OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

[DaveKCMO]

Yep we got a nice assessment notice in the mail for our place. We are right on the border - near Sw Tfy in W. Plaza about a 12 min walk and just over half a mile. My pops was complaining about how much the assessment has gone up overall, it's an extra $500 a year I think totaling $7k, but hopefully the value keeps going up.

$500 per year is one month of a low end car loan, gas and insurance

That's kind of the point of why the assessment exists.


$6.5k in taxes is basically a $550-600k home in case anyone is wondering

I am confused from some of the twitter thread. Our place is more than 1/3 mile away (outside of hashed line), but we are in the special assessment zone. We should be getting the special assessment, correct? I am fine with the assessment either way.

https://twitter.com/kclightrail/status/ ... 8785051652

Yellow or green shaded area = assessment

[alejandro46]

$500 per year is one month of a low end car loan, gas and insurance

That's kind of the point of why the assessment exists.


$6.5k in taxes is basically a $550-600k home in case anyone is wondering

I am confused from some of the twitter thread. Our place is more than 1/3 mile away (outside of hashed line), but we are in the special assessment zone. We should be getting the special assessment, correct? I am fine with the assessment either way.

https://twitter.com/kclightrail/status/ ... 8785051652

Yellow or green shaded area = assessment

Thanks for the clarification. That is what I thought originally. Shouldn't be too bad of a walk or ideally a scooter or bike ride.

[flyingember]

https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/kc ... le-in-size

The Kansas City, Missouri, Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations City Council Committee is set to review a contract Wednesday with CAF USA, which would allow the purchase of six new low-floor light rail vehicles.

[normalthings]

INVEST ACT passed by the House today appears to allow FTA to increase their match amnt by 30% (of project cost)for fixed guideway projects that request it. This is for projects that had an allocation of funding in fiscal years 2019, 2020, or 2021 but have not yet opened.

There are authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year 2022 such sums as may be necessary to increase the Federal share, at the request of the project sponsor, of a new fixed guideway, a core capacity improvement, or a small starts project that is not open to revenue service and that has received an allocation of funding in fiscal years 2019, 2020, or 2021.

Criteria:
(A)a project sponsor made a local financial commitment that exceeded the required non-Federal share of the cost of the project; and
(B) a project sponsor has experienced, as a result of the coronavirus public health emergency.


(3) ADJUSTMENT.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a project meets 1 or both of the criteria in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall increase the Federal share of a project under this section by up to 30 percent, up to a maximum of an 80 percent Federal share.

(4) AMOUNT.—Amounts distributed under this subsection shall be provided notwithstanding the limitation of any calculation of the maximum amount of
Federal financial assistance for the project for a new fixed guideway, a core capacity improvement, or a small start project.

[normalthings]

Demolition and grading of the Trolley Track Trail segment to kick off in September and be completed before the end of the year. Rail will arrive in December.

[normalthings]

Really really hope that 5 unit vehicles and added passenger facing tech are being looked at for this next order.

[Chris Stritzel]

Really really hope that 5 unit vehicles and added passenger facing tech are being looked at for this next order.

What’s that supposed to mean?

[DaveKCMO]

Same vehicle length (3 segment) as the starter line.

[flyingember]

Same vehicle length (3 segment) as the starter line.

Which we want.

We want smaller trains with far more frequency rather than larger vehicles.

The waiting time is easily the biggest barrier to transit use. Basically, if finding parking and walking from it adds 15 minutes to a trip the maximum wait for a train/bus should be 15 minutes

[DaveKCMO]

Correct. We've solved the existing peak ridership issue with just running more cars. Fleet of six now, add six more with the extension, probably another two if the budget stays in line. Once we get a guaranteed maximum price for construction, you'll probably see that request (Council was given a heads up during the last ordinance discussion).

[AlkaliAxel]

I think that now that people have seen how useful and successful the streetcar is, and how much more it will probably even grow after the 2025 extension, I think alot of people would support regional transit now that wouldn’t have about 10 years ago. People on the Kansas side too. There’s been a noticeable attitude change towards rail now because of it. That sentiment is probably only going to grow after the UMKC extension and I think we should be capitalizing on that instead of just *assuming* it’s not wanted. I think there’s alot more support out there now for this transit than we’re realizing.

[DaveKCMO]

I think that now that people have seen how useful and successful the streetcar is, and how much more it will probably even grow after the 2025 extension, I think alot of people would support regional transit now that wouldn’t have about 10 years ago. People on the Kansas side too. There’s been a noticeable attitude change towards rail now because of it. That sentiment is probably only going to grow after the UMKC extension and I think we should be capitalizing on that instead of just *assuming* it’s not wanted. I think there’s alot more support out there now for this transit than we’re realizing.

No one is assuming anything. People are working on collecting such data. Keep in mind there are people in the region who never come downtown, and probably don't even go to Midtown.

http://oneridekc.org/

[normalthings]

VMF Expansion



UMKC Station

[normalthings]

Are there any lessons learned when it comes to the concrete adjacent to the tracks

[AlkaliAxel]

One thing I've wondered, if the streetcar is going to be riding continuously down toe edge of Main St all day, wouldn't that mean parking on the edge of Main would be banned now? I see people park on the side of it all the time but wouldn't that block the tracks?

[flyingember]

One thing I've wondered, if the streetcar is going to be riding continuously down toe edge of Main St all day, wouldn't that mean parking on the edge of Main would be banned now? I see people park on the side of it all the time but wouldn't that block the tracks?

Riding toe edge is a snowboarding term.

[AlkaliAxel]

the edge*

[flyingember]

the edge*

That makes more sense.

That's a decades long discussion where you're not wrong but don't expect much to change.

The topic of cars parking badly and blocking the train has been discussed to death already.

[AlkaliAxel]

Why not just give the streetcar its own almost entirely dedicated lane by taking out the edge of the street for parking and making a track? Then it could zip through without traffic in the way.

[normalthings]

$2 million contract for rails awarded
$2.7 million contract awarded for switches and specialty rail + install