Johnson County commissioners to vote on cuts to The JO bus service

OLATHE, Kan. - Johnson County commissioners are expected to vote Thursday on a plan to cut the county’s bus routes.

Ridership on The JO is actually up 10 percent, but funding from both the state and federal government is going down.

It’s forced the county to make nearly $400,000 worth of cuts.

For riders, it means longer waits at stops and for some, their entire routes will be gone.

Less than one percent of Johnson County residents, about 2,700 people a day, use The JO, but some among that one percent say they really need it.

Gregory Davidson is one of those riders. He says when you figure the $60 a week saved in gas, riding the bus has saved him nearly $30,000 over the last 10 years.

At first, a quarter of the service was on the chopping block, but after an uproar from riders, the Transportation Council agreed to cut just five routes, two of which serve Desoto and Spring Hill, and barely get 15 riders a day.

If approved Thursday morning at 9:30, changes will start after the new year.