Johnson County Transit (The JO)

[DaveKCMO]

is the JO not allowed to place bus stop signs in KCMO? i don't think i've ever seen one, which kinda makes me wonder why they don't consolidate them somewhere so it's more obvious... they have no equivalent of 10th/main downtown, even though almost all of their routes stop or terminate somewhere in the loop.

[bahua]

There are signs indicating Jo stops near Barney Allis Plaza.

[dangerboy]

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/646309.html

When asked about what role a better metropolitan-wide transit system might play in weaning us off our expensive gas habit, the lieutenant governor’s enthusiasm waned. The Kansas Legislature has refused to even allow suburbs on that side of the metropolitan divide to let voters consider the idea.

“There hasn’t been the numbers of riders to allocate resources to support it,” Parkinson said. “Until ridership levels on mass transit make that important in Johnson County, the political motivation won’t be there.”

Kansas Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson

[phxcat]

That is extremely disappointing.  Kansas has a huge political problem with Western Kansans thinking that Johnson County gets everything, and it probably does, but it also contains the largest concentrated population in the states.  If he wants Kansas to be successful and competitive in the future, that includes Johnson County, and that includes mass transit.  As stated above, you have to work really hard to use the transit that is available.  If transit were more available, more people would use it.

[dangerboy]

That is extremely disappointing.   Kansas has a huge political problem with Western Kansans thinking that Johnson County gets everything, and it probably does, but it also contains the largest concentrated population in the states. 

Except that it is also an excuse to not do anything.  Kansas could still participate in a regional system without forming a new transit district.  The KCATA is already a bi-state transit compact. The Kansas counties could pass their own taxes and contract with the KCATA to run the system in those counties.  It is a system used in St. Louis and it works very well across the state line.  Each county/state pays for its own part of the system.

The real problem is that the governments of the big cities (OP, Olathe, etc) do not want to expand the transit system. If they actually requested it the state Legislature would easily allow it.

[GRID]

I think it's awesome.  Hell, I think it would be pretty damn funny if the entire MO side had rail all over the place and the KS side still has 12 buses running a few trips a day.

It's about time the residents of JoCo figured out what a lot of the JoCo big wigs and decision makers think of KCMO and regional cooperation.  When issues like transit hit them personally, it's not so easy to take the high road and act like our state line issues don't exist.

[dangerboy]

When issues like transit hit them personally, it's not so easy to take the high road and act like our state line issues don't exist.

I gotta call BS on the state line issue.  We would still have the same city vs. suburb animosity and mistrust even if Joco were in Missouri.  The state line gets the blame, and people say it's a unique challenge for KC, but that is BS.  Many multi-state regions are able deal with it.  St. Louis is good example.  Some of the most successful transit systems in the country span three states, e.g. New York, DC, and Chicago.

The state line is a convenient scape goat for people who want to admit mistrust, prejudice, and cowardice.

[Tosspot]

It's kinda perverse to realize that a sprawled crudscape like Johnson County has the about the highest population density of all Kansas counties.

[DaveKCMO]

It's kinda perverse to realize that a sprawled crudscape like Johnson County has the about the highest population density of all Kansas counties.

i think the overwhelming majority of kansas counties have fewer than 50,000 residents. some have fewer than 10,000.

[BigBill33]

I have to laugh at some of these comments to the recent op-ed article in the Star...

http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.a ... &tid=28833

The system map for RTD in Denver includes Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Parker, and Boulder, all affluent neighborhoods!  I agree that the system also provides service to very poor neighborhoods, but from my experience, if you ride a bus in the inner city and a ride a bus in the better neighborhoods, I rarely saw a mix.  Johnson County needs to get off of their ivory towers and get with reality!  Also, the neighborhoods I mentioned have demographics much like Johnson County, but in my opinion, are cleaner, nicer, and much more organized than OP will ever be!

[phxcat]

It looks like Mikey made an appearance!

[enough]

the jo is a secret.  yesterday i watched 25 people board four jo buses in the union station / crown center area.  there's no info about the jo on the street, but these people all knew when and where to show up.  how did they find out?  word of mouth?  the jo really needs to put out more info -- not just "go to thejo.com," but honest-to-goodness information.

the jo also needs to add more service on route h connecting the 6000 lamar transit hub with the plaza.  that, coupled with a transit pass that's good on all buses in the region, would provide more options for more commuters.

[GRID]

the jo is a secret.  yesterday i watched 25 people board four jo buses in the union station / crown center area.  there's no info about the jo on the street, but these people all knew when and where to show up.  how did they find out?  word of mouth?  the jo really needs to put out more info -- not just "go to thejo.com," but honest-to-goodness information.

the jo also needs to add more service on route h connecting the 6000 lamar transit hub with the plaza.  that, coupled with a transit pass that's good on all buses in the region, would provide more options for more commuters.

What do you want the JO to do, go up to everybody's home and talk to them like children?  Put maps, and schedules and coloful signs on every corner that nobody will use or make sense of anyway?  Five minutes with the internet and you can figure it out.

Commuter routes are like this all over the country.  Go to Denver, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Dallas, San Diego etc and you will see the same thing only on a much larger scale.  Commuter buses will pull up to a downtown corner where there is little to no info and dozens of people will board the buses to the suburbs.

[enough]

^ i think you are missing the point.  the jo should be perceived as an integral part of the region's public transit system -- not like a (subscription-type) commuter service.

no, they should't be expected to put up signs on every corner, but eight stops probably account for well over half of their missouri boardings:
- 10th and main
- 12th and grand
- union station
- pershing and grand (crown center)
- pershing and grand (ibm)
- irs
- 47th and troost
- nichols and broadway

those eight stops are the logical place for on-street marketing, and posting schedules there is not too much to expect.

and, unless they've changed it since i was there last, they don't even post schedules at their hub at 6000 lamar.

as for the jo's website, their system map could be a lot more user-friendly.  you can figure it out -- and i can, too -- but it needs to be easy enough to accommodate people who are just starting to think about transit.

[DaveKCMO]

and, unless they've changed it since i was there last, they don't even post schedules at their hub at 6000 lamar.

as for the jo's website, their system map could be a lot more user-friendly.  you can figure it out -- and i can, too -- but it needs to be easy enough to accommodate people who are just starting to think about transit.

they do not post their schedules at 6000 lamar. they also don't post route or system maps anywhere except online. ATA also doesn't post system or route maps on their bus stops, except for MAX (and that's just a route map).

[KCMax]

they do not post their schedules at 6000 lamar. they also don't post route or system maps anywhere except online. ATA also doesn't post system or route maps on their bus stops, except for MAX (and that's just a route map).

And many people that use the JO - the elderly, mentally disabled or poor, aren't very likely to search online.

[voltopt]

they do not post their schedules at 6000 lamar. they also don't post route or system maps anywhere except online. ATA also doesn't post system or route maps on their bus stops, except for MAX (and that's just a route map).

The ATA will occasionaly post stop times at heavily travelled local bus stops, such as Pershing and Grand, 39th and Troost, even Independence and Main on the 57.

[bahua]

Just about every bus stop that has a shelter has a schedule posted.

[dangerboy]

they do not post their schedules at 6000 lamar. they also don't post route or system maps anywhere except online. ATA also doesn't post system or route maps on their bus stops, except for MAX (and that's just a route map).

ATA does post route maps and schedules at some stops.  Off the top of my head I can think of 39th/State Line Road and 39th and Broadway. 

Regarding other comments, I think sometimes people forgot the low-tech option of calling the bus operator on the telephone.  Not only do more people have access to phones than computers, the call centers are better able to coach newbies with specifics about where to go and where to stand.

[DaveKCMO]

i've never seen a route or system map at an ATA stop. maybe i'm not looking closely enough, but it's certainly not the standard, outside of MAX. i've seen plenty of schedules posted, but not enough considering how spotty the service can be.

system maps are crucial. there isn't even one posted at 10th and main.