Regional Transit System Proposal - All Aboard!
Finally, the Missouri side of the Kansas City Region has a solid, rational, practical and workable Regional Transit System Proposal. It doesn't have gondolas. It isn't just a silly little tourist train to run people from Crown Center to the Plaza. It leverages the resources we already have, and incorporates them into a system that can move people around our city efficiently.
Here's a large .pdf document outlining the concept, the support, and the financing. It's one of the most exciting documents for the future of average Kansas Citians I've ever seen.
Russ Johnson, Mayor Funkhouser and everyone else who has helped move this plan to this stage deserve tons of credit. Great work - now let's make it happen.
Labels: Mayor Funkhouser, Regional Transit System, Russ Johnson
posted by Dan at 5/28/2008 07:04:00 AM
6 Comments:
I'd temper that enthusiasm just a bit. I want a system something like this as much as anyone, but there are some very serious questions and potential flaws with the plan floated.
Namely, commuter rail is not as easy as people think b/c we have the Terminal railyards. And, it's not a very cost-effective solution. Also, light rail down Troost and streetcar on Broadway? Has the Mayor's office paid any attention to dialogue in the community in the last few years? The logical route is down Main for rail (far more redevelopment potential), and community interest on the eastside prefers Prospect to Troost. Troost is too close to Main, anyway.
And no direct route to the airport from the city w/o transfers? Seems very dubious.
I do like giving different parts of the city different technology based on their needs and development patterns, but there is actually much good thougt that's been put into these issues the last few years, and it would behoove the Mayor to pay some attention to it. We don't need a pseudo-Clay plan or approach - this is too important.
So the mayor can't fix the potholes or remove the steel plates, but he can give us light rail?
what does it matter what the mayor thinks? what does Gloria and her division of defense attorneys think? they hold the only opinions that matter.
Dan,
Since you support the mayors public transportation plan, I have a question for you.
You live between two major bus routes, the Max and 57. Buses already cover the route proposed by the mayor. My question to you is how often do you use the current public transportation system that runs the route proposed by the Mayor?
I ask that, because from my experience I know many people that say they "support" light rail, but those exact same people refuse to use public transportation themselves.
If those light rail supporters refuse to use the current transportation system, why should I believe they would use the light rail system?
Nothing in the mayors plan (or Clay's) gives hard evidence that light rail in KC will be faster or have cheaper fairs.
I have yet to see a comparison of travel time by Max from Brookside to downtown vs. light rail from Brookside to downtown. Or a time comparison of the 129x from downtown to the KCI vs. light rail from downtown to KCI.
So are you do you currently use public transportation?
I think light rail will be like the museums or zoo. Everyone says they "support" them, but know one actually wants to use them and pay admission.
I'm uncomfortable with the concept of personalizing the debate that much, but I'll go ahead and answer. No, I don't ride the bus to work - my work frequently required me to be out and about during the day time. I have, on occasion, on days when I knew I would be desk-bound, walked to work (around 4 and half miles), but that's not a common occurrence.
I don't disagree with you that many "supporters" of public transportation are unlikely to be users. That's okay, though, and it may change if a reliable system is set up.
Even if a supporter is not a user, though, s/he can legitimately support the plan as a useful public service for others, and an important economic development tool. In many ways, we all benefit from public transportation, even if we're not all riding it. Don't you agree?
So let me get this straight. We are currently building a MAX system on Troost. If this sales tax passes - we are going to rip up Troost to put in Light Rail. This doesn't really make economic or any other sense.
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