KC Light Rail

A portion of the money earmarked last year by Missouri Sen. Kit Bond (R) was released to the KCATA yesterday. The $2.16 million will allow the FTA-mandated Alternatives Analysis to continue without local funding.

Originally it was reported that Sen. Bond was trying to secure $2.5 million, but only delivered $1.87 million in last year's transportation bill; the remainder came from a grant and an earmark from U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) — a nice penance for Cleaver's having referred to a previous starter line as "touristy frou-frou".

On the local funding front, two options are still on the front burner: a 3/8-cent KCMO-only sales tax or a 1/2-cent Missouri-only sales tax across Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties. Mayor Mark Funkhouser will host a meeting with regional leaders on May 30 to raise support for the regional effort. Whichever funding plan wins out, a decision will need to be made by either the KCMO City Council or all three county commissions by late August for any question to appear on a November ballot.