ATA opens public transit center in Northland
By GLENN E. RICE
The Kansas City Star
As classical music played on a loudspeaker, the voice of an announcer utter the words officials with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority were so eager to hear.
"The Metro I-29 bus is arriving..."
And with that, a new era in Northland public transit began last week when ATA officials unveiled the new Northland transit center on North Boardwalk Avenue, just north of Interstate 29 and Barry Road.
The transit center, which opened Sunday, will serve as a key transfer station for five Metro bus routes in the Northland.
The MetroCenter at Boardwalk Square features 42 parking spaces for commuters, three shelters and a clock tower. Two of the shelters feature push-button heating systems.
Mark Huffer, ATA general manager, said the new transit center would enhance public transit in the Northland.
"You only have to drive around to realize the Northland is booming," Huffer said at the dedication ceremony. "We are proud to be part of that growth. This transit center is a way to get people to think about public transit and how they can begin to use it."
Huffer said improvements to the area's public transportation effort was needed to get workers who live in other parts of the metropolitan area to jobs in the Northland.
"This center reaffirms our commitment to providing public transportation for all of our customers both north and south of the river," he said.
Huffer said the agency had spent years trying to identify a location to build a transit center in the Northland.
"In many cases, the land was too expensive," he said.
The Missouri Department of Transportation owns land near the Boardwalk Square center and agreed to lease the property to the ATA for 25 years at an annual cost of $10.
There are other ATA transit centers south of the Missouri River. A transit center operates a bit like an airport: Buses are scheduled to converge at the same time, allowing riders to make transfers easily.
Huffer said the Northland transit center eventually will feature real-time scheduling and computer screen maps that will indicate to passengers the exact location of their incoming bus.
Albert Ray, the project architect with Group One Architects Inc., said the design of the transit center was done to complement surrounding buildings and shopping centers.
State Rep. Dan Bishop, who attended the dedication ceremony, said the center's opening comes at a time when the ATA needs additional operating revenue.
Bishop said approval of a ballot measure in November that would provide additional funding to the ATA was critical.
Voters on Nov. 4 will determine the fate of the proposed 3/8-cent increase to the city's current 1/2-cent transportation sales tax. If approved, the increase would last five years and generate about $22 million annually.
Without an infusion of money, Huffer said, ATA probably will be forced to reduce service, including service to the new Northland center.
He said the ATA needs $12 million to offset a budget deficit and ward off service cuts. About $3 million would go to cover inflation and to rebuild reserve funds. The remainder would pay for improvements to the existing system.
He said funding for the Northland transit center was provided by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Planning of the center began years before the agency's recent financial troubles.
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