Generic ongoing KCATA thread

[KCPowercat]

Ordinance pulled, goes back to committee.

[bspecht]

Just had it's first reading, not pulled, going to committee (for first time) like any other ordinance would – will be considered in Finance Committee on Tue 10:30a. Would have been a bit wild to do same day adoption of a $46M contract w/o public comment.

[KCPowercat]

Just had it's first reading, not pulled, going to committee (for first time) like any other ordinance would – will be considered in Finance Committee on Tue 10:30a. Would have been a bit wild to do same day adoption of a $46M contract w/o public comment.

that's what I get for trusting local news.

[DaveKCMO]

I imagine you can't say why, here, but I'm wondering what the logic was, given the expense.

Oh, Platt was very transparent... it's the FUTURE OF TRANSIT!

Because he did it in Jersey City.

The thesis is that once driving is automated it will be the future of transit

Except for congestion and sharing space with strangers and no attendant onboard. Should work out fine!

[FangKC]

How much money has KCATA wasted on all their micro transit programs. There is an entire parking lot of "ride KC freedom" mini vans off 19th street just collecting dust in a parking lot. Every couple years they try another one that ends up costing a ton of money to transit 5 people around. Now IRIS is the latest one to prove to be a big cost for moving few people. I forgot the name of the one around a decade ago with the black mini vans, another big cost for moving few people.

And they amount of money spent on Troost/Prospect Max stops is insane. We didn't need $100m in concrete platforms and glass panels that everyone breaks... So much money they have wasted that could have been put to their core mission of running bus routes. Just freaking run efficient and frequent bus routes. How hard is that?

The whole agency needs to be rebooted from scratch.

those programs also help those most in need of door to door transit. tough position because yes they seem to cost a ton for not a lot of people's benefit. Should we just give them uber cards? (this isn't a joke)

These people include patients discharged from hospitals who don't have family or friends who can take them home. They include people with mobility issues who cannot walk to bus stops who need to get to medical appointments. There are many neighborhoods that are a great distance from any bus stop.

[SilentSpades24]

Oh, Platt was very transparent... it's the FUTURE OF TRANSIT!

Because he did it in Jersey City.

The thesis is that once driving is automated it will be the future of transit

Except for congestion and sharing space with strangers and no attendant onboard. Should work out fine!

"It's basic geometry" - Jarrett Walker

[beautyfromashes]

Except for congestion and sharing space with strangers and no attendant onboard. Should work out fine!

How's that different than public transport. Still have congestion on buses and sharing space with even more strangers. Plus, buses will probably follow the self-driving trend as well.

[phuqueue]

Buses have to deal with existing congestion, but one bus carrying dozens of people doesn’t contribute to congestion the way dozens of cars with one to a few people each do

[SilentSpades24]

Looks like for now, service is funded for the next six (6) months (barring any significant changes) at the current levels. At the next Finance Committee we'll get a further explanation and conversation about performance measures KCMO expects KCATA to meet.

Hoping that we can avoid service cuts, but redesign some routes to either be more useful, or combine some services and get a more stable, frequent route out of it.

[SilentSpades24]

Except for congestion and sharing space with strangers and no attendant onboard. Should work out fine!

How's that different than public transport. Still have congestion on buses and sharing space with even more strangers. Plus, buses will probably follow the self-driving trend as well.

Several small pods with 1 person will be more congested than one box with several people within it. Except that with the large box, space outside of it is left more open and less crowded.

[CrossroadsUrbanApts]

Super interesting conversation. I wish I had more to add.

[FangKC]

Kansas City budgets more money for police. A plan to fully fund buses is still in the works

https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections ... kcpd-kcata

[SilentSpades24]

Ordinance passes to full commission next week. Only change was revised language suspending IRIS, to read IRIS will be reviewed for cost cutting recommendations up to and including suspension of it.

IRIS had a lot of support for it during testimony today.

Worth noting in 6 months we will still see a $15 million shortfall, barring other funding sources being found.

KCATA states that they could have fares up and running on the old system within 60-90 days and a new fare system implemented within 4-6 months at minimum.

[KCPowercat]

Seems like using transit app to collect fares could be up in days after signed a contract.

[SilentSpades24]

Seems like using transit app to collect fares could be up in days after signed a contract.

RideKC themselves had an app that collected fares. I'm assuming that tech is long gone, but it's not like it's not been done before.

[beautyfromashes]

Is charging fares really about finding a way to remove people who hang out on the bus all day for shelter or is it a money maker? I can't imagine the homeless will be paying with an app and I don't really believe that they will not allow someone on the bus without paying and how much money will this really generate? Perhaps the bus is just a microcosm of downtown overall: the homeless problem has exploded with the city doing very little to contain it and people are avoiding the area because it's dirty and doesn't feel safe. Charging a fare won't solve any of that.

[Belvidere]

Is charging fares really about finding a way to remove people who hang out on the bus all day for shelter or is it a money maker? I can't imagine the homeless will be paying with an app and I don't really believe that they will not allow someone on the bus without paying and how much money will this really generate? Perhaps the bus is just a microcosm of downtown overall: the homeless problem has exploded with the city doing very little to contain it and people are avoiding the area because it's dirty and doesn't feel safe. Charging a fare won't solve any of that.

It does generate revenue. People who can't afford it can get free passes, but they need to check in with a provider who can offer them additional services and make sure they're okay. We have lost that touch point.

I don't know how much time it takes to collect fares.

[SilentSpades24]

So apparently at KCATA's board meeting today, they're still proposing service cuts IN MAY.

Weekend service limited to MAX, 24, 31, 101, 201 only.

Weekday service on almost all routes down to hourly frequency + spans down to 5am-11pm.

This is after KCMO came through with a temporary funding solution for 6 months. I hope this is out of context but it doesn't appear to be.

[KCPowercat]

woof

[beautyfromashes]

Weekend service limited to MAX, 24, 31, 101, 201 only.

Gotta get to the suburbs!!! Cut out KCATA altogether. Take it in-house and just core service. Probably can be done cheaper than what we are paying them. We shouldn't be paying for service to Independence and Raytown and Legends and Northland.