KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Users of micro-transit services in Johnson County, Kansas, will see an increase in fares starting Jan. 1, 2024.
Current fares, which have been in place since the service debuted in January 2019, are based on a flat rate of $3 or $5 each way, depending on the zone of travel.
County officials reviewed service levels under the existing fare structure and found “extremely strong demand.” That demand, coupled with longer trip distances, led to increased wait times and fewer vehicles available.
Under the new fare structure, riders will be charged $5 for the first five miles and then $2 for each mile thereafter, each way.
The service is geared to help residences connect to fixed express and commuter bus routes throughout Johnson County and the Kansas City area.
“Johnson County is committed to providing efficient and reliable transportation services to our community, and we continuously evaluate ridership and efficiency of dollars spent,” Johnson County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Kelly said in a release Monday.
The county works with a vendor to provide the micro-transit service and is charged $41 per hour, per vehicle, regardless of how much the vehicle is used. Officials hope that by encouraging shorter trips, they’ll be able to more efficiently operate the fleet of vehicles.
The service is available from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
“The board has given staff direction to embark on a strategic plan for long-range transit services, and in the interim, we believe this new fare structure will remain extremely competitive with other services while also making micro transit more reliable and consistent,” Kelly said.
Staff plans to review the effectiveness of the new fare structure after 90 days. If the new structure is ineffective, officials could amend the agreement with the vendor away from the per-hour payment and switch to a per-trip payment. Additional considerations could include capping the number of trips or reducing the size of the service area.
The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved the new fare schedule at its Dec. 18 meeting.
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