El Bryan has started a Kansas City movement.
JOIN THE #KCSTREETCARFAIL ON FACEBOOK!!!
Described as a "Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)" this group unites to "Stop the Downtown Street Car in its tracks. Don't let this boondoggle cannibalize KCATA bus services or future improvements to our neighborhoods."
A mission statement of sorts:
"The goal of #KCStreetCar Fail is not to undermine public transportation in Kansas City, but to protect the Kansas City tax payer by finding innovative ways to improve KCATA by possible increases to bus service, development of a comprehensive transportation app, creating new destinations with more public art, and exploring the possibility of Jackson County Commuter Rail."
Already the group has just as many active members as the very agreeable KCRagForum geeks getting far too much attention from Mayor Sly and other Kansas City transit conspirators. Look to #kcstreetcarfail as a resource and maybe the epicenter of growing frustration over misplaced Kansas City priorities that actually thwart REAL transit efforts.
more public art?
ReplyDeleteWow!
Deficit Hawks!
I was thinking something along the lines of "less than $100M worth of public art."
ReplyDeleteStuff that doubles for bike racks, benches, etc. Stuff that people would use and appreciate, unlike a free street car that sucks money from a community that was never given the opportunity to vote against it.
That's all.
We need one of the Kempers or Dunns to burst on stage and interrupt Sly next time. Certainly those familys have a least one "black sheep" in the clan.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on it...
ReplyDeleteDunns won't oppose it. too much construction money involved.
ReplyDeleteHahahahah he said "boondoggle"
ReplyDeleteHahaha.
Boondoggle. Density. Where will they park. Boondoggle. Nowhere. Parking. Nothing to do. Boondoggle.
Not a lover of Facebook and the lack of privacy.
ReplyDeleteHow will tipsters get the word to him?
commuter rail in kc is dead and kansas city southern and bnsf killed it. dont blame david johnson and his cronies for evertyhign.
ReplyDelete10:17; Good point. I'll work on a solution for that. I'm starting from virtually nothing, so give me time.
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone who has signed on so far; I know there are many more who support this idea whose careers and reputations might be in jeopardy if they're seen associating with this movement, and I appreciate your silent presence as well.
The city made sure our voices weren't heard last year, so we need a strong presence to prevent this street car from destroying public transit options and local businesses in our city.
Why is a little streetcar line for tourists such a bad idea?
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that the way public transportation by rail works is by laying an A line and then expanding it, or have you hicks never rode a subway?
A bus for tourists would be cheaper, and no one asked us if we wanted the street car to begin with.
ReplyDeleteWith the city making so many "long term investments" we should be spending our money wisely, and everyone's opinion should be considered. This decision was made by 351 people.
Of course we need to focus much of our resources on Downtown Kansas City, but there are surrounding neighborhoods that are being neglected. Kansas City has a reputation for being dangerous because our murder rate is higher, per capita, than Chicago, and it seems like this point has fallen on deaf ears so much to the point that now people are rushing the stage at State Of The City speeches just to express their frustration.
Many of us hicks have "rode" a subway, but that couldn't be further from the point.
1217 ain't that one of them thar trains what runs under the ground? I sure as shit aint never seen on of them outside of a densely populated area
ReplyDeleteHave YOU ever ridden a subway, Matt?
Do you even lift?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that Bryan doesn't believe the toy train will solve our problems. Shame on him!
ReplyDeleteReal cities have to put in things for tourists to come here. This little line so they can get from Union Station/Crown Center to the River market without taking a Mad Maxx bus is a great idea, but only a good start.
ReplyDeleteIf you guys were so upset that only 351 people voted perhaps you and your neighborhood should have turned out and voted.
In a democracy, it is the right of the electorate to vote yes, no, or to abstain from voting.
Look at Buffalo, NY. They rehabbed their subway/train system (really only one glorified line).
ReplyDeleteNow if you are a tourist/businessman you can take your morning meeting at the HSBC tower, walk right to Coca Cola field and watch the Bisons, hop on the train to get off in the theater district/fountain plaza (M&T bank HQ), or ride it to the end of the line and go pick up UBuffalo girls.
It makes the city look nice. And people don't have a nice opinion of that inner city. But I went there (business trip) and did exactly that and have newfound respect for the city.
They took a city that was a hell hole and rebirthed it. They had to cut down the total track and it doesn't go out to the suburbs but it really showcases the city.
It was the first time I rode a subway not in a communist country that did NOT smell like shit, piss, ripple and homelessness.
hey 7:03pm
ReplyDeleteAlmost no one was allowed to vote. Don't you get that why some of us are so upset with this? Only a few of a select group got a ballot. It was all done in secret and the majority of the people who would have even been eligible to vote knew nothing about it and never received any notice or letter informing them that a vote was even going on.
That is not democracy. That is marxism.
Mass transit must be part of our future. Or did you enjoy last summer's heat wave, and the continuing drought, which we may attribute to global warming, caused by so many freaking cars?!
ReplyDeleteA bus is mass transit and way cheaper than a streetcar. Denver has a free tourist line running through the heart of it's downtown. IT'S A BUS and it works fine. It also left the corridor for plenty of money for other improvements.
ReplyDeleteIf this had been a city wide election it would have been defeated, but let's say, for arguments sake, it had won. I would have rolled my eyes and slapped my forehead like I did when we built the Sprint Arena/P&L District and gone on with my life.
But this was underhanded, and they're coming to your community next, so prepare yourselves.
If the issue of mass transit is important to you, I urge you to "Like" Kcstreetcarfail on Facebook, where I gather information from other cities that have already built street car lines and learned the hard way that it's not all it was cracked up to be when it was sold to them. I've already got some interesting stories from Tucson, San Antonio, and Seattle. I've been reading quite a bit about Portland, Atlanta, Toronto, and Cincinnati as well.
"Like" the facebook page even if you're leaning in favor of the streetcar proposal, and at the very least, we can continue this discussion intelligently, and you might learn more about the negative aspects that the streetcar salesmen and local media don't want you to know.