Getting Around Kansas City: Buses, Bicycles and Automobiles
The Ins and Outs of Getting Around Kansas City
If you are moving from an area with long commutes, do not expect them here. As a newcomer, the ease of getting around Kansas City is another great perk that you will enjoy. Highways and city streets are prominently marked so you will not miss your highway exit and you will easily find the street you are looking for. At first glance, you may notice a lot of highway and road construction, but you do not need to worry. Delays through these areas are minimal and will usually only increase your commute by a matter of minutes.
Kansas City has a highway that encircles the city. Thanks to Interstate 435, an 83-mile two state beltway encircling the Kansas City metropolitan area, you will find that you will be able to get from Independence to Overland Park and from Parkville to Lee’s Summit using this loop. Helping you get from your new home to your new job, school or entertainment destination are the highways that intersect with I-435 including I-35, 1-29, I-470, I-635,K-10, 350 Highway, US 69, US 50 and US 40.
Once you have lived here for a while, you will soon realize that these highways are great ways to get to your destination whether it’s just a few miles away or it is across the city.
To help take some of the stress out of your commute is the Kansas City Area’s bi-state management system, KC Scout. Developed by the Kansas and Missouri departments of transportation (KDOT, MoDOT) , KC Scout is designed to lessen traffic jams by improving rush-hour speeds, to increase safety by decreasing the number of rush-hour accidents, and to improve emergency response to traffic situations.
Using cameras and sensors to monitor the more than 125 miles of continuous highways in the Greater Kansas City Area, KC Scout uses large electronic message boards to send urgent traffic notices to drivers along the freeways, and activates a Highway Advisory Radio system that motorists in Missouri can tune to in the event of a highway incident. For more information about KC Scout or to download the app, visit, www.kcscout.net.
If you would like to let someone else do the driving, there are numerous options in the area.
Buses in both the Missouri and Kansas sides of the state line are clean and dependable; and you will find that riding a bus can be extremely economical and will take you to almost everywhere you want to go.
Riding with Uber is one of the Kansas City area’s newest transportation options. With a smart phone app, users can book their requests; and know that within minutes their ride is available. Using the Uber service is a perfect option for your daily life or a night on the town.
Finally, if you enjoy using a bicycle as a mode of transportation, you are in luck as the area is very bike friendly with many cities throughout the area developing bicycle master plans: and bike lanes are the norm in many neighborhoods. Kansas City’s B-Cycle Bike Share is a new great way to maneuver through the area. With more stations planned, presently, there are 27 bike rental stations serving Downtown KC, Westport, The Country Club Plaza, 18th and Vine and the Trolley Track Trail. Costs for the Bike Share include a membership and a usage fee. For more information, visit www.kansascitybicycle.com.