KCMO Downtown Streetcar

[earthling]

Plaza extension seems to be the next obvious choice (though I'd be fine if they could find a way to make MAX Orange line free for a while). Independence Ave might be the next logical choice, or maybe SW Blvd.

Both The Ave and Blvd could get a significant enough boost to make them attractive urban hoods that outsiders would consider if moving to KC. Other than immigrants, most would only consider along the RCP Corridor if wanting to live in 'urban KCMO'.

The Ave seems better choice since there is already significant base of housing/population, so would bring in a larger base to support downtown retail. It might cause displacement type of gentrification to an already existing pop base (some lower income possibly pushed out) but NE side could become another higher profile urban option comparable to Midtown area if it had an infrastructure focus like this.

Would NE Side vote for a tax increase to get streetcar? It has the density to pull it off, the 2 most dense zips in the metro.

[DaveKCMO]

Plaza extension seems to be the next obvious choice (though I'd be fine if they could find a way to make MAX Orange line free for a while).

maybe during off-peak, but main street MAX is at or near capacity during rush hour (particularly the waldo runs). of course, you'd have to find new money for KCATA to offset it being free. the streetcar authority isn't using any existing KCATA funds to operate the streetcar.

[beautyfromashes]

With both the KCAI and UMKC both pushing downtown/Crossroads offshoot campuses from their main campuses on 'Main' and Brookside, why don't we set up a universities fee to pay for the next streetcar extension from US to UMKC?

[earthling]

UMKC students already get a 'free' (included) Metro pass after they passed a tuition increase. Might be tough to pull off another increase. MAX ridership went up further when UMKC passes took effect.

[KCPowercat]

Count me as not a fan of the West bottoms extension either. It is last on my list.

[FangKC]

I don't see any point in having a streetcar line to the West Bottoms. It's no longer a big job center like it was decades ago. With the City talking about demolishing Kemper, I see no reason for it anymore.

The next logical extension would be to the Plaza. This could help the convention and visitors bureau deal with the regular complaint of conventioneers moving to and from existing hotels to downtown, and the added expense of hiring shuttle buses.

[bbqboy]

There used to be a streetcar stop on the 23rd street viaduct that sat at the entrance to the american royal building. I always imagined as a kid how cool it would have been to ride that line.
http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... =334&y=389

[beautyfromashes]

UMKC students already get a 'free' (included) Metro pass after they passed a tuition increase. Might be tough to pull off another increase. MAX ridership went up further when UMKC passes took effect.

It might be more difficult to try and pass a tax on just the neighborhoods along Main or, more difficult yet, a citywide tax. If one thing was shown with the recent vote, the narrower the number of voters, the better. A minimal fee added to the tuitions at UMKC and The KCAI might be the quickest, easiest approach.

[flyingember]

there is a halfway idea between neighborhood and citywide. the zoo did this idea on a bigger scale.

do taxing districts but instead of a TDD do a more traditional vote and make the districts line up to voting precincts this time. each district would be voting on a specific expansion line.

this way the whole city vote doesn't derail the whole system. one yes means one expansion line is built.

it could also allow leapfrogging expansion. treat each new expansion as the place to do studies off of. If UMKC passes the city automatically starts looking for grants to add branches off it. The same for a branch in NKC. and so on.

the other idea is to pull a Seattle and do disconnected lines initially. You could put them all up for a vote and see what sticks and find other funding sources to connect them together.

[flyingember]

A minimal fee added to the tuitions at UMKC and The KCAI might be the quickest, easiest approach.

No, no it wouldn't be.

there's 15,000 students who go to UMKC.

$9 million in downtown revenue per year * 2 (twice the distance) = $18 million

= $1200 per year per student increase.

That is so not a minimal fee.

even $1000 would be a $66 per credit hour increase. Ouch.

[DaveKCMO]

here's one of the biggest problems we have: missouri is one of the worst when it comes to state spending on public transportation. figures shown in millions.

[earthling]

What does it mean.

[DaveKCMO]

What does it mean.

state spending on public transit, in millions. why so low? missouri is one of 8 states with a constitutional prohibition on spending gas tax revenue on anything other than the state highway system. in missouri, this also includes thousands of miles of what would normally be county roads in other states.

[chaglang]

As a state with 75% of the population in urban areas, are any of our electeds working to unwind this stupidity?

[Zorobabel]

Podunk.

[shinatoo]

As a state with 75% of the population in urban areas, are any of our electeds working to unwind this stupidity?

We just voted it in about 10 years ago because the electeds kept raiding the fund to prop up all the other general fund requirements, and our roads became shit.

We need a whole new structure for transportation funding.

Do those numbers include toll roads, property tax and non gas sales tax?

[flyingember]

As a state with 75% of the population in urban areas, are any of our electeds working to unwind this stupidity?

We just voted it in about 10 years ago because the electeds kept raiding the fund to prop up all the other general fund requirements, and our roads became shit.

We need a whole new structure for transportation funding.

Do those numbers include toll roads, property tax and non gas sales tax?

toll roads in Missouri. that's funny

[TheBigChuckbowski]

Kansas has public transportation? Do airports count?

[DaveKCMO]

Kansas has public transportation? Do airports count?

no. KDOT supports urban transit systems in johnson county, wyandotte county, lawrence, topeka, hutchinson, and wichita. it also supports paratransit in most counties. the JO gets more annually from kansas than kansas city does from missouri.

[pash]

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