Clay Chastain coming back with light rail

[bahua]

Would maglev work at street level?

Yes, then we can have a billion-dollar system that goes three miles in a straight line.

It'd be awesome, but just an incredible waste.

[KCMax]

Just think what kind of transit technology we can unleash from stem cell research!

[anniewarbucks]

The gondola idea looks neet but should there be a return cable for continuous service.

[LenexatoKCMO]

If that    means you do not like the look, picture what it will look like with the facilities not shown....support towers and on and offloading facilities.  Cluttered and ugly. 

I still say the city should save money by buying the retired, kitschy, gondola chateaus that are still sitting out at WoF and move them down to the park.  It would lend a nice international flavor to PVP.  

[bahua]

Just think what kind of transit technology we can unleash from stem cell research!

A race of sub-human creatures, displaced by the superhuman clones, to pull rickshaws.

ie, us!

[bbqboy]

here's the difference:

When I last drove past the tram a buildin' in Portland, The support  looked liked 1/2 the Arch. Really cool. not cheesy at all.

[KC0KEK]

If that    means you do not like the look, picture what it will look like with the facilities not shown....support towers and on and offloading facilities.  Cluttered and ugly. 

Hook one end to the Liberty Memorial. That will cut down some of the clutter. 

[im2kull]

Why the hell is everyone so worried about there not being enough money to build a full route?

Seriously..does ANYONE think ANY other city built there entire transit system with just one passed measure..overnight...NO...so everyone please quit trying to say this will fail horribly and please email a nice bulk letter telling every city council/marc/whatever person to get off their asses and at least get us a few miles of fucking LRT/BLT/whatever you wanna call it.

damn people...pull your heads outta your arses

[bahua]

Why the hell is everyone so worried about there not being enough money to build a full route?

Seriously..does ANYONE think ANY other city built there entire transit system with just one passed measure..overnight...NO...so everyone please quit trying to say this will fail horribly and please email a nice bulk letter telling every city council/marc/whatever person to get off their asses and at least get us a few miles of fucking LRT/BLT/whatever you wanna call it.

damn people...pull your heads outta your arses

This reminds me: how big of a tragedy would it be if the money ran out short of building the line in its entirety? Of course it depends on the extent of the construction that is allowed to be completed, but still. I think any line at all would be beneficial.

[tat2kc]

Even in the best case, construction won't begin for several years.  First, they have to actually design the thing. Then they have to secure federal and state funding. Then they have to acquire any necessary land. Then fight the lawsuits regarding emminent domain, if needed. If all goes as planned, I wouldn't expect construction to begin before 2010 at the earliest.

[tat2kc]

well maybe by then, you'll be out of school and an actual real life KCMO resident. Then you can have a voice in what happens.

[scooterj]

If that    means you do not like the look, picture what it will look like with the facilities not shown....support towers and on and offloading facilities.  Cluttered and ugly. 

Here's my version, Seth and I had the same idea at the same time. 


(Mine has it going in and out of one of the front windows of US.  Which wouldn't happen, but I was too lazy to 'shop in another building.)

[MidtownCat]

Congrats, we made the Channel 5 news.  They interviewed Jim Glover and said he has been receiving e-mails all afternoon in support of light rail.

They also mentioned City Council discussion of another bi-state initiative.  Yeah........

[ShowMeKC]

So just because I don't live in the city limits means that I don't have a voice in what happens? Or do you just mean I don't have a say as in I cannot vote?

[kcdcchef]

Congrats, we made the Channel 5 news.  They interviewed Jim Glover and said he has been receiving e-mails all afternoon in support of light rail.

They also mentioned City Council discussion of another bi-state initiative.  Yeah........

i posted this elsewhere, but i have already received response from 2 council members saying they fully support it.

the pussies from the ata are ducking the emails.

[DaveKCMO]

dave helling on channel 41 saying that the light rail vote is THE surprise of election.

[DaveKCMO]

also...

41 reporter amy hawley: "the city council is saying they will honor voters' decisions, but there may be some financial hurdles."

councilman jim glover: "they were sending a message that they wanted light rail."

feeling a little better now. can they keep their word?

[im2kull]

time will telll...

could always be a bunch of hoop-la to quell the masses right now...six months from now well start hearing the "reality" and how we're unable to do the plan financially and blah blah blah and it could slowly die away..for the time being...

[Highlander]

time will telll...

could always be a bunch of hoop-la to quell the masses right now...six months from now well start hearing the "reality" and how we're unable to do the plan financially and blah blah blah and it could slowly die away..for the time being...

I think some of you are being a bit unrealistic in your expectations.  If you collect X amount of taxes, you can only pay for X amount of light rail.  Right now, we do not know if we can build 10% of Chastain's plan or 90% of the plan given the funds that will be collected by the tax (and any unallocated outside funds that might become available).  The former appears more likely than the latter though.  The plan that KC voters approved was vague to say the least.  Actually there is no plan.  Plans involve engineering and cost estimates etc....  This was an idea.

If the tax pays for, let's say, only 5 miles of light rail, then where do you put it?  Many voters approved the plan thinking it would serve their area.  Will northlanders be happy if the entire system is south of the river?  Just because the people have spoken, it does not make this a reality.....the funds have to be there to actually build the thing.  I'm with Tat in thinking that this will become a bit of a mess before any ground is ever broken and the end result will be far less appealing than envisioned.   

[DaveKCMO]

i don't think there would be an uprising if the city came out and said that 25 years of tax would pay for two phases that would go from (a) downtown to plaza and (b) downtown to airport. extensions of that would take more tax or something else. hell, i think most people would be happy with just downtown to plaza... just start SOMETHING.

it's obvious the city council feels they have some flexibility with voter expectations. i do still believe the gondola is a good idea, as are the electric buses.