| Metro Area Express | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Type | Bus rapid transit |
| System | Kansas City Area Transportation Authority |
| Status | Operating |
| Locale | Kansas City Metro Area |
| Termini | River Market Waldo |
| Stations | 40 Currently |
| Services | 2 Routes 5 Planned |
| Operation | |
| Opened | July 2005 |
| Rolling stock | 13 Gillig Low Floor buses |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 19-mile (31 km) |
The Metro Area Express is the bus rapid transit service run by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The first service opened on Main Street on July 2005. The second service on Troost Avenue opened on January 1, 2011. MAX was an instant success, with ridership on the first MAX line increasing more than 50%. While the Main MAX Line was not the first BRT line in the United States, its immediate success and affordable execution have garnered recognition across the country. The Federal Transit Administration holds it up as a model BRT line.
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As the region's most significant new public transportation project in decades, MAX provides quick, convenient public transportation that helps reduce traffic congestion and auto emissions. MAX features distinct characteristics that incorporate state of the art technology to deliver customers a high level of reliability, speed and comfort. There are dedicated lanes that help give MAX vehicles a rapid, smooth ride, and special traffic signalization holds a green light longer to keep MAX on schedule. Limited stops mean that MAX can keep moving to key destinations.
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 well 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 needed shade in the summer, yet allowing 20% of the light through to break the chill in the winter. One of the most popular features of the stations is the real-time arrival signs. Customers know exactly when the MAX will arrive, taking the guesswork out of work.
The fares for the Metro Area Express is $1.50, collected on board, with free transfer to the rest of the Metro system.
Future BRT corridors are planned for State Avenue in adjacent Kansas City, Kansas; Metcalf Avenue through Johnson County, Kansas; North Oak Trafficway to Missouri Route 152; and for the US Highway 24 and 40 corridor towards Independence, Missouri.