Johnson: Extend starter line to 63rd
Councilman Russ Johnson will introduce a compromise tomorrow for the proposed starter line that will extend the current terminus from Brush Creek to 63rd Street along Bruce R. Watkins Drive. The effort is intended to secure support from the other council districts that aren't as well served by the route as the 2nd and 4th districts. While at first it may appear to be a "me too" grab, there are true benefits to terminating at 63rd (although they're not the ones you're hearing about):
- Directly serves Research Medical Center
- A potential shot in the arm for the struggling Citadel Plaza project and the Kansas City Zoo
- Utilization of reserved light rail ROW along Watkins Drive
What you are hearing is grandstanding from the 3rd, 5th, and 6th districts about transit-dependent populations and decades of economic neglect. While those are both undeniably true, they won't affect the federal decision-making process as much as job and population density.
So how will we pay for the extra two miles? The Star article references some potential cuts, but we're hoping a successful spring vote for regional funding makes that unnecessary.
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The other nice benefit for this would be that the city could put in a Swope Park circular route that would allow people access to the park from the rail line – -this could provide easy access to the zoo, Starlight events, etc.
[...] Approval is expected since all of the councilmembers have signed on as co-sponsors and route compromises enabled total concensus. This moves Kansas City another step closer to the 3/8-cent sales tax [...]
Push hard for state legislators to fund the Vivion/Oak intersection and make MoDOT do it. It needs to be rebuilt regardless of whether or not there is rail.
Or, look at acquiring property south of the Vivion, perhaps the church on the southeast corner.
we also think north kansas city’s new transportation district tax will cover a big chunk of that gap. it’s probably going to be on their november ballot, too.