Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Transportation topics in KC
User avatar
grovester
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4560
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:30 pm
Location: KC Metro

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by grovester »

That's good to hear.

I'm ok with the political manuevering and budget gymnastics as long as we're not jeopardizing that.
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by flyingember »

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12pHX6j ... -EgVL/view

Free bus service is being run as a partial negative

file page 357, increase from public transportation fund of $4.761 million
file page 350, public works coordination services, decrease of $0.195 million = 4.566 million to go
file page 346, public works capital projects, decrease of $3.551 million = 1.015 million to go
file page 188, city managers office, increase of $0.01 million = 1.025 million to go
file page 515, tax income increase of 0.517 million = $0.508 million to go
file page 611, general fund transfer increases of $0.06 million = 0.514 million to go

file page 561 has the fund sheet which shows it will be using the existing balance for 0.208 million
So the budget is missing 0.306 million in expenses going away that's going to the bus, probably project costs not in the budget last year

The streetcar is receiving the same amount as last year
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by DaveKCMO »

The entire region's transit system became free-to-ride on March 22, driven by COVID-19 and the need to protect bus operators.

Also, the city's $1.7B budget was approved on Thursday with only $4.8M in funding for the longer-term KCMO zero fare effort (the stated cost is $8M). There were two budget amendments (one from Robinson, one from Bunch) that were introduced to increase that amount by $1.2M and $1.9M respectively. Robinson passed 7-6, Bunch failed 10-3. Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem voted no on both. After initially voting for the Robinson amendment, Shields successfully moved to rescind the Robinson amendment so the $4.8M is all that was retained. The KCATA contract for annual service and the zero fare effort will be taken up separately (which is custom) by ordinance in the coming months.

A new website launched for the longer-term effort last week: https://zerofarekc.com/
User avatar
Anthony_Hugo98
Valencia Place
Valencia Place
Posts: 1932
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:50 pm
Location: Overland Park, KS

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

DaveKCMO wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:05 pm The entire region's transit system became free-to-ride on March 22, driven by COVID-19 and the need to protect bus operators.
Haven’t been back in a while so forgive the question, but when you say region, does that include JOCO as well? And if so would that be sustained following or not?
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by DaveKCMO »

Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:39 am
DaveKCMO wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:05 pm The entire region's transit system became free-to-ride on March 22, driven by COVID-19 and the need to protect bus operators.
Haven’t been back in a while so forgive the question, but when you say region, does that include JOCO as well? And if so would that be sustained following or not?
Yes. The biggest question right now is how much transit will be decimated by COVID. Outside of the urban core most ridership has disappeared as people work from home, stop working, or stay aware from confined spaces.
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18142
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by FangKC »

The ridership may increase after things calm down again since there is a huge bubble in car financing right now that will likely burst. The number of people barely able to make their car payments is already high, and with all the unemployment, there will likely be a lot of repossessions. This will likely lead to more people taking the bus.
User avatar
Anthony_Hugo98
Valencia Place
Valencia Place
Posts: 1932
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:50 pm
Location: Overland Park, KS

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

FangKC wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 9:12 pm The ridership may increase after things calm down again since there is a huge bubble in car financing right now that will likely burst. The number of people barely able to make their car payments is already high, and with all the unemployment, there will likely be a lot of repossessions. This will likely lead to more people taking the bus.
I had recently read an article about the severity of the auto financing debt in the country. It’s absolutely outrageous. I still have yet to understand why public schooling doesn’t include a mandatory personal financial management credit anywhere in its curriculum.
shinatoo
Ambassador
Posts: 7393
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:20 pm

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by shinatoo »

I had to take personal finance in HS, and so did my son. Raytown, Lees Summit.
User avatar
Anthony_Hugo98
Valencia Place
Valencia Place
Posts: 1932
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:50 pm
Location: Overland Park, KS

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

shinatoo wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:52 am I had to take personal finance in HS, and so did my son. Raytown, Lees Summit.
It was only ever an elective for our district (Olathe)
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by flyingember »

Personal finance has been mandatory in Missouri since 2006. It's a graduation requirement

17 states are the same

Kansas does not have a requirement
shinatoo
Ambassador
Posts: 7393
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:20 pm

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by shinatoo »

Should be mandatory in college too, but then they would have to teach the wisdom/folly of student loans and college degrees.
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by DaveKCMO »

https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/l ... our-bills/
Normally, most lenders will report a late payment to the credit bureaus once it's at least 30 days overdue, and most will come to take your vehicle away after you've missed three or more payments in a row.

Now, the situation has changed. In response to the pandemic, some states have proposed legislation to limit or postpone vehicle repossessions, but other areas have no such measures on the table. In New York, for example, the state assembly is debating a bill that would stop all car loan payments for 90 days.

The auto repossession industry itself hasn't agreed whether repo companies, many of whom are now laying off dozens of employees, are even allowed to operate in areas under strict shelter-in-place orders. The Association of Credit and Collection Professionals, a lobbying group for debt collectors, argues that debt collection is an essential service, but lawmakers have yet to chime in.
Separate from demand, there will need to be enough revenue to cover operations and the loss of fare revenue. It's possible that the sales taxes that support transit will take a 30% hit in the post-COVID economy.
User avatar
wahoowa
Ambassador
Posts: 535
Joined: Sat May 02, 2015 2:57 pm
Location: CBD

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by wahoowa »

shinatoo wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:50 am Should be mandatory in college too, but then they would have to teach the wisdom/folly of student loans and college degrees.
well as long as the colleges save the sunken cost fallacy for the 400-level class, they would probably make out just fine.

mine offered personal finance but it met at 7:30 am MWF, which was effectively the same as never offering it in the first place. so i didn't act on "learning personal finance" until it came time to study for the bar exam several years later, at which point personal finance suddenly seemed very interesting by comparison.
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18142
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by FangKC »

There are a lot of practical life skills that they don't offer in high school. Our schools certainly should spend more time teaching students about credit and debt though.
User avatar
Anthony_Hugo98
Valencia Place
Valencia Place
Posts: 1932
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:50 pm
Location: Overland Park, KS

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

DaveKCMO wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:58 pm
Separate from demand, there will need to be enough revenue to cover operations and the loss of fare revenue. It's possible that the sales taxes that support transit will take a 30% hit in the post-COVID economy.
What’s the likelyhood they could pull a funding stream from elsewhere to cover the loss?
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by flyingember »

Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:09 pm
DaveKCMO wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:58 pm
Separate from demand, there will need to be enough revenue to cover operations and the loss of fare revenue. It's possible that the sales taxes that support transit will take a 30% hit in the post-COVID economy.
What’s the likelyhood they could pull a funding stream from elsewhere to cover the loss?
Who's "they?" The federal government, the state of Missouri, the state of Kansas, Kansas City, Jackson County, Johnson County, a supporting city like Gladstone or Liberty, or the ATA accounting dept?
User avatar
Anthony_Hugo98
Valencia Place
Valencia Place
Posts: 1932
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:50 pm
Location: Overland Park, KS

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

flyingember wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 9:23 am Who's "they?" The federal government, the state of Missouri, the state of Kansas, Kansas City, Jackson County, Johnson County, a supporting city like Gladstone or Liberty, or the ATA accounting dept?
Wouldn’t it be the KCATA? Or the city?
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by flyingember »

You were asking someone who works for KCATA which third party (a third party being what "they" refers to) would need to find funding. I wouldn't count on the city at this point, they already increased their portion before approval.

The state is a long shot and the federal government is busy keeping systems actually running.

Is there really money in any budget anywhere for free bus right now? It's not a given the current budgeted amount won't be redirected to something else.
kboish
Hotel President
Hotel President
Posts: 3258
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:25 am
Location: West Plaza

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by kboish »

The federal government is giving (already gave?) them $51 million. What is their annual budget? Seems like that should cover potential shortfalls.
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: Pursuing FREE City-Wide Bus

Post by DaveKCMO »

The influx of federal funding ensures the entire region will remain zero fare through the end of 2022, possibly longer.
Post Reply