KANSAS CITY, MO – A tidal wave of workers, transit riders, and community leaders flooded the steps of KCMO City Hall in a mass demonstration against Mayor Quinton Lucas and the City Council’s proposed transit cuts—a move that, if passed, would gut the city’s public transportation system, devastate thousands of workers, and effectively dismantle the IRIS program, a vital lifeline for low-wage earners, seniors, and students.
Hundreds of IRIS drivers, members of Stand Up KC, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1287, Sunrise Movement KC, and community members mobilized for what many are calling a People’s Uprising Against Transit Cuts. After the rally, demonstrators packed the City Council chambers, demanding that lawmakers abandon their attempt to slash funding and impose new bus fares.
A Deliberate Assault on Workers and Riders
The city’s latest proposal would not only introduce new fares for bus riders, reversing Kansas City’s groundbreaking fare-free transit policy, but it would also eliminate the IRIS program and leave bus funding in limbo—subject to performance metrics that remain undisclosed to the public. Instead of confronting the public outrage head-on, the City Council opted to delay discussion, pushing it to the Finance Committee meeting next Tuesday at 10:30 AM.
For Bakar Mohamed, an IRIS driver and leader with Stand Up KC and the Missouri Workers Center, this is not simply a policy decision but a direct attack on his livelihood.
“Me and other IRIS drivers have been fighting to improve our jobs at zTrip, and now the City is trying to strip us of these jobs altogether. It’s scary to know that our livelihood is on the line and we aren’t in the driver’s seat when it comes to the final decision. IRIS drivers are especially vulnerable because we would have no safety net and no unemployment insurance, thanks to zTrip illegally misclassifying us as independent contractors. Most of us are already trapped in debt. Council members’ new ordinance rubs salt in the wound.”
But Mohamed made it clear that this isn’t just about the drivers—it’s also about the thousands of riders who depend on IRIS every single day.
“Beyond the devastating impacts to drivers like me if City Council ends IRIS, the program provides affordable and effective transportation for thousands of our students, workers, and seniors—many of whom I serve daily.
“Mayor Lucas and our Council Members need to understand that while for them, it’s a matter of casting a quick yes or no vote, for us it’s not so simple. It’s a matter of whether we can sustain our livelihood, feed our families, keep a roof over our heads, and live out our dreams.”
Public Transit: A Lifeline, Not a Luxury
For thousands of Kansas Citians, this is undoubtedly an existential crisis. Ashley Ball, a leader with Stand Up KC and the Missouri Workers Center, knows firsthand what’s at stake.
“As someone who has relied on public transportation, including the bus and IRIS, I know the necessity of a transit system that works for KC riders and drivers. For the people in KC trying to get up and stay up on their feet, affordable and accessible public transportation helps a lot. It’s why we need to protect and strengthen our public transit system—not decimate it, like City Council and the Mayor are planning to do. I’m angry and disappointed that this proposal is still being considered.”
The consequences of transit cuts are already being felt. Joy Mart, a bus rider and leader with Sunrise Movement KC, painted a bleak picture of the transit crisis in her community:
“Bus routes in my neighborhood have suffered cuts leaving me a three-mile walk along highways and busy streets to reach my closest bus stop. Cutting more bus service will financially devastate thousands of us.“
“I already see the harm done in my community. The Northland has been separated from the heart of Kansas City. Underfunding public transportation threatens my future in this city! Underfunding mass transit cuts many people out of the city and cuts others off from essential services.”
A Growing Worker Movement
This movement is a fight for worker power, economic justice, and a livable Kansas City. Labor leaders like Nic Miller, President of ATU Local 1287, and Merle Long, President of Allied Workers for the Blind, stood in solidarity with the crowd, echoing the urgent need to protect public transit.
Erika Flores, a leader with Sunrise Movement Kansas City, tied the transit battle to the broader fight for climate and economic justice, emphasizing that cutting public transportation is not only a worker issue but an environmental one.
The Fight Continues
This uprising marks a turning point in the battle for Kansas City’s future. As City Council scrambles to push this ordinance forward behind closed doors, the people are making one thing clear: they will not be silenced.
With unions, community organizations, and everyday riders standing together, this movement is only gaining momentum. The next showdown will be at the Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday at 10:30 AM, where hundreds are expected to show up and make their voices heard once again.
This is a battle for dignity, survival, and the fundamental right to a city that serves its people—not just the wealthy and powerful. And in Kansas City, the people are rising.
