KC Light Rail

Just new buses, really. But since tax revenues have imploded and transit money will be diverted to traffic signal replacement, don't expect any new or expanded service with those buses. Did we mention fares are rising, too?

While the ATA did add a $400 million river-to-Plaza starter line to their stimulus wish list, all that really did was tell us that both the City and Chastain plans were doomed for federal funding using the current formulas. A new transportation bill this year holds promise for leveling the playing field between highways and transit. In some ways, it's probably best that we waited on light rail while we get serious about land use. Still looking for that champion, however.

The biggest transit news in the stimulus — and this definitely affects KC — is the boost for intercity passenger rail (Amtrak). $9.3 billion will boost efforts across the country to improve and expand our Third World passenger rail network and create jobs that cannot be sent overseas. Kansas City is part of the federally-designated high-speed rail corridor called the Chicago Hub, and is in a state that has one of the oldest state-supported corridors in Amtrak's system. Expect an announcement from MoDOT in the coming months.

As for Kansas? They're working on it, although they won't get any stimulus funding since the boost for state-sponsored matching grants was stripped from the final version.