@BlogKCThe Star reports that KCK is struggling to pay for bus service as federal earmarks relied upon in the past have run out. It’s a scenario repeated yearly in other are cities like Blue Springs, Independence, Liberty, etc. The problem is that only KCMO has a dedicated sales tax for public transportation. KCK and the others have to budget for it every year out of their general fund. To make matters worse on the Kansas side, it is one of the few places where state government provides no funding for public transportation.
You may remember in 2006 there was an effort to create regional transit funding to pay for the Smart Moves proposal for a metro-wide system. Unfortunately a small group of Johnson County mayors killed the legislation Topeka, and cities like KCK are struggling with the consequences.
While initially I supported Smart Moves, MAX changed my mind. If they can’t keep that short 7-mile BRT route on schedule, I wondered how they’d do it with the 20-plus mile routes in the Smart Moves plan. Municipalities need to prioritize public transportation and improve it, not make it worse.
did that “small group” include lenexa and overland park?
I’m sure all the Johnson county mayors (except for Mission) were against it. Kansas sucks.
We will probably have our own individual hover crafts when KC figures this out…One of the very reasons I moved!