Wichita Transit

Electric buses will soon be on Wichita’s streets.

Andrew Crane relies heavily on public transportation.

He takes the bus from his home in west Wichita to downtown, often with his guide dog, Vaughn.

But the trip isn’t easy to navigate: Route maps aren’t available in Braille, and many bus stops aren’t clearly marked.

Wichita is a step closer to having electric scooters on city streets.

The Wichita City Council endorsed a new electric scooter pilot program at its meeting Tuesday. If the program receives final approval next week, electric scooters could be in downtown Wichita by late summer.

More electric buses may be on the way to Wichita.

The City Council voted Tuesday to move forward on a federal grant application for the purchase of six electric buses.

If approved, the nearly $6 million grant could mean electric buses on the street as early as 2019. Electric buses are quieter, better for the environment and more fuel efficient than diesel buses.

The city has applied for two other grants and has received $4 million, according to Mike Tann, Wichita’s transit director.

The city of Wichita will be getting new trolley buses soon.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded Wichita Transit a $2.6 million grant to replace older Q-Line trolley buses that are at the end of their service life.

The new trolleys will help the city keep up with a growing number of riders and increased service.

Wichita Public Schools and Wichita Transit have formed a new partnership to get some students off to school on a city bus.

The pilot program, launched this week at seven middle and high schools, is for students who live less than two and a half miles from school, and who don't qualify to ride the school bus.

City bus passes will be available for $20 dollars a month instead of the usual $55.