Oct

30

Paying for Light Rail

October 30, 2007 | 10 Comments

KC Light Rail has a recap of last night’s public meeting on the city/ATA plan.  That plan will probably be around $600 million for construction and $8-12 million a year for operation.  Sales tax is the assumed funding mechanism, but planners ought to think outside of the box.
In the last year the city has approved [...]

Oct

29

Poll shows most Hispanics don’t oppose Francis Semler

October 29, 2007 | 6 Comments

A poll from SurveyUSA commissioned by KCTV shows that 71 percent of Kansas City Hispanics don’t think Francis Semler should removed from the Park Board. That is quite a big disconnect between Hispanic leaders and the community they supposedly represent. That number drops to 55% of whites and 25% of blacks. Perhaps there [...]

Oct

29

Back to the Future for rail?

October 29, 2007 | 3 Comments

The Star’s plan is now available. It mostly follows the current MAX express bus line along Grand and Main. The big differences from most plans is that the Star proposes an eastward spur along Linwood to Prospect, and the use of an updated version of the streetcar that KC had before the 1950s.
The [...]

Oct

27

810 Zone sued for 3:00 a.m. license

October 27, 2007 | 6 Comments

A bunch of richy-riches are suing the city and 810 Zone over the granting of a 3:00 a.m. liquor license for the new restaurant and bar at 47th and Broadway on the Plaza. 810 Zone is virtually underneath the posh Townsend Place condo tower. This kindof thing was probably inevitable given how the [...]

Oct

26

Journalists or Transportation Planners?

October 26, 2007 | 11 Comments

KC Light Rail has an interesting rumor about The Star working on its own light rail plan. This would be the fifth plan after Chastain’s plan, the “official” city and KCATA plan, Mayor Funkhouser’s illusory regional plan, and the KC Design Center’s theoretical plan.
HUH? This seems like a potentially bad idea to move from [...]

Oct

24

The ghost of Credit Card Kay

October 24, 2007 | 2 Comments

Two pieces today on the issue of city debt.  First, the City Council is working on a new policy to establish limits on public debt and reign in some of the excesses of the last four years.
Second, a report that some under-performing TIF projects are expected to cost taxpayers $1.5 million a year.  Projects like [...]

Oct

23

Missouri’s Primary now open for business (er, filing)…

October 23, 2007 | Comments Off

Today marks the first day 2008 presidential candidates can file for the Missouri Presidential Preference Primary. The election will be Feb. 5, and will also include an exciting slate of state (stem cells… wow!) and local (light rail… blammo!) questions. Neighboring Iowa has finally settled on a Santa/Jesus/Menorah-friendly date in early January; Kansas has again [...]

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