Regarding the light rail proposals, I’m amazed that we seem to be moving away from one of the primary components of the plan: the connection to the airport.
With all the exciting developments downtown and the increased convention business we’re trying to attract, providing a rapid link from the airport is probably the most important function for light rail to serve.
In addition to focusing on potential development around the rail lines, planners should also be concerned with how to get riders on the trains. The transition to taking public transit may come about slowly for residents, but incoming visitors arriving at KCI are guaranteed riders.
Currently, there is no public transportation option on weekends to get to and from KCI. Furthermore, visitors arriving with luggage do not want to negotiate clumsy bus transfers.
Forcing visitors to rent a car and find their way downtown is not only unwelcoming, it also impacts parking and traffic and discourages light rail use once downtown.
I only hope that we come up with a system that not only makes sense, but that we can be proud of and that encourages visitors from sophisticated cities worldwide.
Skye Livingston
Kansas City
“Once that's done, we will see lines spring up connecting JoCO, western WyCo, Independence, and points southeast as well. But that backbone line stretching from the Plaza to the Airport is key.” - CRD
Agree.
As a former resident of WyCo I know a lot of people who look forward to the day of convenient mass transportation between the two states. With the amount of disagreement found in MO alone on the subject of mass transportation I just don’t see two states arriving at an agreement on this issue. Ever.
Posted by: GCYL | June 25, 2007 at 04:03 PM
Every mass transit system in the World connects to the airport and other major transportation hubs, the system will fail and lose tons of money if it doesn't.
By not connecting to the Airport who benefits, automobile, oil...who loses mass transit, people who work and travel. Follow the money trail and you'll find the corruption.
Posted by: Sophie Demartine | June 25, 2007 at 06:57 AM
If they can get to the hotels downtown, and to the new P&L district, then I don't think that's an unreasonable start.
Don't get me wrong, it makes sense to start thinking about other main lines too, but it's pretty darn ridiculous not to be thinking about connecting the airport to downtown asap -- and then downtown to Westport/Plaza/Brookside/Waldo.
Once that's done, we will see lines spring up connecting JoCO, western WyCo, Independence, and points southeast as well. But that backbone line stretching from the Plaza to the Airport is key.
Posted by: CRD | June 24, 2007 at 05:47 PM
So, mass transit from the airport to downtown should take priority over other mass transit? What happens when the increased number of visitors get downtown on your proposal and there is no mass transit downtown nor between downtown and the suburbs?
There should be a backbone that FIRST connects ALL of the metro area and upon which feeder lines can be added later.
Posted by: eye | June 24, 2007 at 11:04 AM
Had to go to St. Louis for work the other week. Was amazed at the ease with which I was able to reach my destination from the airport via the light rail system. It's silly that we don't have something similarly convenient here.
Posted by: CRD | June 24, 2007 at 12:31 AM