"Clay-zee" Train
 So it's light rail you want? Me too but I have to admit I am somewhat perplexed at the results. How is it that what I consider to be the most poorly conceived transit plan yet has passed? No organized opposition? Changing voter demographics? A protest vote against City Hall?Unfortunately, as with most ballot initiatives, now the reality sets in. $35 million per mile? Not in this decade. Not even the last decade. Try $50 - $60 million per mile. Federal funds? Not very likely. A dedicated rail spur to the Zoo? Gondolas?! If you read this blog regularly you know I'm a transit advocate. On some level I'm pleased that the voters have spoken and said they support some type of fixed-guideway transit plan. The optimist in me says we can do something with this. I'm an Electrical Engineer. Engineering is all about solving problems within the constraints you are given. Design a GPS receiver but it has to run for at least 6 hours on two AA batteries and fit in a shirt pocket. Those are constraints. Sometimes the constraints prove too much and you have to drop back and re-evaluate. I think that may be the case with this plan. I'm not saying that something won't get built, it just might not fit in our figurative shirt pocket. Comments? Thoughts? I'd really like to hear from my readers on this. You've given me a big project to work on if I'm elected! |
posted by Mark at 8:40 AM
Comments on ""Clay-zee" Train"
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Brent said ... (9:40 AM) :
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Adrianne said ... (7:43 PM) :
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Michelle said ... (4:42 PM) :
post a commentChanging voter demographics.
Increased awareness of what other cities are doing in terms of public transit.
Increased awareness of what we're doing to our environment with reliance on automobiles.
And, a protest against city hall.
Everyone I've talked to that voted on this knew it was a bad plan but wanted to send a message to city hall that they wanted a good plan.
The cynic in me says that instead of dealing with the bed they've made for themselves, they'll find away to throw this out based on it not being feasible. I don't really care that they do, but I hope they get the message that the citizens of KC are ready for a light rail -- and for a good plan.
The folks downtown need to quit burying their heads in the sand and get something done to get us out of the the 1970s.
Okay, folks are trying to send a message. But I agree that it will be hard get anything done (besides rubber-stamping TIF requests) when most of the council is gearing up for the mayoral race. I fear that the City Council will pull rank and dump the whole thing, despite the clear intent of the majority of voters, and offer no plan in its place. Hopefully, if such a thing occurs, we won't let it stand.
Woohoo! Takin' my cloned baby to the zoo on the new lightrail system!
Earlier this year I hear Mayor Barnes state on NPR that KC doesn't have lightrail because the citizens didn't want it - they had voted it down. That ticked me off. We wanted a good plan. So I'm one of the protest voters who voted to send a message - not thinking in a million years it would pass. I have a feeling I'm not the only one.
I'm rather pleased to throw this mess in the laps of our city govt after they shoved the ridiculous stadium bills down our throat. Sorry Mark!