Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
Kansas City, MO · NTD ID 70005 · 2024 report year
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority carries 12.6 million passenger trips a year across four modes — bus, bus rapid transit, demand response and vanpool — making it the 60th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Kansas City, MO.
It spends $124 million a year running that service, or $9.87 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.31 per rider — 40% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership is 1% above its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 3% on 2023. Fares cover 1% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#50 of 1,162 nationally | 10,967,160 | $91.1 million | $8.31 | -40% | — | 117 |
| Bus Rapid Transit#12 of 20 nationally | 953,101 | $6.1 million | $6.41 | +1% | — | 8 |
| Demand Response#37 of 1,920 nationally | 609,354 | $26.1 million | $42.85 | +13% | 4% | 147 |
| Vanpool#59 of 113 nationally | 58,320 | $930,177 | $15.95 | +125% | 46% | 35 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12,587,935 | $124 million | $9.87 |
| 2023 | 12,275,924 | $116 million | $9.46 |
| 2022 | 10,572,362 | $106 million | $10.02 |
| 2021 | 9,468,338 | $103 million | $10.91 |
| 2020 | 9,767,393 | $113 million | $11.54 |
| 2019 | 12,409,231 | $122 million | $9.85 |
| 2018 | 12,957,336 | $117 million | $9.04 |
| 2017 | 13,558,885 | $115 million | $8.50 |
| 2016 | 14,220,399 | $123 million | $8.62 |
| 2015 | 15,428,318 | $116 million | $7.50 |
Where Kansas City Area Transportation Authority ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #35 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Rapid Transit Systems #12 of 20
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #30 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #37 of 40
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Ask NTD about Kansas City Area Transportation Authority →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.