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Third summit meeting yields differing bus views
By: Jeffrey M. Salem, Staff affiliate
As Kansas City officials begin discussions of how best to present a starter light rail spine to voters in November, officials at a regional transit summit presented their own preliminary plan of how to eventually phase in a regionwide public transit system in Clay, Platte and Jackson counties that would add to Kansas City’s hoped 12-mile spine.
The plan, tentative at best, would come in three phases and work cohesively with the construction of the starter spine in Kansas City, expected to reach as far north as Vivion and North Oak Trafficway south of Gladstone.
Raytown Mayor David Bower, who facilitated the third summit meeting of metro area elected officials July 25 at the Gladstone Community Center, made it clear the regional effort is not intended to supersede action taken by Kansas City officials.
“They are not in competition with one another, rather they are completely complimentary,” he said.
The first phase of the “draft service” concept is an extension of bus service further into metro area suburbs. In Clay County, bus system expansion included routes along Interstate 35 to Liberty, U.S. highways 69 and 169, Missouri Highway 210, Barry Road and North Oak Trafficway. Phase two involves construction of the Kansas City-only starter spine coupled with the realigning of complementary bus service to best serve areas in need. Phase three is the eventual extension of light rail outward from the starter spine as well as use of commuter rail.
The heavy use of buses early on in the process became a point of contention at the meeting.
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser called the initial phase of the regionwide transit plan too one dimensional.
“We need a lot more focus of multi-modal,” he said. “With the energy situation and the environmental situation, it is rail that gives you economic development possibilities.”
Funkhouser said it would be possible to secure commuter rail lines in the same time frame as ordering more buses for an expanded system.
Eastern Clay County Commissioner Craig Porter said he has heard one common theme from multiple citizen input meetings, which are expected to continue throughout the three counties in the coming month.
“People want something now, and they don’t care what it is,” he said.
Porter questioned whether negotiating with the railroads, which control rail line rights of way, would be as quick a process as getting new buses on the roads.
“The good thing about the bus system is they run on rubber tires and can change their routes, and you can add or take away from the system,” he said.
Funkhouser contended that expanding bus systems to suburban areas should be left up to taxes from individual cities wanting more service. A regionwide transit plan, and therefore a regionwide tax, should focus on rail.
To fund these phased-in transit possibilities, the finance committee suggested a county transit authority, which would allow for up to a one-cent tax that could be imposed for any length of time. Numbers showed a one-half-cent tax, for example, would garner $1.27 billion over 15 years in the three counties, or $2.37 billion over 25 years.
The group will meet as a whole again in September.
Reach Jeffrey M. Salem at 389-6653 or jeffsalem@npgco.com.
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The plan, tentative at best, would come in three phases and work cohesively with the construction of the starter spine in Kansas City, expected to reach as far north as Vivion and North Oak Trafficway south of Gladstone.
Raytown Mayor David Bower, who facilitated the third summit meeting of metro area elected officials July 25 at the Gladstone Community Center, made it clear the regional effort is not intended to supersede action taken by Kansas City officials.
“They are not in competition with one another, rather they are completely complimentary,” he said.
The first phase of the “draft service” concept is an extension of bus service further into metro area suburbs. In Clay County, bus system expansion included routes along Interstate 35 to Liberty, U.S. highways 69 and 169, Missouri Highway 210, Barry Road and North Oak Trafficway. Phase two involves construction of the Kansas City-only starter spine coupled with the realigning of complementary bus service to best serve areas in need. Phase three is the eventual extension of light rail outward from the starter spine as well as use of commuter rail.
The heavy use of buses early on in the process became a point of contention at the meeting.
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser called the initial phase of the regionwide transit plan too one dimensional.
“We need a lot more focus of multi-modal,” he said. “With the energy situation and the environmental situation, it is rail that gives you economic development possibilities.”
Funkhouser said it would be possible to secure commuter rail lines in the same time frame as ordering more buses for an expanded system.
Eastern Clay County Commissioner Craig Porter said he has heard one common theme from multiple citizen input meetings, which are expected to continue throughout the three counties in the coming month.
“People want something now, and they don’t care what it is,” he said.
Porter questioned whether negotiating with the railroads, which control rail line rights of way, would be as quick a process as getting new buses on the roads.
“The good thing about the bus system is they run on rubber tires and can change their routes, and you can add or take away from the system,” he said.
Funkhouser contended that expanding bus systems to suburban areas should be left up to taxes from individual cities wanting more service. A regionwide transit plan, and therefore a regionwide tax, should focus on rail.
To fund these phased-in transit possibilities, the finance committee suggested a county transit authority, which would allow for up to a one-cent tax that could be imposed for any length of time. Numbers showed a one-half-cent tax, for example, would garner $1.27 billion over 15 years in the three counties, or $2.37 billion over 25 years.
The group will meet as a whole again in September.
Reach Jeffrey M. Salem at 389-6653 or jeffsalem@npgco.com.