KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas today announced that he has been appointed Vice Chair for Transit of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) Transportation and Communications Committee.
In this role, Mayor Lucas will serve as one of the nation’s leading mayoral advocates for public transportation on behalf of the more than 1,400 cities affiliated with the USCM—including advocating to Congress and the federal government for sustained funding for current public transportation systems and for swift passage of a comprehensive infrastructure package in the new Congress.
“As someone who grew up taking the bus to school during periods when my mom didn’t have a car, I know firsthand how vital safe and reliable public transportation is to so many in our community, and I am proud to fight for families like mine in this new role as we continue our work to increase mobility for all Kansas Citians, all Missourians, and all Americans,” said Mayor Lucas. “Since Kansas City became the first major American city to make all public transportation fare free through our Zero Fare Transit initiative, I have spoken with mayors from every corner of the country who are interested in implementing a similar program in their communities. I look forward to using this role to help other cities as they work to bring this initiative to their own communities—putting hundreds of dollars per year back in Americans’ hands.”
“Kansas City is proud to be a public transit city,” continued Mayor Lucas. “In a year when it would have been perhaps easier to slice transit budgets or delay transit projects, Kansas City has provided Zero Fare Transit to all residents; has secured local and federal funding to expand our fare-free KC Streetcar in both directions, months ahead of schedule; and has made substantial progress on our new state-of-the-art airport terminal, which remains on time and on budget. I will continue to advocate for these projects in addition to my new public transit-related responsibilities in relation to this committee assignment.”
“Further, I look forward to strengthening my relationship with Kansas City’s bipartisan, bistate Congressional delegation, all of whom are wonderful public transit advocates for our region—and many of whom serve on transportation-related committees—and to all that our efforts can accomplish for the Kansas City region as I begin my tenure in this new role,” continued Mayor Lucas.
“The Kansas City transit community is proud of Mayor Lucas’s appointment to Vice Chair for Transit of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Transportation Committee,” said Kansas City Area Transportation Authority CEO Robbie Makinen. “It’s clearer than ever that people are paying attention to Kansas City—particularly as it relates to public transportation and mobility for our residents. I look forward to working with the mayor to share our Zero Fare Transit initiative with communities across the country.”
“I am pleased to appoint Mayor Lucas as Vice Chair for Transit of the Conference’s Transportation and Communications Standing Committee,” said USCM President and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “His efforts to advance the city’s Zero Fare Transit initiative and extend the reach of the city’s streetcar reflect his strong commitment to building a more equitable community. We welcome his strong leadership in this new role on behalf of all mayors.”
The United States Conference of Mayors is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are over 1,400 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor.
