Show-Me Daily blog reminds us that KCMO is on the SAME MONEY LOSING TRACK AS PORTLAND with our current streetcar adventures: "Does anyone doubt that this will be the case in Kansas City? The Kansas City streetcar is currently slated to be free to ride, just as Portland’s was. But when the bill gets too large, Kansas City will start charging a fee, just like Portland did in 2011. The result in Kansas City, as it was in Portland, will be fewer riders, even though in Portland the routes were expanded. The city will be on the hook for the cost and — as has been the case all over the country — the transit authorities will start taking money from successful and cheap bus transportation."
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Well I have no idea what the fee will be but anything more than .50 to ride it be highway robbery. So in short the taxpayers best get ready to take up the you know what to support this idiotic idea.
ReplyDeleteElected officials are not listening. They need a legacy to put their name on.
ReplyDeleteSly and the council kids, and the streetcar backers don't care if anybody rides it. It's not about transportation. it's about eco-dev downtown. if the thing rattles around empty it won't matter one bit.
ReplyDeleteThe whole concept that it has to be free or nobody will ride it seems very strange.
ReplyDeleteWhy would that seem strange 3:40
ReplyDeleteDo you pay to use any sort of public transportation now? Are you willing to pay for public transportation? If it is free sure more will ride it. Once they start charging to ride the freeloaders will stop using it.
Kansas City is full of followers. There are no leaders. That's why all of the really bright ideas come from folks who don't live here. Our biggest advocate right now is Clay Chastain and where is he? Not in Kansas City.
ReplyDelete3:53 +1
ReplyDelete3:32 nails it.
ReplyDeleteOne can only wonder how many boondoggles KCMO will implement before it officially reaches Detroit status.
ReplyDeleteReaches?? Hell we are there!
ReplyDeleteVery intelligent discussion and guess who is missing? That is why this is a good discussion. Good to see you back Superdave.
ReplyDeleteIf no one rides it, that will be a huge problem because the businesses that this will supposedly attract are definitely going to be looking at those numbers.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I'm against it, I'm not willing to predict its complete failure; in fact, I want it to be successful.
This news story is important, though, because it is evidence that what Tony, myself, and others have been warning is inevitable. If streetcar can't work in Portland, can it work anywhere?
Great comments.
ReplyDeletePeople bitching about a $100M transportation project when most probably supported the economic developmentless $600M stadium renovations is priceless. It's a small gamble being paid for by those that will benefit from it. Granted, I understand the commoners confusion over an attempt to try and attract taxable income. Instead of whining how about a better idea. We are all ears geniuses.
ReplyDelete