With high gas prices and increasing carbon emissions, RideKC offers relief from both with free bus rides for everyone through ZeroFare KC.
As the first city in the country to offer free public transportation, Kansas City, MO is being recognized nationally for its’ climate protection initiative.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors awarded KC the 2022 Mayor’s Climate Protection Award at its’ annual meeting in Reno, NV last week. The award is given for successful local climate action, changing how energy is used and produced in cities, and reducing carbon use and emissions.
RideKC began offering free bus transportation in March 2020 to veterans, high-school students and at-risk customers. The system is now free for all riders and more than 30,000 people use it daily. The KC Streetcar has been free since it opened in 2016. According to RideKC, ridership is expected to grow 20 percent in the next five years.
“As someone who grew up with a single mom who relied on bus transportation for all of our family’s transit needs during many periods of my childhood, I know firsthand how vital safe and reliable public transportation is to so many in our community,” said KC Mayor Quinton Lucas. “Since Kansas City became the first major American city to make all public transportation fare free through zero fare transit, I have spoken with mayors from every corner of the country who are interested in or have begun implementing a similar program in their communities — putting hundreds of dollars per year back in Americans’ hands and reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.”
Kansas City has committed to additional carbon-reducing transportation efforts, including:
- Purchasing only electric vehicles for the city fleet
- Securing local and federal funding to expand the fare-free KC Streetcar in both directions
- Becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2040
Learn more at ZeroFare KC.