Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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DaveKCMO
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

Post by DaveKCMO »

jackson county is applying for a TIGER grant to help fund acquisition of the rock island right of way.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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Today on KCUR Mike Sanders said a 'positive announcement' would hopefully be forthcoming in the next 30-60 days regarding a rails and trails solution. From what I could gather (coming in late to the program) it would entail Jackson County spending $59 million to purchase ROW from the Rock Island line and develop trails alongside the railway.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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intrigued what percentage of the work to put in trails will make the corridor rail ready
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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kcjak wrote:Today on KCUR Mike Sanders said a 'positive announcement' would hopefully be forthcoming in the next 30-60 days regarding a rails and trails solution. From what I could gather (coming in late to the program) it would entail Jackson County spending $59 million to purchase ROW from the Rock Island line and develop trails alongside the railway.
that would coincide with a finalized project list for some federal grants they're seeking.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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DaveKCMO wrote:that would coincide with a finalized project list for some federal grants they're seeking.
This link... http://www.marc.org/Transportation/Comm ... s-Missouri
has a "Copy of Missouri STP working draft"
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... t&page=all
On Monday, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders announced the county received a $10 million federal grant to go toward the purchase of the about 24 miles of rail running from just northwest of the intersection of Interstate 70 and Interstate 435 in Kansas City southeast through Raytown and Lee's Summit and a pair of rail spurs running through Independence.
The county's potential rail purchase will not connect to Third Street and Grand Boulevard in River Market, the county's preferred downtown terminus, but Sanders isn't going to give up on commuter-rail running to downtown Kansas City. In March 2013, the county's plan came off the rails when Kansas City Southern Railway Co. stated its objections to running commuter-rail cars through the Rock Creek Junction. The junction is a crucial intersection of track east of Interstate 435 and south of the Blue River in Independence. Sanders said the relationship between the county and company is icy.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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DaveKCMO wrote:http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... t&page=all
The county's potential rail purchase will not connect to Third Street and Grand Boulevard in River Market, the county's preferred downtown terminus, but Sanders isn't going to give up on commuter-rail running to downtown Kansas City. In March 2013, the county's plan came off the rails when Kansas City Southern Railway Co. stated its objections to running commuter-rail cars through the Rock Creek Junction. The junction is a crucial intersection of track east of Interstate 435 and south of the Blue River in Independence. Sanders said the relationship between the county and company is icy.
The senior staff at KCS has been great in making contributions to the community. However, over the years I have had cause to do business with KCS and several other railroads. They operate unlike any other entity that I have ever encountered and it has been true of every rail company. Early in my career it was maddening, as there seemed to be no cooperation towards finding common ground, even when it was significantly in their interest, too. Every time, it was as though the companies were dedicated to avoiding and subverting common ground resolution.

My assessment of the why of this? They own land and or rights and their corporate culture is wholly committed to the retention of these. Makes for a long conversation and the need for a Teflon-coated ego.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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jackson county is seeking a federal TIGER grant to help pay for the rock island line (primarily just the trail construction, for now). answer should come by the fall. local money still needed to acquire the ROW from union pacific, although the railroad has offered to finance the purchase.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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Jackson County, KCATA to Hold Joint Media Conference Regarding Historic Collaborative Project

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 (KANSAS CITY, MO) – Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders and Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Reardon will hold a joint media conference today at 2 p.m. to make a major announcement concerning a Kansas City metro transportation project.

When: September 30, 2015
2 p.m.

Where: Arrowhead Stadium Parking, SW Corner
Park in Lot E or see staff on-site for media parking

Who: Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority President & CEO Joe Reardon
Other invited guests
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

Post by flyingember »

yes, please
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

Post by JBmidtown »

Oh woah...I was not expecting this to happen before streetcar expansions. I hope this is what I think it is. Oh man...
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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JBmidtown wrote:Oh woah...I was not expecting this to happen before streetcar expansions. I hope this is what I think it is. Oh man...
don't think of expansion as being separate systems
we're in an era of blurring of systems. The Portland streetcar bridge is used by light rail and Houston has both shared lanes and dedicated row in the same system. Boston has light rail trains in a subway

Maybe my ideas are not doable today, but the system should be engineered so it's possible to do in the future. Like where the commuter line ends the track should be positioned so connecting track can be laid so they're physically one track network. Imagine if a commuter system ends at the riverfront to begin with but we electrify it one stop at a time. Platform expansion is quite common, Charlotte's light rail went from one to two trains long and they did this. Minneapolis went to all three car long from one two-long platforms.

Maybe initially we're better off planning to run commuter trains on the downtown segment than vice versa but it should be doable. Trains are so custom that nothing says we couldn't build a commuter train that can't use the same stop height.

And anyways, the quickest way to get track to the plaza is to make someone from Lee's Summit want to get there by train. And want a line to the airport? Get someone halfway there. It's a lot easier to sell a doubling than a whole new route.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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longviewmo wrote:Alas, a bike trail.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/governme ... 96584.html
Booo
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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Hey, it's really good news.

Maybe not big ol' press conference big.

But it's a huge smooth step in civic process that sets several agendas to work.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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Awesome news indeed!
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

Post by kcjak »

One of the newscasts last night (think it was KSHB) actually reported the story as a step toward providing rail service between Lee's Summit and the stadiums :shock:
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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the long-term goal is rail on the corridor. it needs to be contiguous for that to happen. next step would be to negotiate an access agreement for the "last mile" to 2nd and grand (via union pacific) and to approve a funding mechanism.

http://www.examiner.net/article/2015100 ... /-1/sports
http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives ... son-county
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... f-way.html
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

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Boondoggle.
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Re: Jackson County Regional Rail Plan

Post by JBmidtown »

DaveKCMO wrote:the long-term goal is rail on the corridor. it needs to be contiguous for that to happen. next step would be to negotiate an access agreement for the "last mile" to 2nd and grand (via union pacific) and to approve a funding mechanism.

http://www.examiner.net/article/2015100 ... /-1/sports
http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives ... son-county
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... f-way.html
What's the likelihood of this happening within the next 5-10 years/this century?
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