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    1. Alt. Mobility
    2. Shared Mobility

    A new rideshare program is coming to the city of Independence

    Nov. 8, 2024
    The IRIS On-Demand transit service will be taking over most of the agency’s fixed bus routes.
    Related To: City of Independence
    City of Independence
    The IRIS On-Demand transit service will be taking over most of the agency’s fixed bus routes.
    The IRIS On-Demand transit service will be taking over most of the agency’s fixed bus routes.

    The city of Independence, Mo., will be implementing the IRIS rideshare program to replace most fixed-route bus lines in the city beginning Jan. 1, 2025. It will keep the 24 Route bus line into downtown Kansas City and RideKC Freedom paratransit. 

    In place of most of the fixed-route service, the city will offer IRIS On-Demand transit Monday through Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. IRIS rides will cost $5 per person within the city of Independence and will drop off riders within a quarter of a mile from their final destination. Transit officials with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) say those drop-off points can be easily adjusted based on user feedback. 

    RideKC Freedom in Independence will still be available. RideKC Freedom is a door-to-door service and will cost $3 one way within the city of Independence. If the rides are within three quarters of a mile of the 24 Route bus service, the RideKC Freedom rides are free.  All rides with RideKC Freedom within an ADA route are free. The city of Independence is unique in having a non-ADA zone. 

    RideKC Freedom on Demand is also available for customers who have gone through the eligibility process. It can take riders across the metro for $5 for the first five miles, and $2 for each additional mile. Freedom on Demand drivers are all RideKC employees. 

    Six routes operated by Transdev (First Transit) will stop operating on Dec. 31, 2024. The city eliminated those RideKC routes due to budget limitations. To be financially feasible, the average bus fare would be as much as $30 a ride. 

    The city of Independence held two meetings about this change for customers and the general public to learn more about these changes and to provide input.  Notifications about these changes have been made on buses and through city communication channels. 

    The city of Independence has entered into a six month contract for this service with KCATA and will continuously monitor the transition from fixed route lines to IRIS.  It also welcomes citizen feedback.