As far as regional/local action is concerned: KCMO has the most to gain or lose. The surrounding communities don’t have the need for the system as KCMO does (as a whole city/voting community). If we wait for the rest of the metro, it will be another 10+ years of a stalemate.

The plan needs to develop from the center out. Having connections to the rest of the area would be great, and extremely beneficial, but a connection to Olathe or the airport doesn’t need to precede a functional and affordable system in the center. Once the core is a functioning reality, the rest of the metro would more easily come on board and all would benefit.

Basically, light rail is just the formal declaration of local citizens’ desire for an efficient mass transit system. In most cities, that relies on a reliable back bone such as light rail could provide.

We need to gain more popular backing that promotes a sense of urgency. It’s my impression that KC economic development leadership organization is not centralized and is fairly fractured. So by default we’re kind of on hold until the city council transportation committee starts providing some leadership. I don’t perceieve a sense of urgency or leadership on this issue from Ed Ford.

Ed Ford’s great, but I think on this issue he would like to stand up and wisk the tarp off the train in front of a crowd, without doing a lot of behind-the-scenes, roll up your sleeves work.

We need to do something different, instead of letting random forces and chaos theory rule.