Envious of Portland’s light-rail system

I just returned from Portland, Ore., where I attended a Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Convention. They have The MAX light rail system. It took 15 minutes and 95 cents to travel from the airport to the convention center/hotel.
 
It made me extremely jealous. It was so easy to get on the MAX and shop or visit their attractions.

Kansas City, get on the ball!

Doris Foley
Independence

Comments

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Then move to Portland with it's high unemployment and expensive cost of living.
All of these people that are envious of other cities or countries should just move there instead of forcing entitlements on the rest of us.

[THAT was my foot]

Hello hijak,

Yes I do seem to suffer from the idea that we are all citizens of the kansas city area on both sides of the state line. But I do forget that all the suburbs, cities and such hate each other...

My mistake...

Why do you ask about my foot??? I believe you have your own.

[Engineer]

How much does the Portland light rail system go into the red each year? So far as my information extends I know of no municipal transit system that operates in the black and does not require subsidization. Another thing to consider is that Portland is a much more compact town than is KC.

[Frances]

Portland also has a commuter rail line that opened up this year as well. It is state of the art as well and besides, the green line opens up in September, not June or July, to the general public. In Portland, you can possibly live car-free (for Portland-related area transit only) but in Johnson County, it's either you have a car or you are screwed. The buses are not 100% reliable.

Can you use the JO passes (tickets) on KC's Metro? Just asking because in Portland, you can use them on Vancouver's C-TRAN system and vice-versa, which is probably a good reason to buy a yearly pass.

[Frances]

Portland is moving ahead while KC is moving backwards. Soon, many more cities will, gasp, pass us on by. If it wasn't for the mayor retracting the "approved" light rail vote because he didn't deem it worthy and placing a new measure on the ballot which failed, light rail would be on the right track for KC right now.

[Frances]

Kate,

Exactly how much money do we spend a day in Iraq? What do we spend that money on? Now compare that to what the entire green line cost to make.

[hajkar]

Not to mention that the Speedway is in Kansas.

How does your foot taste?

[hajkar]

I'm betting Portland has a better looking budget than does KC.

[THAT was my foot]

Hey kate and kee,

Gee you're so smart... doing all the advanced math and stuff. I guess you've no doubt been to Portland and ridden it's clean up to date system.

Don't forget that it's free in the center downtown area, unlike the paid lame parking we have just to have access to our "mall of bars", whoppee!!!

The thing is, it goes everywhere, the people there USE it daily, they depend on it, and it works. Unlike KC's, ummm.... what was the last round of budget cuts about??? You know where our lame butt city council cut metro bus service for many that actually USE IT???

Folks like you will help insure that KC stay exactly the way it is while other cities pass us by, ahh what vision...

Opps I forgot! it's time for you to go qualify on I 70 while going to the Kansas Speedway.

[Kate]

Ninety-five cents sounds like a good deal, so I did a quick search and learned that Portland opened another line on their rail system just this week. It cost $575 million and runs about 15 miles. Now if Doris would just go back and ride the train another 574,999 million times, they‘ll break even on this one section of track.

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/06/green_light_for_trimets_max_gr.html

[Kee]

Absolutely Doris, just make your check out to KC, and the ball will get rolling.