january / february 2012

cool tool:

Car sharing comes to Kansas City

"Plew" the Toyota Prius Zipcar at UMKC

Rode the bus to work, but need to run an errand during the day? Live on campus and want access to a vehicle from time to time? Rent a Zipcar. In January, Zipcar launched the metro’s first car-sharing service at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Rockhurst University, providing a pool of vehicles that members can reserve on an hourly or daily basis. [More] 

a la mode:

Downtown streetcar project advances on Main Street

Photo illustration of streetcar service operating near City Market

A plan to build a modern electric streetcar system in downtown Kansas City, Mo., is picking up speed. The region has studied rail service in the downtown area for years, but this is the first time there’s been both an agreed-upon route and early indications of community support. [More]

rideshare spotlight:

Website upgrades make it easier to find someone to share the ride with

Transportation costs are the second-largest expense for most households, and while commuters can't change the price of gas, they can control how much they drive. Our RideShare Connection ride-matching website was upgraded in early January and now offers more features to commuters and employers in Greater Kansas City and St. Joseph, Mo. [More]

commuter profile:

Riding the bus keeps the miles off Dan's 13-year old truck

Dan Raetzel

On a recent morning when an accident turned I-35 into a parking lot, a lot of stressed commuters were stuck idling in their cars for 20 minutes or more while the wreck was cleared. Not Dan Raetzel. Instead, he managed to get in a little more snooze time on The JO bus. For about 10 years, he has chosen on most weekdays to leave his 1999 Ford F-150 pickup at an Olathe park-and-ride lot and take the bus to work. [More]

commuter profile:

Metro rider adds up benefits of taking transit to work

Screenshot of RideShare Connection's commute calendar

For Andy Giacoma, riding the bus is the right thing to do. An underwriter at Commerce Bank, Giacoma has ridden Metro route 55-Rockhill to work every day for about a year and a half. He logs his commutes on RideShare Connection and by doing so is able to track how many miles he has not driven and how much pollution has been prevented. To date, he has saved about 3,200 miles of driving. [More]

in the news:

Commuter transit benefit slashed January 1, 2012

When 2011 ended, so did a measure that raised the pre-tax commuter benefit to $230 a month, putting it on par with the parking benefit. On January 1, the federal transit benefit fell back to $125 per month and the parking benefit increased to $240 per month. [More]