Bold New Era of Public Transit: A Golf Cart With Wi-Fi Replaces canceled bus lines to liberty.
Since September 1, 2025, Gladstone residents have had access to a new $3 ride program through GEST — the national transportation service swooping in to do what’s left of the bus system apparently can’t. The on-demand, door-to-door service promises to whisk riders anywhere within Gladstone city limits, or, if they’re feeling adventurous, to the nearest operating bus stop (yes, those still exist). GEST will also offer rides to select healthcare facilities in North Kansas City, Parkville, Liberty, Riverside, and a few carefully carved-out corners of Kansas City, Missouri within Clay and Platte counties. Residents can summon a ride through the GEST app or by calling 816-919-4378, for those still holding out hope that talking to a human might get them there faster than the algorithm.
Forget buses, folks. Who needs big, lumbering vehicles that carry dozens of people when you can have a shiny new “microtransit program” that squeezes a handful of riders into a glorified electric golf cart? Yes we are being hyperbolic here, but that is not far off the mark.
That’s the future awaiting Liberty as GEST, already delighting Gladstone residents with the revolutionary idea of “a ride,” begins service Wednesday. It’s replacing the IRIS rideshare, which left Liberty stranded after mysteriously discovering that giving people transportation for free doesn’t magically make a program sustainable.
The Northland once had buses—actual buses! But after transit officials decided fares were an optional suggestion and funding evaporated faster than a snow cone in August, the region was left with little more than fond memories of schedules that no one followed.
Now, GEST promises to “fill the transit gap,” which is a polite way of saying, “Congratulations, you get one car instead of a fleet.” The vehicles are electric, so riders can take comfort knowing their three-mile trip to Hy-Vee is at least environmentally virtuous, even if it takes longer than just walking.
“This is a huge step forward for Liberty,” said absolutely no one with reliable transportation. Still, city officials beamed at the launch, relieved to announce something that wasn’t another tax hike.
So while most major cities use robust bus networks and light rail to connect residents, Liberty is boldly charting a different path: reinventing public transit one underfunded buzzword at a time.
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