KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted to withdraw from the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) in Thursday's meeting.
The change will go into effect on Aug. 1.
Johnson County will instead create a transit division within its public works department with five new full-time positions.
The county has partnered with KCATA to manage county transit services since December 2014. It costs Johnson County $584,000 annually.
In November 2021, the BOCC approved $15.2 million in new transit projects, which will create fixed local routes, increase service levels, county-wide paratransit service, expanded micro-transit service and a few other items.
The first phases of the projects will begin in May.
Johnson County already owns its transit fleet used to provide services that are overseen by KCATA, so there will be no need to purchase new vehicles.
Johnson County Transit will remain a part of the RideKC system.
Money from the current KCATA contract will pay for the five new full-time employees.
