Johnson County and city partners finalize plans for an airport shuttle service pilot to take off next year

Johnson County has taken the final step toward launching an airport shuttle pilot program. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved an agreement with the cities of Overland Park and Lenexa to collaborate on a transit service connecting Lenexa City Center, the Overland Park Convention Center and Kansas City International Airport during the FIFA World Cup 26™.

"Earlier this week, we were very pleased to support KC2026's announcement of its ConnectKC26 plan, which will help residents and visitors efficiently navigate the metro area during the FIFA World Cup 26™," said BOCC Chairman Mike Kelly. "A free airport shuttle in Johnson County will supplement ConnectKC26's efforts as we all work together to ensure that our residents and visitors from around the world can easily travel to and from the airport using convenient and comfortable public transportation. We are excited to soon announce other ways Johnson County plans to supplement ConnectKC26."

Agreement and funding details

Lenexa, Overland Park and Johnson County each have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and committed $200,000 to the pilot program. These local contributions provide the matching funds required for a $2 million Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant, which the BOCC formally accepted in February to support the shuttle's operations. In March, the BOCC authorized a MOU with the city of Kansas City, Missouri, allowing Johnson County Transit's use of designated curb space at KCI to pick up and drop off patrons.

The airport shuttle pilot program agreements begin on March 1, 2026. After initial beta testing, the service is expected to open to the public on May 1, 2026. The MOUs remain in effect through December 31, 2026, with the understanding that the program will operate as long as funding allows-approximately nine months.

About the shuttle service

The shuttle will operate under the name "Johnson County United Airport Drop and Ride." Johnson County United is the shared branding platform for coordinated World Cup-related efforts by Johnson County and its partner cities. The name also clarifies that the service is a drop-off model, not a park-and-ride; passengers will need to be dropped off at and picked up from either Lenexa City Center or the Overland Park Convention Center.

Shuttle vehicles will feature Johnson County United branding for easy identification. The service is planned to run daily, with arrivals roughly every 25 minutes between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. The shuttle will be free of charge and available for all airport-related travel throughout the pilot period, not solely for trips related to the FIFA World Cup 26™. Data collected throughout the pilot service period will be analyzed to determine potential demand for a longer-term approach to public transportation between Johnson County and KCI.

"This announcement comes after many months of collaboration between several jurisdictions at multiple levels of government, and we are pleased that the partnership allows us to test a concept that's never been available in Johnson County - public transportation to and from KCI," said Josh Powers, Johnson County's Director of Transit. "We look forward to seeing the reaction from our global visitors, as well as our community's reaction to a new Johnson County public transportation offering."