Rail to KCI - 2023

[langosta]

Airplane crews are never going to pick the train ride over their contract guaranteed direct pick up and drop off.

A bus line is boring to the average person. There is no excitement about a bus to an airport. People are not clamoring to vote yes on a new bus line. It’s not a fun exciting pushing things forward vision.

[Noahfleshman]

The majority on this fourm would give more tax money to sports than transit.

[beautyfromashes]

The majority on this fourm would give more tax money to sports than transit.

Sports generate a return, or at least give the hope of that.

[GRID]

Airplane crews are never going to pick the train ride over their contract guaranteed direct pick up and drop off.

A bus line is boring to the average person. There is no excitement about a bus to an airport. People are not clamoring to vote yes on a new bus line. It’s not a fun exciting pushing things forward vision.

That's fine, so you package it with more feasible rail projects.

A regional tax could include money for starter LRT line somewhere (likely in the dense parts of the metro, not to KCI), more streetcar lines, a more robust bus system including better transit to KCI.

I think BRT is fine into the Northland, but probably only up North Oak or something like that. And it could service KCI I guess. I'm just saying that even BRT will take a good 45-60 minutes to go from Downtown to KCI. And maybe that's fine because maybe there is just not enough demand to support direct KCI to downtown service.

Anything is better than the current service.

[GRID]

Who said kci is interested?

You asked why it's hard, I answered my thoughts. I haven't heard anything more logical as to why

People on this forum have mentioned that KCI could pay for some portion of any rail line to to the terminal and that is just not going to happen for the reasons you mentioned, but more because transit to KCI is not their problem so they don't care about it.

This is not unique to KC, this is basically an American transit problem. Few airports are well connected by transit and those that are tend to have the terminal stations in odd not very user friendly and just cheaper locations.

[langosta]

Who said kci is interested?

You asked why it's hard, I answered my thoughts. I haven't heard anything more logical as to why

People on this forum have mentioned that KCI could pay for some portion of any rail line to to the terminal and that is just not going to happen for the reasons you mentioned, but more because transit to KCI is not their problem so they don't care about it.

This is not unique to KC, this is basically an American transit problem. Few airports are well connected by transit and those that are tend to have the terminal stations in odd not very user friendly and just cheaper locations.

I think we already established why that is and the recent rule change that allows for proper connections now

[dnweava]

Alright y'all. I finished my proposal with my fantastic MS Paint skills. I really should learn how to use photoshop or something...

But I really think we could do something similar to the Minneapolis Orange line for $150 million or so (which is what their line also cost) as I did some rough estimating on the math.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... sp=sharing

[grovester]

Great work! If that's not an expression of interest, I don't know what is.

[smh]

Fun! You need to add a map showing station locations though!

[Sani]

Alan Fisher did a good video about the RTD system in Denver and why poor land use planning around stations, specifically all the park-and-ride stations surrounded by asphalt, strangle the ability of trains there to actually get people to destinations. (Warning: Lots of snark, if that's the kind of thing that makes you reach for the smelling salts.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl9QR-6DLcA

[daGOAT]

Alright y'all. I finished my proposal with my fantastic MS Paint skills. I really should learn how to use photoshop or something...

But I really think we could do something similar to the Minneapolis Orange line for $150 million or so (which is what their line also cost) as I did some rough estimating on the math.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... sp=sharing

the "it's a bus we can get white people to ride" had me weak ctfu. highkey accurate tho. in all seriousness i say you've gotta solid idea and should totally consider formatting in a more professional mannerism and make the push. it's something that could help the city when 2026 hits, obviously minus the new bridges which could take more time, and be expanded into true BRT and eventual LRT over the next 10-15 years. please make the push becuz there are many who will support this route!

[dnweava]

Alright y'all. I finished my proposal with my fantastic MS Paint skills. I really should learn how to use photoshop or something...

But I really think we could do something similar to the Minneapolis Orange line for $150 million or so (which is what their line also cost) as I did some rough estimating on the math.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... sp=sharing

the "it's a bus we can get white people to ride" had me weak ctfu. highkey accurate tho. in all seriousness i say you've gotta solid idea and should totally consider formatting in a more professional mannerism and make the push. it's something that could help the city when 2026 hits, obviously minus the new bridges which could take more time, and be expanded into true BRT and eventual LRT over the next 10-15 years. please make the push becuz there are many who will support this route!

I mean, if anyone wants to collab to work on this idea and make it more professional and actually submit this I'm in

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Alright y'all. I finished my proposal with my fantastic MS Paint skills. I really should learn how to use photoshop or something...

But I really think we could do something similar to the Minneapolis Orange line for $150 million or so (which is what their line also cost) as I did some rough estimating on the math.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... sp=sharing

the "it's a bus we can get white people to ride" had me weak ctfu. highkey accurate tho. in all seriousness i say you've gotta solid idea and should totally consider formatting in a more professional mannerism and make the push. it's something that could help the city when 2026 hits, obviously minus the new bridges which could take more time, and be expanded into true BRT and eventual LRT over the next 10-15 years. please make the push becuz there are many who will support this route!

I mean, if anyone wants to collab to work on this idea and make it more professional and actually submit this I'm in

If you want to meet up with our Urban Lab team we’d be willing to take a crack at it!

[DaveKCMO]

If you spend the time, don't forgot to address land use and federal/local funding. That's why we don't have rail to KCI right now. Sorry, I'm jaded from 50 years of fantasy maps.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

If you spend the time, don't forgot to address land use and federal/local funding. That's why we don't have rail to KCI right now. Sorry, I'm jaded from 50 years of fantasy maps.

Oh just one more fantasy map, it’ll come true this time, we promise.

[TheUrbanRoo]

Idk much about the transit subject -- but where will be the next step with it in KC?

Is it going to be 1) route to the airport or 2) the E-W streetcar or 3) NKC streetcar?

I've seen alot of these routes thrown around the past year and am confused on which one KC is trying to pivot to next. Which one is the realistic next one that KC pivots to?

[DaveKCMO]

Is it going to be 1) route to the airport or 2) the E-W streetcar or 3) NKC streetcar?

1) backed by Mayor*
2) backed by KC Streetcar, Chamber, Jackson County, UG, KU Med, and KCATA
3) backed by North Kansas City

Different decision makers. With regional funding we could do all of them. Only past precedent would indicate we could only do one at a time. That past precedent has essentially run out of steam.

*If you count the KCATA/MARC RFP from earlier this year, you can add the Chamber to #1 but those efforts aren't coordinated yet.

[daGOAT]

the "it's a bus we can get white people to ride" had me weak ctfu. highkey accurate tho. in all seriousness i say you've gotta solid idea and should totally consider formatting in a more professional mannerism and make the push. it's something that could help the city when 2026 hits, obviously minus the new bridges which could take more time, and be expanded into true BRT and eventual LRT over the next 10-15 years. please make the push becuz there are many who will support this route!

I mean, if anyone wants to collab to work on this idea and make it more professional and actually submit this I'm in

If you want to meet up with our Urban Lab team we’d be willing to take a crack at it!

If you guys pulled it off it could top the 3 on 3 Light as the biggest rag achievement ever!

But really, if you guys come up with a workable plan, realistic numbers, I can use my skills to help as well. I can't say I can accurately estimate how much a bridge replacement would cost or even format a proper proposal from a visual standpoint; butttt I am extremely strong suited in networking, outreach, and pitching ideas. I will never hesitate to help a positive for Kansas City when something is feasible and realistic. Plz don't hesitate to dm if guys want to take a legitimate shot at this, which I hope you will- could really help with the World Cup traffic in three years.

[bspecht]

U.S. Department of Transportation Establishes Partnership with Kansas City to Finance Mobility and Infrastructure Projects
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing ... bility-and

"A fixed, 21-mile rail line from the airport to connect travelers, visitors, and employees to downtown Kansas City and the core of the city’s transportation systems ($10.5 billion)."

"Under the agreement, the Build America Bureau (Bureau) and Kansas City will explore opportunities for innovative project planning, procurement, financing, and delivery that could include using low-interest rate financing such as the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans, Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF), Private Activity Bonds (PABs), and technical assistance grants."



Not sure how much to read into it but line on map seems to go from rails between RM/CP and Riverfront, across Bond bridge, diagonally through NKC, linking with 9 to 169 to 29, and not going all the way to the terminal.

[DaveKCMO]

This is financing, not funding. Gotta have local money in hand to unlock those low federal interest rates through TIFIA, etc.