This summer, residents and visitors can ride the Johnson County United Link, a shuttle service connecting seven Johnson County cities and the broader ConnectKC26 regional transit plan for the FIFA World Cup 26™.

Service is expected to start in early June. Three temporary routes overlapping at Oak Park Mall will stop in Leawood, Lenexa, Merriam, Mission, Olathe, Overland Park and Shawnee.

Service is expected to operate for 35-42 days. Exact routes, stops, hours of operation and other operating parameters of the Johnson County United Link service will be announced this spring, in coordination with the partner cities, to best meet demand.

In an agreement approved by the BOCC in January, Johnson County will contribute $920,000 through its transit fund. The rest of the funding comes from $2.9 million in existing federal transit county grants, $400,000 from participating cities and $1.5 million from the Kansas Department of Transportation’s State Transit Funds.

While details have not been finalized, there will be a fare associated with this service. Johnson County Transit will operate the service and partner with KC2026 to collect and distribute fares back to cities and the county on a prorated basis.