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Light rail gets start
Starter line will go before vote in Nov.
By: Kurt Kloeblen, Staff writer
The Kansas City Council promised citizens a new light rail vote – and it kept that promise.
The Council last week moved toward a Nov. 4 ballot election after months of debate about a starter route versus a more extensive regional system.
Second District Councilman Russ Johnson introduced the resolution calling for a three-eighth cent sales tax to fund a 12-mile starter line, which would run from the Country Club Plaza to Vivion Road and North Oak Trafficway in the Northland, with an eastern line to Prospect Avenue.
For many, the starter line is a first step toward the regional system.
“This is the first step in what will be a regional transit system,” 4th District Councilwoman Jan Marcason said. “We have to look at the long-term goal. We’re going to piggyback on the regional approach and we will be doing that during the next year.”
Sixth District Councilwoman Cathy Jolly said that despite the lack of direct impact to the 6th District, the starter line will prove a valuable starting point.
“We have to start off with something,” Jolly said. “As much as we would like, the starter plan can’t include everyone. We have limited resources until the regional plan is done, so not everyone can open their door and have light rail pick them up.”
A majority of the Council voted in favor of the resolution, but 6th District Councilman John Sharp is opposed to the starter route.
“The proposed starter line extends far north of the river out to where there are as many cows as people,” Sharp said. “It doesn’t provide any type of adequate service to the areas of Kansas City where people need public transit … it’s basically a tourist line.”
Marcason said polls showed the 4th District, which could benefit from the starter line, favors light rail.
“The 4th District supports progressive amenities to the city. It’s so diverse, but some of the areas it will really benefit are students,” Marcason said. “A student who goes to UMKC can live downtown and get to UMKC on light rail. It’s good for folks who work downtown and live in Brookside.”
Sharp, who supports a regional system, said the piece-by-piece approach to light rail is the wrong way to go.
“The thing nobody is talking about is if we pass a tax for a Kansas City-only starter line, when we do get a regional plan – which I am confident we will in a year or two – Kansas City voters will pay an extra year or two for a regional system,” Sharp said. “Why should we start paying before Grandview or Raytown or Independence? There’s no reason we should have to pay for this years ahead of everyone else.”
Marcason and Jolly said polling suggests citizens would vote yes.
“It was compelling to me, because people voted for the Clay Chastain plan,” Jolly, who voted against overturning Chastain’s plan, said. “We promised we would get something on the ballot. We have to trust that the voters want it.”
Marcason said high gas prices could turn into more yes votes.
“The higher the gas prices stay, the more favorable the outcome,” Marcason said. “People are frustrated and angry at how expensive it is to drive their car.”
Sharp, however, said polling shows people favor regional light rail as opposed to a starter line.
“All polls show an extensive plan, that gets from somewhere to somewhere, engenders more support than a short plan that goes from nowhere to nowhere,” Sharp said.
Contact Kurt Kloeblen at (913) 385-6087 or kkloeblen@sunpublications.com.
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The Council last week moved toward a Nov. 4 ballot election after months of debate about a starter route versus a more extensive regional system.
Second District Councilman Russ Johnson introduced the resolution calling for a three-eighth cent sales tax to fund a 12-mile starter line, which would run from the Country Club Plaza to Vivion Road and North Oak Trafficway in the Northland, with an eastern line to Prospect Avenue.
For many, the starter line is a first step toward the regional system.
“This is the first step in what will be a regional transit system,” 4th District Councilwoman Jan Marcason said. “We have to look at the long-term goal. We’re going to piggyback on the regional approach and we will be doing that during the next year.”
Sixth District Councilwoman Cathy Jolly said that despite the lack of direct impact to the 6th District, the starter line will prove a valuable starting point.
“We have to start off with something,” Jolly said. “As much as we would like, the starter plan can’t include everyone. We have limited resources until the regional plan is done, so not everyone can open their door and have light rail pick them up.”
A majority of the Council voted in favor of the resolution, but 6th District Councilman John Sharp is opposed to the starter route.
“The proposed starter line extends far north of the river out to where there are as many cows as people,” Sharp said. “It doesn’t provide any type of adequate service to the areas of Kansas City where people need public transit … it’s basically a tourist line.”
Marcason said polls showed the 4th District, which could benefit from the starter line, favors light rail.
“The 4th District supports progressive amenities to the city. It’s so diverse, but some of the areas it will really benefit are students,” Marcason said. “A student who goes to UMKC can live downtown and get to UMKC on light rail. It’s good for folks who work downtown and live in Brookside.”
Sharp, who supports a regional system, said the piece-by-piece approach to light rail is the wrong way to go.
“The thing nobody is talking about is if we pass a tax for a Kansas City-only starter line, when we do get a regional plan – which I am confident we will in a year or two – Kansas City voters will pay an extra year or two for a regional system,” Sharp said. “Why should we start paying before Grandview or Raytown or Independence? There’s no reason we should have to pay for this years ahead of everyone else.”
Marcason and Jolly said polling suggests citizens would vote yes.
“It was compelling to me, because people voted for the Clay Chastain plan,” Jolly, who voted against overturning Chastain’s plan, said. “We promised we would get something on the ballot. We have to trust that the voters want it.”
Marcason said high gas prices could turn into more yes votes.
“The higher the gas prices stay, the more favorable the outcome,” Marcason said. “People are frustrated and angry at how expensive it is to drive their car.”
Sharp, however, said polling shows people favor regional light rail as opposed to a starter line.
“All polls show an extensive plan, that gets from somewhere to somewhere, engenders more support than a short plan that goes from nowhere to nowhere,” Sharp said.
Contact Kurt Kloeblen at (913) 385-6087 or kkloeblen@sunpublications.com.