Metro Area Express

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Metro Area Express
Troost Avenue Max Line in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri
Overview
Status	Operating
Locale	Kansas City Metro Area
Stations	87 Currently
Service
Type	Express bus service
System	Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
Services	3 Routes 4 Planned
Rolling stock	28 Gillig Low Floor buses
History
Opened	July 2005
Technical
Line length	32-mile (51 km)

The Metro Area Express (MAX) is express bus service with bus rapid transit characteristics run by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The first line opened on Main Street on July 24, 2005. The second line on Troost Avenue opened on January 1, 2011, and the third line opened on Prospect Avenue on December 9, 2019. MAX operates as a hybrid of traditional bus service and Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT-lite.

Lines[]

Main Street MAX[]

Main Max Line in RideKC red color

The Main Street MAX mostly runs along Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri. The line opened on July 24, 2005. It runs from City Market in Downtown Kansas City, MO to the Waldo Neighborhood.

Troost Avenue MAX[]

The Troost Avenue MAX runs mostly on Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. The line opened on January 1, 2011. It runs from Barney Allis Plaza in Downtown Kansas City Missouri to 3-Trails Transit Center in Ruskin Heights.

Prospect Avenue MAX[]

The Prospect Avenue MAX runs mostly on Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. The line runs from Barney Allis Plaza in Downtown KCMO to 75th and Prospect with a possible extension to Bannister and Drury. New transit centers are being planned^{[citation needed]} downtown and at Bannister Road and Blue Ridge Blvd to relocate from Bannister and Drury, which will be served by Troost MAX and Prospect MAX. Cerner is redeveloping the old Bannister Mall site into an office park. The line began service on December 9, 2019.^[1]

Features[]

MAX features dedicated lanes, and special traffic signalization holds a green light longer to keep services on schedule.

Stations[]

A bus at the southbound Union Hill/31st stop, on the Main Street MAX line, in 2016

By design, a unique identity was created for MAX, including unique vehicles and easily identifiable stations, not stops. Each station features an 18-foot marker that is brightly lit at night, serving as a beacon from blocks away. The new modern shelters were designed to provide protection from the elements with a roof that is 80% opaque, providing shade in the summer, yet allowing 20% of the light through. One of the features of the stations is the real-time arrival signs.

Fares[]

The fares for the Metro Area Express is $1.50, collected on board, with free transfer to the rest of the Metro system.

Facts[]

• Runs 7 days a week
• 3 Lines: Main, Troost, Prospect
• 4:00 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• Buses arrive every 10 minutes at peak times
• 15–30 minutes most other times
• 10 miles of exclusive transit lanes
• 90 stations
• 40 MAX vehicles featuring unique branding

References[]