Metro Area Express

The Metro Area Express (MAX) is express bus service with bus rapid transit characteristics run by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The first service opened on Main Street on July 2005. The second service on Troost Avenue opened on January 1, 2011. MAX was an instant success, with ridership on the first MAX line increasing more than 50%. The Federal Transit Administration holds it up as a model BRT line. MAX has little mileage of dedicated lanes, and lacks off-board fare collection and platform boarding.

This article is about the bus rapid transit network in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. For other uses, see Metropolitan Area Express.
Metro Area Express
Troost Avenue Max Line in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri
Overview
TypeExpress bus service
SystemKansas City Area Transportation Authority
StatusOperating
LocaleKansas City Metro Area
Stations87 Currently
Services2 Routes
4 Planned
1 under construction
Operation
OpenedJuly 2005
Rolling stock28 Gillig Low Floor buses
Technical
Line length32-mile (51 km)

Bus rapid transit lines

Main Street MAX ("Orange Line")
Main Max Line in RideKC red color

The Main Street MAX is a BRT line that mostly runs along Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri. The line opened in July 2005. It runs from the city market at 3rd and Grand to the Waldo neighborhood at 75th and Wornall Rd.

Troost Avenue MAX ("Green Line")

The Troost Avenue MAX is a BRT line that runs mostly on Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. The line opened on January 1, 2011. It runs from 11th and Wyandotte to Bannister and Drury.

Prospect Avenue MAX

The Prospect Avenue MAX is a planned BRT line to run on Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. The line is to run from Downtown KCMO on 12th Street to 75th and Prospect (short trips) with a possible extension to Bannister and Drury (long trips). A new transit center is being planned Downtown and at Bannister Road and Blue Ridge Blvd to relocate from Bannister and Drury, which will be served by Troost MAX and Prospect MAX. Cerner is redeveloping the old Bannister Mall site into an office park.

It is scheduled to begin service on December 9, 2019.[1]

State Avenue Connex

The State Avenue Connex is a BRT line that is under construction that will run along State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The line is expected to be finished in the summer of 2013. It will run from the 10th and Main transit center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri to Village West Parkway and Parallel Parkway in Kansas City, Kansas.

Features

As the region's most significant new public transportation project in decades, MAX provides quick, convenient public transportation that helps reduce traffic congestion and auto emissions. MAX features distinct characteristics that incorporate state of the art technology to deliver customers a high level of reliability, speed and comfort. There are dedicated lanes that help give MAX vehicles a rapid, smooth ride, and special traffic signalization holds a green light longer to keep MAX on schedule. Limited stops mean that MAX can keep moving to key destinations.

Stations
A bus at the southbound Union Hill/31st stop, on the Main Street MAX line, in 2016

By design, a unique identity was created for MAX, including unique vehicles and easily identifiable stations, not stops. Each station features an 18-foot marker that is well lit at night, serving as a beacon from blocks away. The new modern shelters were designed to provide protection from the elements with a roof that is 80% opaque, providing needed shade in the summer, yet allowing 20% of the light through to break the chill in the winter. One of the most popular features of the stations is the real-time arrival signs. Customers know exactly when the MAX will arrive, taking the guesswork out of waiting.

Fares

The fares for the Metro Area Express is $1.50, collected on board, with free transfer to the rest of the Metro system.

Future BRT corridors

Future BRT corridors are planned for State Avenue in adjacent Kansas City, Kansas; Metcalf Avenue through Johnson County, Kansas; North Oak Trafficway to Missouri Route 152; and for the US Highway 24 and 40 corridor towards Independence, Missouri.

Facts
  • Runs 7 days a week
  • 4:00 a.m. to 1 a.m.
  • Buses arrive every 10 minutes at peak times
  • 15-30 minutes most other times
  • Plaza to Downtown in 18 minutes
  • 10 miles of exclusive transit lanes
  • 40 stations
  • 28 MAX vehicles featuring unique branding
  • Cost $21 million (80% federal, 20% local)
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References
  1. Wall, Dia (December 6, 2019). "After years of planning, Prospect MAX launches Monday". KSHB News. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
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