flyingember wrote: ↑Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:26 pm
AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Mon Oct 04, 2021 5:22 pm
Probably in the minority here but I still think we'd be alot better off fixing our over-built highway issue (i.e. the loop, etc.) than paying for light rail. We only have money for so many things at a time, so this is the direction I'd go. I think we'd reap more rewards & development for the urban core this way, and it would ironically increase our actual need for light rail, which isn't as great right now. The highways are much more of a hindrance to development and building a core/downtown right now than anything else IMO. It's a much greater need than the need for light rail.
One is a city project, the other a state project.
So they can’t happen at the same time?
Exactly. Transit and Interstates really have nothing to do with each other, especially in Missouri where there is so little funding for highways and no state funding at all for transit. There are a few examples where massive highway/transit projects are one in the same. The TREX light rail and I-25 rebuild is one in Denver. Something like that would be perfect for I-70. I total rebuild of I-70 with light rail incorporated into the new rebuild. But that would take way more planning, coordination and leadership from multiple cities, counties and state agencies then KC could ever pull off lol.
However, a regional transit plan absolutely should happen at the same time as whatever is going to happen with the downtown freeway loop. Jesus, the downtown freeway loop will take decades to be rebuilt.
KC needs to pass a regional bistate transit tax to fund an expanded central city tram system, a light rail line to the stadiums and eastern suburbs and possibly to Olathe as well and a robust metropolitan BRT and regular bus system to KCI, Village West etc. It's long over due, I think the metro would support it. And Metro KC would likely get hundreds of millions of federal money that goes to other cities now. KC finally got a decent fed grant for the tram system. Cities that invest locally get way more federal money.
It would just suck if if another 20 years, KC has a few more miles of streetcar and that's it. KC could do so much more than that. In 20 years, cities like Austin and Nashville will have 50 miles of light rail and other cities will done major expansions.
(I remember saying this exact same thing in the 90's about Denver, Charlotte, Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, SLC, Minneapolis etc none of which had hardly any transit at the time. Now look at those cities).