Bi-State III (yes that's three)

Pork Chop · Post by **Pork Chop** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:04 am

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... tory6.html

Post by **staubio** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:07 am

Passage of Bistate 2 would hurt the chances of a regional sales tax for Smart Moves, Wood said, because taxpayers would view two bistate taxes as too many.

Transportation > MLB. That settles it for me on BS2.

WoodDraw · Post by **WoodDraw** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:10 am

I'm sure TK will be happy. The actual Bi-State law will have to be changed to allow for this to even go to the voters though so this one has a longer road to travel. Plus, voters might start to get annoyed by all of these proposals.

As for the actual plan, I believe it is this, no?

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 2:57 am

Wake up board! This is big news...

The plan also calls for commuter rail along Interstate 35, from Olathe to Downtown, and Warm said some of the Rapid Rider routes could be converted into light rail in the future.

"And I'm not talking about revamping the KCATA (Kansas City Area Transit Authority), " Wood said. "I'm talking about a new governing board with at least half of its members directly elected by the people."

We need Lee's Summit and I-70 East commuter rail. Let's add Douglas County too and have commuter rail from Lawrence to Union Station and a Freeway Flyer bus from Lawrence to Corporate Woods/JCCC.

Here's the original thread from this board calling for BS3 to be a BiTransit initiative: http://www.kcskyscrapers.com/kcforum/vi ... =bitransit

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:14 am

it's not an either/or proposition...BS3 will come if BS2 fails or passes.

tat2kc · Post by **tat2kc** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:55 am

i would go for this, with no problems at all!! This is definately a valid use of the bistate plan.

Post by **dangerboy** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:31 am

Please write your state reps and let them know that regional, bistate transit funding is important to you, especially in Kansas. The article mentions that MARC still hasn't found a Kansas rep to champion the plan in Topeka.

Hopefully this will be a separate bistate compact from the existing cultural district compact.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:35 am

Why in the world is this proposal coming out after a stupd plan for stadiums improvements?

KC_JAYHAWK · Post by **KC_JAYHAWK** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:03 pm

I just don't think commuter rail is necessary in KC. Just because other cities are doing it, doesn't mean it will work in KC. The metro area is just too spread out to support light rail. In STL, most of the growth is west of downtown, so light rail makes sense (people go east to west and back). In KC, growth is happening in every direction, which makes it much more tough to make commuter/light rail work....just my opinion, but I would rather see money spent on arts and sports than commuter/light rail.

Post by **dangerboy** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:53 pm

MARC thinks the I-35 and I-70 east commuter rail lines would be feasible. Those two highways will be approaching gridlock within another decade or two, and there isn't much room left to expand them again.

DMW, the arts/stadiums plan went first because the legislation was already in place - and the bigwigs at the Chamber of Commerce usually get their way.

KC0KEK · Post by **KC0KEK** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:58 pm

Commuter and light rail are viable if the stops are close to where you live and work. If most people get off the train and then have to take a bus to their office, then they may view it as slower and less convenient than sitting in rush hour and hunting/paying for a parking space.

Caycee · Post by **Caycee** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 2:59 pm

Is this only on the Kansas side?

Post by **KCMax** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 3:58 pm

I LOVE mass transit (and I live in DC now where they have an excellent clean subway system that is horribly and inepty run) but there is no need for a rail system in KC. I'd love to see it happen but I'm afraid it will die a horrible death.

At least wait until the economy improves. Kansas and Missouri are both still facing budget deficits, and I don't think any legislators are going to want to finance pet projects for liberals (I'm a liberal).

Still, someday I dream of a rail system with a hub at Union Station that takes people to the TSC, Westport, the Plaza, Bartle Hall, the American Royal, 18th and Vine, KCI, the Downtown Airport, etc.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:00 pm

KCMax wrote:I LOVE mass transit (and I live in DC now where they have an excellent clean subway system that is horribly and inepty run) but there is no need for a rail system in KC. I'd love to see it happen but I'm afraid it will die a horrible death.

At least wait until the economy improves. Kansas and Missouri are both still facing budget deficits, and I don't think any legislators are going to want to finance pet projects for liberals (I'm a liberal).

Still, someday I dream of a rail system with a hub at Union Station that takes people to the TSC, Westport, the Plaza, Bartle Hall, the American Royal, 18th and Vine, KCI, the Downtown Airport, etc.

But we're not talking about a multi-billion dollar "frou frou" light rail plan--- we're talking about commuter rail on existing tracks which would cost a fraction of what light rail costs. Commuter rail definitely makes sense for KC. You live at 151st and Black Bob and all you do is board the train in Olathe and ride it to Union Station and walk to your job at Crown Center or take the BRT to the CBD or Plaza. You could read the Star or catch up on some office work during the commute. Think BIG KC!

KC0KEK · Post by **KC0KEK** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:29 pm

trailerkid wrote:Commuter rail definitely makes sense for KC. You live at 151st and Black Bob and all you do is board the train in Olathe and ride it to Union Station and walk to your job at Crown Center or take the BRT to the CBD or Plaza. You could read the Star or catch up on some office work during the commute. Think BIG KC!

That might take a couple hundred cards off the road. But what about people who don't work at BCBS, Hallmark or one of the other Crown Center area companies? For example, will H&R Block employees be willing to take a bus from Union Station? The answer probably depends on the cost and hassle of parking around H&R Block's HQ.

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:37 pm

and if it saves any time.

Don't forget reverse commuters. Getting inner city people to jobs in the burbs is huge.

Tosspot · Post by **Tosspot** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:10 pm

I work with a Johnson Countian at my office in Riverside. I like her, however she demonstrates the typical JoCo attitude of "to hell with the rest of the city, how will it benefit Johnson County?"

Obviously the idea of "ONE KC" hasn't penetrated deep enough.

I always roll my eyes at attitudes like this because none of these idiotic little suburban enclaves would amount to anything if it wasn't for the fact that they sit right next to Kansas City, Missouri.

cdschofield · Post by **cdschofield** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:52 pm

This was always the plan for Smartmoves. It just got pushed to the back of the bus, pun intended, because of the arena and BS 2 plans. My wife was at a meeting where a Smartmoves spokesperson gave a presentation and it is planned that the rapid rider routes would eventually be LRT routes. Also the rumor is that JoCo put their commuter rail plan on hold because BS 3 would help pay for it rather than JoCo paying it all themselves. The eastern JaCo commuter rail plan is in the midst of a final feasibility study. It looks like by the time this study is done both the JoCo and JaCo commuter rail plans will be ready to pursue federal money. I think for Lawrence to get commuter rail they need to become a part of the MSA.

http://www.marc.org/kcsmartmoves/

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:30 pm

Congratulations, in ten years, if this tax passes, we will still have a bus only system (don't hold your breath on any commuter ral) with no true BRT right of ways or HOV lanes for commuter buses. The buses will double in ten years says MARC. Wow, we will have nearly half the buses Denver has now in ten years and by then Denver should be well on their way to a massive expansion of LRT, BRT and Commuter rail.

Jeez, you would think we would have one hell of a modern freeway system to compensate for the lack of transit yet while we have a lot of miles of freeway, most of the system should have been replaced and updated/expanded decades ago.

How many hundreds of millions of dollars has KC not taken advantage of from federal recourses over the years by not raising local transit money or forcing state officials in Jeff City is realize there is another city in Missouri besides StL.

Sometimes I am just amazed at just how far behind we really are.

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:35 pm

But look on the bright side, the paseo bridge "study" should be nearly complete in ten years as well.