Johnson County Transit (The JO)

[trailerkid]

i've considered it, but i live too far away from JCCC and it wouldn't drop anywhere near downtown lawrence. maybe if i was going to a function on campus and didn't want to deal with parking, but i can't remember the last time i did that.

It stops at 19th and Naismith which isn't far at all from downtown or the Oread neighborhood.

[kcmetro]

It stops at 19th and Naismith which isn't far at all from downtown or the Oread neighborhood.

That's a hell of a walk to downtown.

[trailerkid]

That's a hell of a walk to downtown.

I guess it depends on the person. I don't consider walking 2 miles through small, urban node neighborhoods as atypical. There is also a bus stop exactly one block to the west of 19th/Naismith which will take you downtown or the South Iowa big box area.

[SamPierron]

Anybody try this, know anybody who as tried it or even seen the buses?  I'm very curious to know how it's doing, what types of buses are being used and any feedback from riders.  I would hope they expand this more on the KC end to make it more attractive to more people.

They're using modern buses...one of the same models the T uses.  Probably 40 seats-ish.  I pass it on my commute.    I peek in and it usually looks between 1/4 and 1/2 full...which I think is pretty good. 

I'll try it one of these days when I can secure transport on the KC end.

[jimb]

I heard several radio spots over the weekend promoting this service.

Are there any reasonably convenient transfers that would get you into downtown Lawrence?

[DaveKCMO]

I heard several radio spots over the weekend promoting this service.

Are there any reasonably convenient transfers that would get you into downtown Lawrence?

from looking at the lawrence transit website (http://www.lawrencetransit.org/), it appears you could transfer at the haskell stop to the #2 route for a downtown connection. the park and ride referred to on the JO website is "north of the stadium", while the lawrence transit bus shelter is at the corner of barker and indian avenue, which should be a very short walk. the schedules appear to be complementary, at least during the weekday:

WESTBOUND
K-10 arrivals    Route #2 departures
7:50A              8:04A
8:50A              9:24A
9:50A              10:04A
11:50A            12:04A
1:50P              2:04P
3:50P              4:04P
5:50P              6:04P
10:45P            route ends at 7:24P

i've emailed the JO to see if transfers are free and will report the answer back here.

[DaveKCMO]

the email response from the JO:

The easiest transfer location is at Haskell University, where you can
transfer to the T route 2, which will take you to the 9th & Mass hub, or
T route 5, which will take you to the 4-Wheel Dr hub.  If you get off
the bus at the KU Park & Ride, you can use the free KU buses to get onto
the KU campus, where you can catch all of the KU on Wheels buses and T
route 8, which serves both T hubs.  At this time there are not free
transfers, but that may change in the future.  Thanks.

[GRID]

They're using modern buses...one of the same models the T uses.  Probably 40 seats-ish.  I pass it on my commute.    I peek in and it usually looks between 1/4 and 1/2 full...which I think is pretty good. 

I'll try it one of these days when I can secure transport on the KC end.

That's actually very good as long as they can maintain or even grow that ridership and it not all people just checking it out.

I still say there should be frequent transit service between L and Union Station just like Denver has to Boulder and C Springs.  A LOT of people commute from Lawrence to Downtown.

[dangerboy]

I still say there should be frequent transit service between L and Union Station just like Denver has to Boulder and C Springs.  A LOT of people commute from Lawrence to Downtown.

I agree.  But this service is funded with a CMAQ grant in Johnson County. That's why it doesn't go to KU Med or into Missouri.  Most likely the service will be discontinued in two years when the grant runs out. 

[trailerkid]

I heard several radio spots over the weekend promoting this service.

Are there any reasonably convenient transfers that would get you into downtown Lawrence?

I would not advise using any other route except for the 2. It has no riders so it should be on time. Stay the hell away from the 6 and the 8 which aren't running normal unless they're at least 5 minutes behind every interval. If you get off at HINU, I don't see you having any problems getting downtown.

[kcmetro]

An email from KU I received today.....

Additional service has been added to the K-10 Connector bus schedule operating between Lawrence and Johnson County.

Updated brochures are available at the KU Parking and Transit Office or visit http://www.thejo.com/main.aspx?page=K-10&mode=normal

What’s NEW beginning Monday, Feb. 12 …

          o Additional run from Lawrence to Johnson County at 2:35 PM to accommodate 4:00 PM classes
          o Additional runs from Johnson County to Lawrence at 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM
          o Additional night run from Johnson County to Lawrence at 7:10 PM
          o Additional night run from Lawrence to Johnson County at 8:05 PM
          o Additional stop at Haskell upon entering Lawrence on night runs
          o Establish set route through KU-Lawrence at 11:15 PM

The K-10 Connector is the new transit service that connects Haskell University and the University of Kansas Lawrence Campus with the KU Edwards Campus and JCCC in Overland Park.

[enough]

I agree.  But this service is funded with a CMAQ grant in Johnson County. That's why it doesn't go to KU Med or into Missouri.  Most likely the service will be discontinued in two years when the grant runs out. 

early ridership -- admittedly during the free period -- has reportedly been about 250 passengers per day.  that's a 20-25 percent jump in daily ridership for the jo with just one new route.  running the service isn't cheap, but i'm not so pesimistic about it being dropped when cmaq funding runs out.  i *am* puzzled, however, that cmaq funding was allocated to it, given that the congestion mitigation and air quality (that's what cm and aq stand for) benefits will be so limited.

[slimwhitman]

I have lived in OP all my life and have worked in Westport for 12 years.  I have never ridden on a bus in KC.  My car is in the shop, so I thought I would see if the Jo or KCATA could get me to work.  With a lot of route maps in hand, I found a line that would pick me up five houses away from my house and drop me off at my office door.  Not bad!

The KCATA makes a run to the Sprint campus and runs up 95th street.  I picked it up on the reverse trip back to KCMO, near Nall & 95th (bus 175) and rode to 88th & State Line, then took a transfer (bus 51) up Ward Parkway and into Westport.  It was a nice and easy ride.  Bus is clean and people were nice. (the few that were on it.)

I might ride it more and forget the car except it turned a 18-20min drive into a 1hr ride, and the time schedules are very limited.  If I miss a bus near home, I have to wait an hour for the next one.  The last bus from work is at 4:15, and if I miss it.....I am screwed!  4:15 is a bit early to leave work for most 8 to 5 jobs.  Guess I will only do this when a car is in the shop.  I want to support the bus system, but it is just too limited of service for me to use very often.  Bummer.

[DaveKCMO]

I have lived in OP all my life and have worked in Westport for 12 years.  I have never ridden on a bus in KC.  My car is in the shop, so I thought I would see if the Jo or KCATA could get me to work.  With a lot of route maps in hand, I found a line that would pick me up five houses away from my house and drop me off at my office door.  Not bad!

The KCATA makes a run to the Sprint campus and runs up 95th street.  I picked it up on the reverse trip back to KCMO, near Nall & 95th (bus 175) and rode to 88th & State Line, then took a transfer (bus 51) up Ward Parkway and into Westport.  It was a nice and easy ride.  Bus is clean and people were nice. (the few that were on it.)

I might ride it more and forget the car except it turned a 18-20min drive into a 1hr ride, and the time schedules are very limited.  If I miss a bus near home, I have to wait an hour for the next one.  The last bus from work is at 4:15, and if I miss it.....I am screwed!  4:15 is a bit early to leave work for most 8 to 5 jobs.  Guess I will only do this when a car is in the shop.  I want to support the bus system, but it is just too limited of service for me to use very often.  Bummer.

and don't forget that fares are 25 cents on ozone alert days! also, most (if not all) routes have bike racks, if you're so inclined and worried about missing the last bus.

which JO route did you use? did you call the regional call center to confirm that was the most convenient? i've used route H to the sprint campus (commuting the opposite direction as you), which stops at the plaza, where i connected from the MAX.

why they haven't bothered connecting this line directly to the MAX, i'll never know, but it's only a 3 block walk to the JO stop.

if i had the opportunity to reengineer the JO system, i'd make frequent 5a-10p express service between downtown, union station, plaza, and KCK to the park-n-ride on martway & lamar (or some new facility directly off I-35) and then have all JO buses originate there. everyone would have to transfer, but it would be a better use of buses than what the JO has today.

[slimwhitman]

which JO route did you use? did you call the regional call center to confirm that was the most convenient? i've used route H to the sprint campus (commuting the opposite direction as you), which stops at the plaza, where i connected from the MAX.

None of 'The Jo' routes pass my house near 95th & Mission Rd, but this one KCATA route does.  It requires 1/2 block of walking and no car.  That was what I needed.  I won't use a park-n-ride, because once I'm in the car, I'm gonna keep driving all the way to the office.  Parking is free AND covered in Westport.  Why would I ever ride the bus, unless my car was broken?  Not an option, when, even though I am lucky enough to be able to ride door to door, it takes 3 times longer to ride the bus and has such limited schedules.

[DaveKCMO]

Why would I ever ride the bus, unless my car was broken?  Not an option, when, even though I am lucky enough to be able to ride door to door, it takes 3 times longer to ride the bus and has such limited schedules.

that's why i would propose massively changing the suburban bus system to more of a hub and spoke system. you could reduce the duplication on routes and at the same time offer more frequent (and thus faster) service.

[slimwhitman]

Well, I rode the same buses home in the evening.  It was smooth and the drivers were very nice.  It took only 45 minutes to get home (better connection).  There was a couple on the bus visiting KC and were headed to the Plaza and the driver was very deliberate to help them know where to get off and where to walk from there. 

The 175 route goes from Bannister Mall, up to 75th and across to State Line, then south to 95th, then west.  I picked it up at 88th & State Line and it was only me on the bus.  The driver said it is quiet from Ward Parkway Mall on south & west, but it is a rowdy crowd north and east of there.  Not a relaxing ride, she said.

The problem was that I had to leave work (westport) at 4:15.  That is the last bus that meets my connection bus.  That is way too early, when I am riding in and arriving to work at 8am.  Again...I can only ride the bus when my car is in the shop.  My boss wasn't too keen on my light work schedule yesterday.  (Though I did enjoy getting home at 5pm!)

[enough]

Well, I rode the same buses home in the evening.  It was smooth and the drivers were very nice.  It took only 45 minutes to get home (better connection).  There was a couple on the bus visiting KC and were headed to the Plaza and the driver was very deliberate to help them know where to get off and where to walk from there. 

The 175 route goes from Bannister Mall, up to 75th and across to State Line, then south to 95th, then west.  I picked it up at 88th & State Line and it was only me on the bus.  The driver said it is quiet from Ward Parkway Mall on south & west, but it is a rowdy crowd north and east of there.  Not a relaxing ride, she said.

The problem was that I had to leave work (westport) at 4:15.  That is the last bus that meets my connection bus.  That is way too early, when I am riding in and arriving to work at 8am.  Again...I can only ride the bus when my car is in the shop.  My boss wasn't too keen on my light work schedule yesterday.  (Though I did enjoy getting home at 5pm!)

one problem is that the ata route 175 exension is intended more to serve "reverse commute" trips -- for people who live in missouri and work in joco -- than to get joco people to missouri jobs.  thus, you can't get back home to joco very late in the afternoon.  i think the ata didn't want to appear to "compete" with the jo for joco residents who work in missouri south of downtown -- even though it's a legitimate market to serve.  

someday transit service will be planned as if the region were all one region.  and someday there'll be a monthly transit pass that'll take you throughout the region.

[DaveKCMO]

i think i may finally be giving this a try next week. my route is as follows:

8:15A - route "A" from 19th/main to JCCC student center
10:30A - route "K" from JCCC carlsen center to 19th/naismith

once in lawrence:
- route "8" from KU to downtown (or walk)
- route "2" from downtown to haskell to reconnect with "K" back to KC (no walking... it's a hike)

the last "A" bus leaves JCCC at 5 p.m., leaving no other options (other than walking or expensive taxi ride) to get home. that means i have to be on route "K" at haskell by 3:50 p.m.

and yes, i realize this is totally not how these routes are intended to be used. by the time i'm done, however, i hope to have made it to lawrence and back for $7.50 or less.

[dangerboy]

i *am* puzzled, however, that cmaq funding was allocated to it, given that the congestion mitigation and air quality (that's what cm and aq stand for) benefits will be so limited.

CMAQ here is very loosely defined.  The MPO gets few applications for projects that result in a significant reduction of cars on the road, which is what is needed to realize a meaningful congestion or air quality impact.  CMAQ money flows through the state DOT, so Kansas money can only be spent in Kansas and likewise with Missouri.  Since the Kansas suburbs have so little public transportation, 250 riders is a huge increase.  Getting 250 cars off the road is a big deal in that state.