East-West Transit Study RFP

RIDEKC ISSUES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR EAST-WEST TRANSIT STUDY

A collaborative multi-jurisdictional team moves forward with a comprehensive study to connect Kansas City’s east and west neighborhoods with high-capacity transit.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), in cooperation with the Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA), the City of Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO), Jackson County, Missouri, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (UG) and the University of Kansas Health System (KUHS) is seeking proposals from qualified firms to conduct an East-West Transit Study evaluating transit connections between the KU Health System and the Rock Island Corridor / Truman Sports Complex.

This study will provide a roadmap to help fill existing east-west transit gaps, connecting into primary north-south transit corridors, as well as give communities in Wyandotte County and Eastern Jackson County the opportunity to leverage regional assets.

The general study area for this effort is bounded by Rainbow Boulevard on the west, 31st Street on the north, 43rd Street on the south, and the Truman Sports Complex (Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium) on the east. The proposed west terminus for the corridor is the University of Kansas Health System campus. The proposed terminus on the east is the Truman Sports Complex with a direct connection to the Rock Island Corridor. Consideration will be given to areas outside of the study area with regards to opportunities for longer-term investments or phases of the identified high-capacity transit corridor. Click here for the full Request for Proposals.

The estimated cost for this study ranges from $225,000 – $250,000. Proposals are due back to the KCATA in mid-December with a consultant selection determined by late Jan. 2022. The East-West study is estimated to take approximately 12 months to complete.

“As Congress considers additional funding for national public infrastructure and transit, it is incredibly important that Kansas City position itself to compete for federal funding. Developing plans and local consensus on regional project priorities is essential to this process,” said Tom Gerend, Executive Director, KC Streetcar Authority.

“RideKC’s four pillars of transit are connecting people to jobs, education, housing and healthcare on a foundation of social equity,” said Robbie Makinen, KCATA president and CEO. “We are excited that KCSA has advanced matching funds to study east/west connectivity for the region’s essential healthcare workers and the Truman Sports Complex.”

For KC Streetcar media inquiries, contact Donna Mandelbaum with the KCSA at 816.877.3219 or by email at dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org. For KCATA media inquiries, contact Petrina Parker at 816.946.0708 or by email at pparker@kcata.org