11-02-08
Light-rail election outcome won't preclude regional transit efforts, supporters
say
By: Brad Cooper, The Kansas City Star
Win or lose, light rail will not keep area leaders from forging ahead on a
new regional transit network.
They say regional transit is needed more than ever amid a boom in bus
ridership, especially when gas prices crested this past summer.
At the same time, some elected leaders caution that a setback on the starter
line could make transit a harder sell on the regional level.
"If we're going to be smart about taking care of the long-term needs of this
community, we have to look at regional transit planning regardless of what goes
on Nov. 4," Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders said.
On Tuesday, Kansas City voters will decide on a 3/8-cent sales tax to fund a
14-mile light-rail line. It's been billed as the first step toward a regional
transit plan that would link parts of the metro area.
Mayor Mark Funkhouser of Kansas City vowed to keep transit on the regional
agenda no matter Tuesday's outcome.
Funkhouser has been a staunch advocate of regional transit, pushing a plan to
use express buses and commuter trains running on existing railroad tracks.
He thinks a regional transit system is critical to the revitalization of
Kansas City and making the area competitive nationwide.
But Funkhouser acknowledged again this week that pursuing regional transit
will be harder if light rail fails next week.
"If it doesn't pass, it's a setback for regional transit, but I think it's
going to pass," Funkhouser said at a news conference at Union Station.
Others agreed it may be more difficult if the Tuesday issue fails.
"It's real difficult to go back to the voters again and say, 'Oh, we've got
the right plan this time,' " said Platte County Presiding Commissioner Betty
Knight. "It's going to take a while before voters have confidence in another
plan."
County and city officials say there's a need for mass transit that can't be
ignored. Here are Missouri examples of what they're talking about:
Ridership on four express bus routes between downtown and the Missouri
suburbs is up 14 to 43 percent this year over last.
There was so much demand in Lee's Summit that the city paid to add an extra
bus to run downtown. Ridership on that route is up 43 percent through September.
Service between Liberty and downtown was upgraded to a bigger 43-seat bus
after ridership surged 36 percent this year.
Mell Henderson, director of transportation for the Mid-America Regional
Council, said he thinks the public has an appetite for more transit even with
sliding gas prices.
"The fact that most of our commuter express routes today are standing room
only tells me there's demand for more service out there," Henderson said.
Earlier this year, a coalition of Missouri-side city and county leaders
started working on a regional transit plan after Funkhouser unveiled his transit
ideas.
Leaders in Cass, Platte and Jackson counties can ask voters to approve up to
a half-cent sales tax for transit, whether it's for bus or rail.
The group started work, but efforts later cooled as Kansas City moved ahead
with its starter light-rail line. The group didn't want to muddle next week's
election.
Members of the regional group say no clear transit plan has emerged, and
Funkhouser says he isn't wedded to his $1.2 billion plan.
The group is looking at meeting again in mid-November after the light-rail
election. Some members expect a regional plan to be developed next year.
Sanders said a loss for the starter line wouldn't necessarily kill regional
transit efforts, especially if it's a close vote.
"If this is basically a coin-flip election, I don't see how it really impacts
us going forward one way or the other with a regional mass transit plan," he
said.
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