ConnectKC26 plan, which is intended to help residents and visitors efficiently navigate the metro area during the FIFA World Cup games.
The World Cup officially kicks off on Thursday with Mexico vs. South Africa. The first of six games in Kansas City will be held on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium (renamed Kansas City Stadium for the tournament).
The $2.6 million dollar pilot program, which is mostly funded by a federal grant, with $200,000 each from Johnson County, Overland Park and Lenexa, has buses running from the Overland Park Convention Center and Lenexa City Center to KCI every half hour throughout most of the day. The program is expected to conclude in September.
In its first week, the shuttles saw about 18 to 35 riders per day, said Justus Welker, interim director for Johnson County Transit.
“The route’s in its infancy. Traditionally, a route of this magnitude would take three to six months to build ridership and stabilize and build awareness. So, we’re happy with what we’ve seen thus far,” he said.
The program will end when funding runs out, Welker said. After that, it will be studied to see if ridership numbers are substantial enough to justify making it a permanent route in the future.
“The World Cup was the impetus for this innovative infrastructure experiment. The hope is that it gives us an opportunity to show our community what can be possible when we intentionally invest in infrastructure,” Johnson County County Commission Chair Mike Kelly said in an email to the Johnson County Post.
Drivers, riders are excited about the service
Getting onboard the bus from Overland Park, Annika Jurczyk, a resident in the area, had her own World Cup plans, flying out of KCI to see her home country of Germany play a friendly match with the U.S. men’s national soccer team at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Having to fly out of KCI about four to five times a year, Jurczyk said that usually involves booking an approximately $60 Uber ride to get the airport. With the shuttle, she said she’s saving money.
“It’s just so nice to be able to not have to worry about parking at the airport or not have to worry about getting a ride there and be able to just come here and get a ride for free,” she said.
Bus drivers on the route are also excited about being able to shuttle people around without having to collect a fare.
Normally a bus driver for the Olathe School District, Melanie Bernard jumped at the chance to be part of the shuttle service for the summer.
“I am loving it … I love meeting people, I love meeting people from different countries,” she said.
On a Thursday afternoon, one Drop and Ride bus has one rider, while another Drop and Ride bus driver radios over that she has zero.
While ridership numbers are low in its first week, Bernard said she hopes it picks up as the games get closer to Kansas City.
“I hope by the time next week comes around, I hope we’re seeing more in the neighborhood of 25. That would be kind of nice,” she said.
The pilot program costs about $2.5 million
Operated by Johnson County Transit, the bus route connects two locations with the airport: Lenexa City Center at 87th Street Parkway and Renner Boulevard, and the Overland Park Convention Center at 6000 College Blvd.
Buses run every 30 minutes from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays, and function on a drop-and-ride format, where riders have to be dropped off, rather than being able to park long term and take a bus to the airport.
While convenient, riders needing to be dropped off, rather than being able to park, could be a problem.
“I think that’s a barrier to people utilizing service. The fact that you have to get dropped off to utilize the service — even though you’re saving money, you don’t have to pay for parking at the airport, obviously — but if there was a parking component, we feel like it would be utilized more,” Welker said.
The program’s funding comes from three sources: $2 million from a Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant and $200,000 each from Johnson County, Overland Park and Lenexa.
If the program turns out to be a success, Welker said a year-round service would cost roughly $6 million and the county would look into more options, like long-term parking for riders.
“Depending on how the route progresses, we’d look to incorporate some level of parking somewhere, whether it be (at the Overland Park Convention Center) or Lenexa City Center,” Welker said.
People can voice their opinion on the service
On Drop and Ride buses, riders can scan a QR code where they can give feedback about their ride, as well as broad demographic information to show how far the program has reached people.
So far, the riders have mostly been from Johnson County, though Welker said that may change as they ramp advertising in airports around the country for potential World Cup visitors coming to Kansas City.
“It’s kind of a first step, a first introduction to Johnson County. So, we want to put our best foot forward and provide a service that is reliable, safe and something that anybody can utilize,” he said.
In gauging the success of the program, Kelly said the county is working with an outside agency to review the operation through several metrics, including ridership data and surveys.
“There isn’t a specific number yet, but we are actively monitoring ridership and will continue to rigorously analyze our data so that the policymakers can have an informed decision on whether or not this is something that is desired and feasible for our community long term,” he said.
