En Route

Much of the country saw record cold recently — not ideal weather for public transportation.

This week on The Range, we go en route with a Texan who wasn't a fan of the Wichita weather.

Plus, we say goodbye to a Wichita icon and the coolest business jet ever.

Have you been by Wichita's downtown riverfront lately? It doesn't look much different than it did a year ago — but change could be on the way, on both the west and east banks.

This week on The Range, we meet a woman who's driven by the memory of her late mother to bring joy to other people's lives.

And, we talk to a community activist in Wichita who's pushing back on the payday lending industry after a title loan company moved into her neighborhood.

When KMUW's Beth Golay began taking the bus four years ago, she learned the ins and outs of the city transit system from veteran driver Troy Bowens.

This week on The Range, she goes en route the 17/27 bus with Troy once again to catch up.

Plus, in its 57 years, Connie's Mexico Cafe has never experienced one like 2020. Hear what new lessons the pandemic has taught this old Wichita restaurant.

Ronald Fleming is a regular on Wichita Transit. But most riders probably don't know him by that name.

This week on The Range, we go en route with the man who calls himself "The Cowboy."

Plus, we travel to Winfield, where city leaders are taking charge of their green energy future.

Wichita is in the process of replacing its vintage-looking trolleys with new electric vehicles. But with the free Q Line on hiatus because of the pandemic, it's anyone's guess when the public will be able to ride them. Today on The Range, we go en route the new Q.

Plus, we've heard it hundreds of times by now: Fill out the census. But what are we missing out on if we don't? (Turns out, a lot.)

In her job as an investigator for the federal public defenders office in Wichita, Cecilia Wood was given an assignment: explore how her clients' lives are affected by their dependence on the Wichita transit system.

Her approach? Give up her car for a year and learn to rely on the bus.

"To understand what [our clients] go through with the transportation system is huge," she says. "I've had a car my entire life."

You never know who you'll get to talk to while waiting for a bus in Wichita — this week on The Range, we meet an aspiring hip hop artist.

We also enjoy one of the few summer traditions not canceled by the coronavirus: a visit to the sweet corn stand.

This week on The Range, we meet a longtime Wichitan who's crisscrossed the city many times over, courtesy of public transit.

And, we talk to Junetta Everett, chair of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, about why diversity is more than a box to check off — and how companies can improve when it comes to inclusion.

Wichita Transit has made big changes to how its buses are run in order to keep riders and drivers safe during the pandemic: more frequent cleanings, more open seats. Those measures are even more important on the system's paratransit vans that take riders from their doors to medical and dental appointments, hospital visits, even dialysis.

This week, we meet a driver who, despite the added challenges that have come with COVID-19, says it's "the best job" she's ever had.