May

5

KC denied emergency transit funding

May 5, 2009 | 6 Comments

The Star reports that today Kansas City lost its last chance to get emergency transit funding from the Missouri General Assembly.   On June 28th the KC Area Transportation Authority will implement several cuts to its Metro bus service.  A third of all routes will be reduced, employees laid off, and other services cut.

The ATA’s budget crisis is due to declining sale tax revenue and City Hall’s diversion of transit tax money to pay for traffic signals and TIF developments.  The ATA had been asking for as much as $12 million and was settling for $8 million.

Meanwhile, St. Louis will get $12 million from the state to relieve its own budget problems.  That city ran a more sophisticated campaign and built more support from their state legislators.  The issue didn’t seem to ever become a priority for the KC delegation or get a champion in Jefferson City.

Categories: General


Comments

6 Comments so far

  1. Tony on May 5, 2009 5:07 pm

    Awesome post as usual . . . Personally I blame Obama for lack of hope and change, it’s more productive than fighting the entrenched Dems at the state level.

  2. Kevin Casey on May 5, 2009 5:20 pm

    First they come saying if we don’t pass a tax increase they will cut routes & raise fares. Not more than 9 months later they claim they give a sit about public opinion if they should Raise Fair because if they don’t they will cut routes. They then Do both any way.

    Well I for one am done with the extortion. They can cut every route for all I care. The KCATA has screwed this city ever since it began operating & it’s time it be reorganized. It’s time the Metro compete with other Bus Service providers rather than be a Monopoly holding the Metro hostage.

  3. DKC on May 7, 2009 3:55 pm

    I think that we can safely conclude that the money the city and county spend on Jefferson City lobbying is a waste.

  4. Walt Bridge on May 7, 2009 6:23 pm

    From the perspective of Jefferson City, Kansas City is like a drug addict. We absorbed $3.2 billion over ten years and achieved a 1.5% reduction in the dropout rate of our high school students, via magnet schools. We are always at the cusp of bankruptcy and yet we want to engage in Light rail, also a billion-dollar fiasco. It is not enough to have a need, we must demonstrate that we can be good stewards of the money we ask for.

  5. KC Light Rail » Chastain appeal rejected on May 12, 2009 3:19 pm

    [...] the interim, KC just suffered a fare increase and an unsuccessful attempt to secure state funding to prevent service cuts. Brights spots can be found, however: County leaders are poking around in [...]

  6. Hippstar on May 18, 2009 9:29 pm

    At least we didn’t cut that extra cash subsidy to the Chiefs and Royals that we weren’t legally obligated to pay. Everybody wins.

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