BLUE SPRINGS, Missouri (KCTV) – Public transit availability in the Kansas City metro was impacted again Wednesday when a fourth city decided not to renew its contract.
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) confirmed on August 28 that the City of Blue Springs has decided not to renew its bus service contract.
In a flyer distributed to passengers, KCATA announced that bus service would be discontinued on October 6, 2024, and asked that all questions be directed to the city.
Blue Springs is the latest in a series of cities to eliminate public transit.
In May, Grandview announced that it could no longer continue its contract with RideKC because the city government felt that the cost increases were unsustainable. The city stated that it would continue to work with KCATA and hoped to reinstate the service.
The following month, Raytown announced that it would no longer offer scheduled service and would instead opt for an on-demand service.
Then in July, Gladstone joined Grandview in declaring it could no longer afford to operate the service. City officials said their contract with KCATA had increased from a previous price of $87,000 to $340,000, with the new contract taking effect on July 1, 2023.
A KCATA representative expressed his “disappointment” that Blue Springs would not renew the contract, as it is believed to be an important route.
KCTV5 has reached out to the city of Blue Springs for comment but has not yet received a response.
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