Abby Hoover
Managing Editor

The new Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) East Village Transit Center at 12th and Charlotte opened Aug. 2, 2020.

The new center will replace the 10th and Main facility as the main downtown transit facility. As the city’s need has outgrown the old facility, it closed permanently on Aug. 2, 2020.

The new transit center is part of the $55.8 million project to bring enhanced transit service to Prospect Avenue from downtown to 75th Street that broke ground in 2018. The Federal Transit Administration approved nearly $30 million for the project.

The East Village Transit Center provides frequent east-west connections to the core of downtown and will act as the downtown anchor for the new 10-mile Prospect MAX line. Nearly 20 MAX, local and express routes will serve the new facility.

It is also more accessible for people with disabilities, has one-step level boarding, bike racks, RideKC Bike rentals, and shows real-time arrival information.

Plans for the future of the new facility include free public WiFi. An indoor waiting area will open when COVID-19 is no longer a local threat, RideKC said. At that time, the Customer Service Lobby at 18th and Forest will relocate to the 12th and Charlotte location.

Beginning Aug. 2, several routes restored weekday service or added trips where crowding has been occurring as part of RideKC’s Service Restoration Plan.

“These improvements will allow workers and other residents to get to essential services,” KCATA president & CEO Robbie Makinen said. “RideKC has taken several steps to ensure the safety of our customers and operators, including suspending fares, and requiring masks, social distancing and rear boarding. Together, we can all keep public transportation safe.”

Based on current ridership patterns, the need to maintain social distance and restoring access to essential jobs and services, RideKC restored select routes.

Starting Aug. 2, several routes will maintain existing service, with Saturday schedules operating on weekdays, but with added trips in the early morning.

Some routes may have time changes as the routes transition to the East Village Transit Center as the 10th and Main Transit Center has closed. Riders can visit ridekc.org for detailed maps and timetables.

The Northeast-Westside route will have regular weekday service restored, which operates from 4:54 a.m. to 12:04 a.m. with 30-minute frequency and hourly frequency at night. Regular service will be restored to the Independence Avenue route, terminating at the East Village Transit Center, which operates between 4:43 a.m. and 11:37 p.m. with 15-minute frequency during the day and 30-minute frequency at night.

Routes operated by the Unified Government, Johnson County and the City of Independence are not impacted.