LEE’S SUMMIT, MO - Kansas City area motorists have always turned to Scout, a partnership between the
Kansas and Missouri Departments for Transportation, for the latest in real-time traffic and roadwork
information. Kansas City Scout today unveiled "My KC Scout" web alerts, a new tool to help them avoid
traffic tie ups and delays.
Scout reached into its technological toolbox to offer Kansas City motorists another innovative way to
navigate their way around congestion and traffic backups. The free, highly customizable "My KC Scout"
service allows motorists to designate routes, day(s) of the week, and times of travel to receive daily text
messages and/or email alerts about what to expect on their commute. Users can simply login to the
Scout website at www.kcscout.net to subscribe to "My KC Scout" and instantly begin receiving automatic
alerts about incidents affecting their routes. Based on this information motorists can select an alternative
route or delay departure. With my KC Scout, they can also choose to receive weather, amber, ozone,
homeland security and public safety alerts in addition to traffic alerts.
"Scout is Kansas City’s Traffic Management System, a real-time, technology based system which
improves the safety and operation of our highways. The launch of "My KC Scout" offers an additional
congestion management tool for motorist to make informed decisions on their commute" said E. Jason
Sims, Manager of Kansas City Scout. Several new technological advances have been made within Scout
in the past few months. From a newly enhanced website with an interactive Google map and streaming
video to a recent system expansion which added 20 new cameras and two dynamic message signs on the
Kansas side.
A new benefit/cost study just released concluded Kansas City Scout has a very high overall benefit to
cost ratio. In a tightening economy Scout is yielding an eight to one ratio. That is for every dollar spent in
the Scout system, approximately $8.00 in benefit is returned to transportation users and system
management agencies. Both Departments of Transportation are proud to release this information to the
public to let them know how their tax dollars are working within the Scout system.