KCTS hosts open house to conclude Nebraska Public Transit Week

KIMBALL, Neb. – Kimball County Transit Service (KCTS) held an open house on Friday, April 18, to mark the conclusion of Nebraska Public Transit Week. The two-hour event featured contests, prizes—including heated jackets—and a complimentary hot dog lunch.?

Transit Administrator Christy Warner expressed gratitude to vendors, riders and drivers, emphasizing the goal of the week: to encourage mobility and increase awareness of public transportation across the state.

“We’re just absolutely thankful for the vendors, riders and our drivers,” Warner said. “The goal of Nebraska Public Transportation Week is to try and get people moving and out and about, whether that's here in the panhandle or all the way across the state. All the transits across the state use this week to try to help people understand public transportation just a little bit better.”

KCTS employs 46 people and uses 20 different vehicles for transportation. Since July 1, 2024, Warner says they've travel 6,782 square miles -equivalent to 32 laps around the planet and two trips to the moon and back.?

Warner also noted that the event included activities for children, such as coloring contests.

“We ate some food and we're judging coloring contests for the kiddos,” she said.?

Nebraska Public Transit Week, observed from April 14 to 18, aims to highlight the importance of public transit in promoting accessibility, sustainability and community connectivity. According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, rural transit providers in the state traveled over 5 million miles last year, facilitating more than 620,000 passenger boardings.