IMHO It won't be enough for the suburban counties. Suburban voters won't approve buses alone. Suburban voters don't really use transit currently and don't really have a reason to come out and vote yes. We have to sell the value of public transit to JOCO Karen who drives a mom tank.alejandro46 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 1:59 pm Would zero fare bus be enough to convince Wyandotte and JOCO to vote for a bistate tax?
I'd also be curious what polling would look like if you switched up to include some kind of rail to Kansas + free bus if that got any more votes.
I don't think it is unrealistic to say that the only transit the average suburban voter has ridden is the streetcar if any. I think that by adding a rail component, it will be easier for voters to identify with that they would be getting out of a transit initiative. I think previous surveys showed that pretty much everyone who tries streetcar loved it so it could be dangled in front of voters.alejandro46 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 1:59 pm I'd also be curious what polling would look like if you switched up to include some kind of rail to Kansas + free bus if that got any more votes.
I really think you would need to throw JOCO a rail bone, not KCK, for it to have any real effect on suburban voters. Streetcar to downtown KCK really isn't going to sway many voters nor do much for ridership. A slightly longer line could be built from RM through NKC to NKC Hospital/Cerner HQ and draw the support of NKC/Clay voters while also connecting 2 significant, regional job centers to the rest of the streetcar system.alejandro46 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 1:59 pm KS is too sprawl-ed out to really make any rail worthwhile unless you did the West Bottoms to KCK which, as Dave said, would suck up a ton of capital dollars (couple hundred $m per Next Rail if I recall).
The transit initiative could include an outline for a line to OverlandPark and/or college boulevard, a line to NKC/North Oak, a line to Jackson County, and a line to Independence. A few starter routes could be proposed for immediate build-out with the rest to follow in the future.
If done without Federal grants, we do not need to include the additional required 33% budget contingency. The benefit of a regional funding mechanism is that you could raise enough ($300 million per year is estimated) to pay for cap-ex in cash - saving significant financing costs. Let's say most of the funding the 1st 2 years isn't spent while detailed plans for a bus expansion are made. Suddenly you have $600 million in the bank, earning millions in interest, that you could use for a sizable rail line. With a federal match, that is almost enough needed for that proposed line to College Boulevard.
You could also try pursuing some funds from Kansas or KDOT. @Davekcmo, Could Kansas Streetcar qualify for STAR Bonds under the argument that it is "touristy fru fru"?