OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

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im2kull
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by im2kull »

Have a few cops ride along occasionally. It's not that hard. Problem solved.

Not rocket science either. You'll always get crazies if you leave them unchecked.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by Elrod »

Another not-so-pleasant corollary to this situation is that you have to make sure to check the seat before you sit in it; it may be empty for a reason. When I was still living in St. Louis, sometimes people under the influence of alcohol or drugs would have relieved themselves right in the seats on Metrolink.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by daGOAT »

Elrod wrote: Mon Jul 11, 2022 9:47 am Another not-so-pleasant corollary to this situation is that you have to make sure to check the seat before you sit in it; it may be empty for a reason. When I was still living in St. Louis, sometimes people under the influence of alcohol or drugs would have relieved themselves right in the seats on Metrolink.
Definitely a huge must here in Los Angeles as well lol one of my friends from Kansas City carelessly sat in piss on the B Line once and then started on a rant of how clean the KC Streetcar is in comparison. Hopefully as it becomes expanded it will maintain that cleanliness because I don't see Kansas Citians bracing filth to get from A to B the way cities with older rail systems do.
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by AlkaliAxel »

Anyone going to the Q&A on Thursday?
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beautyfromashes
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by beautyfromashes »

Has there ever been another election to elect board members for the streetcar authority? I know that they were added when the extension went in place and that they were different terms, but if the citizens of the district aren't getting a vote on their representatives, that's a problem. I know Chrissy Dastrup was put in as a board member when the Main St extension passed. Some visibility and better communication with the neighborhood paying for the extension would be nice.
swid
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by swid »

I'm fairly certain that we've had precisely the number of people file as there have been open positions on the TDD board since the initial election, so that's why it's never been on the ballot since.

The filing period appears to be in December.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by DaveKCMO »

beautyfromashes wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 12:55 am Has there ever been another election to elect board members for the streetcar authority? I know that they were added when the extension went in place and that they were different terms, but if the citizens of the district aren't getting a vote on their representatives, that's a problem. I know Chrissy Dastrup was put in as a board member when the Main St extension passed. Some visibility and better communication with the neighborhood paying for the extension would be nice.
The Streetcar Authority is not elected. It is made up of private and public directors, some of which were original "founding" directors that were asked to join because we participated in the original governance discussion (me, Jon Copaken, Russ Johnson). Private directors are essentially lifetime appointments renewed by each other (protection from city interference) and public directors are appointed/reappointed by mayor/council. The city is the owner of the project, approves all annual budgets and major project expenses/contracts, holds the TDD and project bank accounts, is a co-signer of the operations contract with Herzog, and is the direct recipient of federal capital funds. KCSA just oversees that daily operation through a three-party agreement that includes the city and the TDD.

https://kcstreetcar.org/about-streetcar/kcsa/

The TDD Board is now elected (the downtown TDD was appointed), and there is overlap between the two by design (me, Jan Marcason, Matt Staub, Lynn Carlton). No one has ever filed to run again, including those that filed for the initial election and were familiar with the process. No filings means no election. No election means the district doesn't have to cover that cost (but it is budgeted, just in case). Vacancies have been filled by appointment, which is allowed by the TDD Act.

Most of the seven directors are actively involved in their neighborhoods and various other downtown/midtown groups like Midtown KC Now or Downtown Council. For example, I am a past president and long-term member of the Crossroads Community Association. The original seven were all vetted and endorsed by Mayor James. Here are the election results: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx1_a3 ... bOGRbkMN5Q

And here's all the information you need about the Main Street Rail TDD itself: https://kcstreetcar.org/about-streetcar ... -rail-tdd/
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by AlkaliAxel »

Since they’re gonna be putting that massive Plaza station next to Winsteads- is there any thought about taking out that Winsteads and replacing it with a TOD? Or a complex?
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by daGOAT »

It's a prime contender for redevelopment along with the tennis courts.
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normalthings
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by normalthings »

Wish KCSA was better with their website.

They only post meeting agendas and didn’t even get around to posting this weeks agenda. Ride KC and EDC post agendas and related documents.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by normalthings »

normalthings wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:00 pm Wish KCSA was better with their website.

They only post meeting agendas and didn’t even get around to posting this weeks agenda. Ride KC and EDC post agendas and related documents.
Dave? Would it be possible for the streetcar authority to post some of the meeting minutes or agendas or something? This happens for other projects and boards in the city(KCI, KCATA, etc).

There is increasingly little transparency into what’s going on a the streetcar authority it seems.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by moderne »

Sidewalks going in now on Signboard Hill side of Main. Will be a nice shady walk in the mornings.
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by AlkaliAxel »

I didn't realize they're widening the sidewalks all the way down Main as the build this thing?

https://twitter.com/TomGerend/status/15 ... C-FdvLhhrQ
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by DaveKCMO »

AlkaliAxel wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:54 pm I didn't realize they're widening the sidewalks all the way down Main as the build this thing?

https://twitter.com/TomGerend/status/15 ... C-FdvLhhrQ
Not really. A bumpout here and there.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by GRID »

What will they do with the main stree max buses? Just park them? I still don't understand why they would not make a new route on Broadway or something. It really seems like kc's bus system is a fraction of what it once was. Why spend so much on streetcar and not have a robust bus system. I know....budget....
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by shinatoo »

I know increased frequency (15 min) south of UMKC and one seat from UMKC to Martin city is planed.

And they will still have local service on Main.

Irony will be the Main St Max won't run on Main if I understand it correctly. I feel like there is a good chance someone on here will correct me.
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GRID
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by GRID »

I thought there would be no local bus service on main (north of plaza). Only the streetcars.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by smh »

I can't imagine there is going to be local bus service on Main. The streetcar is a local service.

I would expect MAX vehicles to be redeployed to an E/W MAX service of some type, maybe 39th.
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by DaveKCMO »

GRID wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:34 pm What will they do with the main stree max buses? Just park them? I still don't understand why they would not make a new route on Broadway or something. It really seems like kc's bus system is a fraction of what it once was. Why spend so much on streetcar and not have a robust bus system. I know....budget....
The original 2005 MAX fleet was disposed. Way past useful life of 12 years! The new vehicles that replaced them will go into service elsewhere. Given the change in leadership -- and the planning department, natch -- who knows where they will actually end up.

Broadway isn't as strong as you'd think with frequent service on Main Street. Bigger fish to fry.
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GRID
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Re: OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

Post by GRID »

DaveKCMO wrote: Tue Aug 23, 2022 6:33 pm
GRID wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:34 pm What will they do with the main stree max buses? Just park them? I still don't understand why they would not make a new route on Broadway or something. It really seems like kc's bus system is a fraction of what it once was. Why spend so much on streetcar and not have a robust bus system. I know....budget....
The original 2005 MAX fleet was disposed. Way past useful life of 12 years! The new vehicles that replaced them will go into service elsewhere. Given the change in leadership -- and the planning department, natch -- who knows where they will actually end up.

Broadway isn't as strong as you'd think with frequent service on Main Street. Bigger fish to fry.
So would they move them to some new E/W routes? While in KC recently I once again saw very few buses. It just doesn't seem like KC even has a bus system outside the Troost line now. I guess it's there, but the frequency must be very low now. I can't even imagine trying to ride a bus there now vs how it was in the when I was using the buses. It seemed like there were so many more buses in the city back then. KC's bus system seems like the size of Des Moines or Dayton now.
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