New Trees, Green Initiatives Spruce Up Troost Corridor Bus Line

KANSAS CITY – The busiest bus route in Kansas City is undergoing a transformation. By fall, riders will be able to catch a bus along Troost every 10 minutes and there have been some environmental upgrades to beautify the blight.

The new hybrid buses run on electricity and rain gardens from downtown to Bannister Road will capture and filter stormwater. These are just some of the upgrades that will help Troost live up to its new name: The Green Line

Workers are installing 42 new concrete bus pads along Troost as part of the street upgrades for a new bus rapid transit line.

The improvements, combined with new traffic signals and curb cutouts for rain gardens and trees, come as a pleasant surprise for those who live and work along Troost.

Fr. David Altschul has been in the area since 1988. He calls this the first real investment that can spark revitalization of the blighted corridor.

“I remember about 10 years ago, one day we came out and all the trees had been cut down,” Altschul said. “It felt like an absolute desert. We really felt like the pain of abandonment. What we’ve begun to see is people beginning to come back and to have a new vision for the village in this area.” Read more…