Through MARC, more than $137 million in federal transportation funds were distributed to support 78 projects across the region. Additionally, MARC received a $6 million federal grant to support planning for the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor, which will connect four cities in the Kansas City region.

MARC allocated $1,228,500 in grant funds to 15 local Planning Sustainable Places projects. The 2022 projects include a plan for improvements to the Rock Creek corridor in Mission, Kansas, and a feasibility study for a mixed-use trail on the North Kansas City, Missouri, levee system.

The Destination Safe coalition launched a transportation safety plan with the goal of zero roadway deaths in the Kansas City region by 2050. The plan includes strategies from Vision Zero, a national effort aimed at setting and reaching a goal of zero roadways deaths among all road users.

MARC updated the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) plan to incorporate strategies that support economic recovery and increase the region’s resiliency. The Regional Workforce Intelligence Network provided important input to the CEDS update and met quarterly to share information about labor market trends.

The Economic Equity Values Atlas (EEVA) is a tool designed to help decision-makers apply an equity lens when evaluating place-based investments and policies. EEVA is a web-based application that maps the strength of the pillars in all of the region’s neighborhoods. By overlaying recent major investments or growth patterns, users can identify strategies to support an economy that grows for everyone.

MARC and partner organizations worked with local and state governments, businesses, civic leaders and community partners to analyze the availability of high-speed broadband infrastructure and develop a Kansas City Regional Digital Equity Action Strategy Plan. MARC has continued to work with the two-state broadband offices and community organizations to ensure that federal broadband and digital equity funds could meet needs in the Kansas City region.

Working with LISC Greater Kansas City, the Regional Housing Partnership launched a housing data hub and e-newsletter, and increased funder support. The partnership also shared data-centered articles about housing issues in the region, including the current gap in affordable rental units for the region as well as the current impacts of historic racial housing discrimination.

In 2022, MARC’s Government Training Institute (GTI) offered relevant and timely training opportunities, including specialized trainings for planning commissioners and courses on diversity, equity and inclusion—serving 452 people. GTI also provided customized courses for area cities and counties, and support for special projects such as the ArtsKC and Jackson County, Missouri, Arts and Culture Strategic Plan.

In 2022, the Government-to-University (G2U) program received a Talent Connections award from the Volcker Alliance to enhance partnerships between government employers and college career service officers. A foundation was also created for the development of a regional jobs aggregator. G2U expanded available curriculum, including online courses for the Regional Data Academy to help public sector employees expand their data skills.

Through the Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Committee, the region works together to update emergency response plans and provide access to high-quality training, exercises, technology and equipment. In 2022, the committee supported a broad range of emergency services and health and medical agencies by providing 55 trainings reaching 1,000 personnel on topics ranging from cybersecurity to hazardous materials.

Work continued in 2022 to strengthen and expand the regional 911 system. MARC added Linn County, Kansas, to the regional 911 system and installed new IP-based routers to facilitate emergency call handling during the transition to Next Generation 911, a new technology that will allow the public to share videos, images and texts with emergency call centers. New microwaves and dual radios on 10 towers tripled available bandwidth and ensured continued high-quality system operations. 

In 2022, MARC coordinated resources to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and support recovery, and updated the region’s preparedness website, PrepareMetroKC.org, with the latest COVID-19 data, information and resources. With support from dozens of partners, MARC completed a COVID-19 after-action report to identify lessons learned from the pandemic response, strengths and modifications needed for the future.

The Mid-America Community Support Network launched in 2022 and provides whole-person interventions, in-home supports, community health workers support, administration function coordination, and centralized intake and referral services. 

The Communities for All Ages program recognized five cities in 2022 for their efforts to make communities more welcoming for all age groups. 22 jurisdictions have earned honors to date, with 10 reaching the Gold Level. 

In 2022, MARC worked with the KC Regional Community Health Worker collaborative to develop and distribute a toolkit to help health care and community organizations to secure reimbursement of community health worker services. 

MARC implemented quality rating and improvement systems in 29 centers and 23 family home programs. MARC also coordinated and conducted quality assessments on nearly 300 classrooms. Providers and community organizations received over $90,000 in grants to provide training, materials and equipment for fine motor, art, music, science, dramatic play, diversity and block activities in classrooms. Eighty-four percent of programs receiving these supports achieved two or more quality improvement goals.

MARC is supporting the region in creating, expanding and deploying strategies to strengthen the regional early care and education workforce, including offering stackable credentials through a partnership with the University of Central Missouri and implementing a retention pay plan to mitigate staff turnover for MARC Head Start direct service providers.

KidsCARE, a collaboration to remove barriers to high-quality medical and dental care for children, through a partnership with Swope Health Services. In 2022, the KidsCARE partnership expanded the availability of mobile dental units to 11 Educare community-based providers in Jackson and Clay counties. KidsCARE also secured $300,000 in federal, private and corporate support to build a medical facility in Excelsior Springs.

During ozone season—from March to October—MARC issues a daily SkyCast forecast to alert Kansas City region residents of potentially high levels of ozone pollution. A moderate summer led to two high ozone days in 2022. Based on the rolling average, the region remained in attainment of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, with average ozone levels below the federal standard of 70 parts per billion.

The MARC Solid Waste Management District (SWMD) held 11 household hazardous waste mobile events across the region, collecting over 103 tons of hazardous materials and another 167 tons between two permanent facilities.

The district awarded more than $700,000 in grants to six organizations and private companies to help divert waste from landfills. 

In 2022, the MARC Water Quality Education Committee awarded $25,000 in grants to six nonprofits for projects. The committee also supported the annual Plogtober event, which encourages regional residents to pick up litter near waterways while exercising outdoors. MARC also launched an initiative to update the region’s stormwater engineering and best management practices, which was last updated in 2003.