Free KCI shuttle service ending amid rising fuel and maintenance costs

KANSAS CITY, Mo — KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Share your story idea with Daniela.

A free shuttle service connecting Kansas City International Airport to Johnson County is ending this weekend, leaving some travelers frustrated and others surprised they never knew the service existed.

The Johnson County United shuttle launched during the World Cup as a pilot program designed to give travelers a free public transit option between KCI and Johnson County with stops at Lenexa City Center and the Overland Park Convention Center.

But county leaders previously announced the service would only run through Sept. 20 because one-time funding had run out.

“Operating the Johnson County United Airport Drop and Ride pilot until allocated funding was exhausted has been the county’s strategy since the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners adopted the agreement for this service in December 2025,” the county said in a statement.

County officials said ensuring buses arrived every 30 minutes during the World Cup, combined with increased diesel fuel prices and higher-than-expected maintenance costs, led to the program’s expected end date.

“I think it’ll be a huge void now that they’re removing it,” traveler Connie Olson said. Olson said she only learned about the shuttle service after a neighbor told her about it, adding she was the only passenger on the bus during her ride.

“I feel like they needed to market it and get the word about it,” Olson said. “Even me, I didn’t even know about it.”

Traveler Amos Johnson said he also discovered the shuttle service by chance after searching online for transportation options from the airport.

“I was just lucky to be walking down,” Johnson said. “I googled public transit from the airport to Kansas City and the supervisor said, ‘Walk down there.’”

For both travelers, the free shuttle offered a cheaper alternative to rising transportation costs.

“With fuel costs rising, this makes more sense than my Uber that I always take,” Olson said.

Johnson said his Uber ride from the airport would have cost about $30.

“Just because you have 30 to 70 dollars doesn’t mean you want to spend it on a ride,” Johnson said.

County officials say there are currently no plans to continue the service long term. However, a study is underway examining the pilot program’s impact on the region. County commissioners are expected to review the findings and could decide whether the service should return in the future.

“I think we need as much public transportation as we can get,” one traveler said.

Another added, “If people got familiar with it and used it once, they would say, ‘Huh, it’s free — let’s take the bus more.’”

Johnson County officials said the pilot program, funded through a limited one-time allocation, provided 3,708 trips as of July 9 and received positive feedback through passenger satisfaction surveys. Officials said total ridership numbers will not be available until the county’s study is complete.

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