Re: Generic ongoing KCATA thread
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2024 10:32 am
You don't think this is a problem?
You don't think this is a problem?
Making it free didn't change their funding level if I remember right, it was made up for with other city funds. Now that has changed is why I mentioned fares may return.GRID wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 9:26 amBecause the ATA is already so underfunded as it is. Taking a system that is just scraping to get by and making it free is not going to help it.KCPowercat wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 9:17 amI'm not a daily rider but I use it more now that it is free and I don't think I'd say it's fallen in service? I'd never say it was high quality service though. I mean the city pulling it's funding amount is probably going to force it to collect fares again but not sure how making transit free is "nothing good" coming from it? Puts some money back in pockets for those who need it and rely on transit for their jobs?GRID wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 9:03 am Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like the quality and service of the KCATA bus system has fallen quite a bit since they made it free. I predicted it would happen. Nothing good comes from making a transit system free to use which is why there are pretty much no large high quality, high use transit systems in the world that are free to use.
Yeah, Austin has suburban transit centers that are much larger and busier than KC's downtown transit center. Similar sized metro and they have twice as many buses as KC and they are probably on the streets more often. And that was before they funded that huge project to add all kinds of LRT, BRT and additional commuter rail. It's all about funding and the KCATA is not getting enough from any level of government.
Not sure they care about my posts haha.KCPowercat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2024 8:26 am RideKC social media watching Grid's posts
https://twitter.com/RideKCTransit/statu ... 0786644188
Ha I know, just found it funnyGRID wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2024 11:24 amNot sure they care about my posts haha.KCPowercat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2024 8:26 am RideKC social media watching Grid's posts
https://twitter.com/RideKCTransit/statu ... 0786644188
You need both. Grandview and Gladstone are both working class suburbs. Gladstone is inner ring. Not having basic transit in places like that is really short sighted.Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 10:49 am It’d be better off if further cuts were made into the least transit friendly areas with those transit employees and busses being moved to denser areas.
Not KCMO’s problem is the city perspective. They want to invest more in transit but stop subsidizing others. Need county level funding.GRID wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 12:22 pmYou need both. Grandview and Gladstone are both working class suburbs. Gladstone is inner ring. Not having basic transit in places like that is really short sighted.Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 10:49 am It’d be better off if further cuts were made into the least transit friendly areas with those transit employees and busses being moved to denser areas.
I grew up riding that Route 28 route and it was a very busy route when it was a very frequent service. But after decades of cutting service, I'm sure nobody uses it anymore.
I agree, you need to spend money on dense center city areas, but you are continuing to build a regional culture of people simply not even considering using transit region wide which does effect transit use in the center city as well.
Now KCMO should not be funding such service. But having each city having to come up with money every year is a total fail. Jackson County should have a county wide tax for transit.
I mean it's not at all hard to believe. We don't have traffic congestion and it's not a priority for any politicianGRID wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 12:29 pm It blows my mind that it's 2024 and KC has agencies like the KCATA and MARC and KC still can't get any sort of regional funding for transit done. I mean at the VERY LEAST, the largest most urban county should have something in place county wide.
It's just another example of how Jackson County is self destructing. Zero ability to invest in itself or even get MoDot to do what they should. Jackson County infrastructure in general looks like a poor step child compared to ST Louis County or other metro StL Counties. And the only reason for that is poor county leadership. It has none.