By Ron McLinden and Ginger Harris
Kansas City Moves Forward on Light Rail
All speculation to the contrary, Kansas City is indeed moving toward building the first phase of a light rail system. A citizen initiative, approved at the polls in November, 2006, was found not to be feasible.
Nevertheless, the city council is determined to honor the will of the voters, and the Area Transportation Authority has been preparing a new light rail proposal since early 2007. In November, 2007, the council formally repealed the result of the 2006 vote and pledged to put a new light rail proposal on the ballot by November, 2008. Council members have vowed to schedule the new light rail vote for the election that, according to polls, it has the best chance of winning. That’s not an insigificant consideration because, in sharp contrast to the 2006 citizen initiative that promised light rail without a tax increase, a workable plan will involve a sales tax increase of 1/4 or 3/8 cent.
A citizen task force has been working with the ATA on the light rail plan, and advises a 12.2 mile route from about Vivion Road and North Oak to just south of the Plaza (in the general Oak - Main corridor), with an eastward branch line to Prospect. Federal funding of 40-50 percent will be sought, even though getting it will add a year or more to the process. Meanwhile, some advocates want a shorter phase one line built with local money to avoid the federal funding delays. Meanwhile, Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser continues his Quixotic quest for a regional light rail system, regionally funded and built all-at-once. Meanwhile, there are so many other “moving parts” in this whole picture that even insiders have trouble understanding the full picture.
The one sure thing is that there has never been more support in Kansas City for light rail.
Club Expresses Concern About Eight-Lane I-70 Concept
Through a letter sent by Great Rivers Environmental Law Center on November 7, the Sierra Club has expressed concerns about MoDOT’s plan to re-study 199 miles of I-70 with the intent of building it as an eight-lane highway, with four of the lanes reserved for trucks. A previous environmental study, completed in 2001, concluded that I-70 should be re-built as a six-lane highway, but MoDOT sought designation of I-70 as part of a federal “Corridor of the Future” and got $2 million of federal money to study the truck lane concept.
Because the eight-lane concept is so different from the previously approved sixlane concept -- and because it will require a revision of the study’s “purpose and need” statement due to its emphasis on freight -- our letter asks that MoDOT completely re-do the 2001 study and evaluate non- highway alternatives for moving freight. We also asked that the Sierra Club be considered a key public interest stakeholder in all meetings related to the new study.
Short Trips
Every day we travel about to meet our many life needs. Sometimes, a long trip is unavoidable. Sometimes, without even thinking, we travel farther than need be. When there’s a choice, it’s usually good to choose the shorter trip. Less time, less energy,less pollution, less hassle. Plus, if it’s short enough, you might be able to walk or ride your bike, in which case there’s a chance that you’ll encounter someone else doing the same. Stop and say hello -- and build community in the process. Hooray for short trips!