KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fares will be coming back for Kansas City bus riders. Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) Senior Director of Marketing & Communications Cindy Baker confirmed that with FOX4 on Thursday. The news comes despite guaranteed funding from the City Council. Funding shortage forces KCATA layoffs, bus route cuts The council approved nearly $47 million for the KCATA, allowing transit services to continue through October. However, after a meeting with the KCATA board last week, the transit authority said the City Council's proposed funding would not be enough to maintain its current level of service. Instead of the KCATA running 29 routes for 21 hours a day, the transit authority is cutting back to 18 hours a day. But it will still run all 29 routes. There's no word yet on when the fares will start up again, but they could be as much as $2. On Thursday afternoon, amendments were added that called for regional funding sources to help the KCATA. The president of the union that's representing the bus drivers said he thinks this is a good idea. "We have to have more of a regional transit system...and the funding has to come from somewhere," said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1287 President Nicholas Miller after the City Council vote. "But if they're going out asking for this funding and the other municipalities don't have it, what is it that the city is actually expecting?" The Missouri Workers Center, a group that supports low-wage workers in the state, said they're concerned about what the city will look like without a "fully funded transit system." FOX4 asked the group's leader, Terrence Wise, how much he thinks it would cost to "fully fund" the KCATA.  "I don't think you can put a price tag on something that's right for the city," Wise said. "We know that the prices of eggs, gas, groceries have been on the rise, and we should expect to have a higher budget when it comes to funding our transit services as well."  Councilwoman Melissa Robinson said the KCATA is requesting state and federal help. The transit authority will also commit to employment services for IRIS workers in the city, if that program ends up getting suspended.  The KCATA did not respond to our request for comment Thursday. ...read more read less