Kansas City Bus Riders Union
The Bus Riders Union is a coalition of community members across the Kansas City metro led by bus riders. We are organizing to fight for equitable freedom of movement by advocating for the diverse needs of bus riders through holding decision-makers accountable. We affirm the right of all to access frequent, reliable, and safe buses, ensuring a connected community.
Join the BRU
Why a union?
Why do we call ourselves a “union”? Generally, unions are perceived as groups of workers, leveraging their
collective power to fight for their rights. Those are called labor unions.
However, the terminology
of a union is not limited to labor. From LA to Seattle, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, to our neighbors to the east St. Louis, transit riders all over the country have come together to
fight for their right to mobility, branding themselves as unions. They embody the spirit of real transit
riders using the power of collective action to win decisive victories for their community.
Tell the KCATA Board of Commissioners to end the AI camera pilot program!
Kansas City Area Transit Authority is planning to roll out AI facial recognition cameras on our buses.
Join the KC Bus Riders Union in demanding that the AI facial recognition camera pilot program be terminated immediately and that funds be reallocated back towards the buses that serve us.
Send a letter now!
Read our statement below:
The Kansas City Bus Riders Union affirms the right of all Kansas Citians to equitable freedom of movement, without surveillance or invasion of privacy when trying to meet our everyday needs.
We live in a time where we are being surveilled constantly, putting marginalized populations at disproportionate risk of profiling and overpolicing. With fares returning, pricing our neighbors out of buying groceries and attending doctors’ appointments, the last thing we need is an external third party stalking our every move.
The bus routes that we rely on are getting cut and yet this program continues despite state funding falling through. Our money should go towards funding critical bus infrastructure, not towards perpetuating systemic injustice.
The KC Bus Riders Union demands that the AI facial recognition camera pilot program be terminated immediately, and that funds be reallocated back towards the buses that serve us.
Fares are returning to RideKC buses
On June 1st, 2026, RideKC buses will begin charging riders to get on the bus, after years of fare-free
operation. Communication about these changes has been limited, and the system being implemented will leave
our most vulnerable neighbors behind. That's why the Bus Riders Union is stepping up to fill in the gaps
left by RideKC. We've put together a zine
about how you can access and apply for free and reduced fares. We are also piloting a mutual aid program to
purchase and distribute bus passes for our neighbors that may need it. If you would like to contribute, please
visit our Venmo (@kcbusriders).
Not a Game to Us
This summer, over 650,000 tourists will descend upon KC for world cup soccer games. Millions of dollars have been spent so that during the tournament, tourists can access frequent, regional public transportation with new routes running every 15- to 20-minutes... all while our permanent bus service faces severe cuts, with most routes only running every 30-minutes to an hour. Instead of making KC more accessible for the people who live and work here, city & KCATA leaders are focusing on serving tourists in the short term. To shine a light on this issue, the KC Bus Riders Union and Sunrise Movement KC put together this zine: give it a read and get informed! Check out the other three here.
Read the Zine