Light Rail Task Force members selected
According to the rejection letter we received — we're getting used to it — the KCATA and the mayor's office has chosen other Kansas Citians for the Light Rail Task Force. There are several usual suspects (RTA, Urban Society) and lots of others that will likely garner scrutiny, based solely on the Parks Board hubbub from last month. Not sure why someone would be on the KCATA board and on the Light Rail Task Force? Guess we'll never know…
The first scheduled meeting for the task force is Aug. 15 at the MARC office downtown. No word on whether the meetings will be televised. A note to the chosen ones: Google your name before the Star does!
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My wife and I are from Wellsville, Kansas and have travel from coast to coast and we believe that Kansas City is in need of a “Light Rail” or “Subway Rail”.
If people would stop and think it would be a great value to Kansas City and the Metro area.
You can park your vehicle, get on the rail and go wherever you want and get there alot faster. It would save you on gas, parking cost and so forth. Above all you can get to your destination in a matter of minutes.
We have been to Washington, D.C. and let me tell you a Subway/Light Rail is the way to travel. Get your ticket and go from there in the next 12 hours or so.
So before ANYONE goes and knocks the idea down one should do more research and travel to ciities that have it and give it a try.
If we had any say about it, we would vote “YES” for the rail.
We wish you good luck and will be watching the news for futher updates.
Do not let the expense get you down, if you want it bad enough you will prevail.
Good Luck,
Eugene and Janet Harris
4673 Highway K 33
Wellsville, KS 66092
785-883-4051
785-418-3839
gjharris90@embarqmail.com
Good evening.
This is my first visit and I like what you’ve done with the place.
; ‘ )
Seriously, I am also concerned about how light rail will be approached by the city and, as one of the ‘citizens’ who did not make the cut for the Task Force, am just a little concerned about the makeup of said committee – so much so that I compiled a Google list of the members on my blog.
It is probably not comprhensive, and I will freely admit Google can return nulls and errs, but I believe I’ve got it most right.
Keep up the work.
IF ONLY THOSE FROM WELLSVILLE WOULD COME UP WITH THE 1.5 BILLION. WITH TAXES AT NEARLY 10% IT IS SURE TO GO OVER THAT WITH THE SEWER/WATER TAX AND ANOTHER TRANSIT TAX KC WILL NEED ALL THE HELP IT CAN GET.
How open of a mind will Greg Lever have for Light Rail?
We know how Kite Singleton will go. Let’s hope people get the facts at there meetings. What will the overall cost be to do a regional plan,how long will it take to build, will streetcars or light rail be more cost effective downtown with our small population. Will the tax payers have any input?
northlander: it’s a sales tax, so people from all over this great land will contribute. when they ride the system, the will also contribute a use tax (fare). you’re not shouldering this burden alone.
again, you question the basic concept of light rail in this city. are you for it or against it? if not paid for by sales tax, then how?
as our rejection letters note, the general public has every right to provide input at next week’s light rail forum, hosted by the KCATA. we’ll be there, and we hope you will be too.
More private dollars to pay for streetcars or LR cars,and transit stops to cut down on funding.It can be done.
i think the make-up of this task force is intended to generate as much private support as possible (i surmise that they definitely aren’t existing transit users). unfortunately, that support will likely take the form of economic incentives to develop new properties near the route to defray construction costs. in the previous city-backed plan, a similar set-up was used against the city by dangling the words “eminent domain” in front of voters. whether or not that was true is irrelevant, just that the opposition will revert to their old tactics since they were previously successful.
http://www.kcata.org/media/LRTTaskForce.htm
I googled all the names the day the letter came out: you can see the task member affiliations here.
Also, read the comments: some folks wrote in to correct/update/add their 2 cents as to choices…