TKC NOTE: We notice that transit activist weren't bragging about all of the community "support" they claimed this week after some real questions have started to emerge on Phase II of their plan. Accordingly, here's a bit of description of how the last streetcar meeting when down. Check it:
The Latest Streetcar Meeting
There were over 250 in attendance. There was enough dissension in the room during Gunner's presentation that when he was done they decided to change the format. They offered a separate room for those that wanted to speak to city council members who were present, Russ Johnson, Jim Glover, Jan Marcason, et al. The people who wanted to look at the maps and talk to Next Rail facilitators could stay at the tables.
About 2/3 stayed at the tables and 1/3 that went to the other room.
It started off with Johnson rambling about nothing. At one point the room reacted to something he said and there was an outburst. He got frustrated about being interrupted and said he was going to do what he does with his kids. He was going to stand there and say nothing until there was quiet. A couple of people jumped on him for being condescending.
The best part of the evening was when Glover was answering a question and Russ Johnson started talking over him. Glover chastised Johnson in a rather humiliating manner. Johnson was so frustrated and annoyed that he threw a quick little tantrum and crushed the empty water bottle in his hand. It was very entertaining to watch the interaction between Johnson and Glover. Glover kind of slapped Johnson down a few times during the night. They do not appear to like each other and Glover did not even try to be diplomatic about it.
There were a lot of good speakers and excellent points were made.
There is concern the City might suggest stopping the tracks at 51st street to shut up the Brookside / Waldo dissenters. This is on the agenda for today's mayor’s advisory meeting. No matter where it stops, there will still be a 1% sales tax, with the possibility of more of the same from the county, and was it MODOT that also wants to propose a 1% sales tax? This definitely a WAR ON THE POOR PEOPLE OF KANSAS CITY! The fact that we have bad schools, bad sewers, high crime, etc., exacerbates the issue.
Even if they say they are going to stop at 51st now, they will change their mind later and decide to extend further south.
Citizens for Responsible Government
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The Glover vs. Johnson battle sounds like typical KC bickering is already killing the streetcar.
ReplyDeleteThe street car is simply dumb when you consider that Kansas City hasn't been a pedestrian friendly, and more personal transportation oriented town since the 50's. This is such an abuse of power and authority, I don't know why there aren't more lawsuits over this. Sly James is certainly not re-electable after this and so many other irresponsible acts.
ReplyDeleteHere Mayor Sly stick it
ReplyDeleteSounds like Russ needs to grow some balls! Funny, he's always showing them to anyone at The Strand!
ReplyDeleteI certainly support making Kansas City friendlier to bicycles and pedestrians, and improving/simplifying public transit. Streetcar is not the solution. It diverts too many resources to one thing and claims to be a good deal because it qualifies for federal assistance.
ReplyDeleteWith 1/3 of what they're asking for, we could make all the other upgrades we need and have $ leftover for infrastructure surrounding schools, or better/smarter police enforcement.
El Bryan nails it. Somehow these idiots fell in love with the sexy idea and lost all reality that there are better and cheaper options.
ReplyDeleteAnon 455... Be prepared for Sly "Feel Good" James to be your Mayor for as long as you remain a resident of Kansas Shitty.
ReplyDeleteAfter 7 times of voting down Light Rail the Mayor still puts in footings for the Rail and the cost go up. Seems the Mayor doesn't care what the taxpayers say. The neighbors will never get what's need only what City Hall want's.
ReplyDeleteWith the KC Star giving very little input from the neighborhood's and giving great press to City Hall only time will tell who comes out on top.
I was there at the meeting. I'll be the first to say it, this is sly's Waterloo. The tide has turned on him.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the Shuck and Jive Minstrel Show is coming to an end... bring on the guy with the broom to sweep this grinning idiot off the stage!
ReplyDeleteGive me a broom I'll do it
ReplyDeleteThere were 26 members at the mayor's committee today who voted on what to do south of 51st Street. 16 voted to go for it now, expand down to 75th St. at least, 9 voted to take it off the table for now and bring up in the future, and 1 voted to stop at 51st Street. There were 30 members on this board. 16 out of 30 is just barely over half, not a resounding majority.
ReplyDeleteThe 10 no votes to expand now also included shrinking the TDD down to end at the Plaza.
The city's already on the hook for over $80 million, not counting what's already been spent out of every account that can be found.
ReplyDeleteAnd all started by 375 voters out of a population of 460,000+.
All aboard!
These guys don't keep their word on anything. They said this morning there wasn't going to be a vote on extending south from 51st but they did it anyway. These people are beyond help wake up KC!
ReplyDeleteMUST I repeat again we hipsters who live in apartments and condos with property tax abatements want this streetcar, and we're going to get it. You people's job is to shut up and pay up, and if you don't like it, you can always move. That's what we hipsters will be doing by the time the bills come due. You don't think we're going to stick around in a debt and crime ridden city with no decent public schools for our little darlings when there are suburbs we can bring our wisdom to, do you?? REALLY!
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't sound like the meeting I was at. There was a lot of enthusiasm for the project.
ReplyDeleteLadies and gentlemen, The Slanderella Spin.
I'm looking forward to scooping up an awesome Brookside/Waldo property for below market value after the scary white people flee for fear the street car(but not the MAX) will bring crime to the area.
ReplyDeleteYes there were kool aid drinkers sitting there in their narcotic like streetcar daze 7:58.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone in the proposed Transportation Disaster District should get juicy tax cuts and tax breaks like the Downtown folks supporting the Trolley do.
ReplyDeleteREAL MEN DON'T BUY GIRLS
ReplyDeletePlease, mayor and city council members, tell me. Is there something wrong with the bus system? Why did we get rid of the trolleys and all the tracks years ago? Who's making money on this flim flam?
ReplyDeletethis is going to be a dumpster fire
ReplyDeleteMaking transportation upgrades in phases is a great idea, but disenfranchising voters to do it is awful.
ReplyDeleteIf we want to build a streetcar, then we need to explain to the Northland why they should help pay for it.
The people supporting streetcar view this as a cars vs. public transit debate, and don't even want to try selling the Northland on public transit. That's not only lazy, but it's unfair.
We should be having this discussion as a city, not as a gerrymandered district. We should come up with a solution that will benefit EVERYONE long term... not just "the people in KC 75 years from now."
Whether we build light rail with dedicated lanes and right of way in phases, or make buses/cycling/walking work better/faster/cheaper with technology, planning, and incentives, this is something all tax payers in Kansas City deserve to be included in.
Kansas Citians have voted 8 times on various mass transit plans. 7 times we said "hell no". This toy train scheme will also go down in flames. No matter what the hipsters, tree huggers, and Johnson and Staubio want, you will NEVER get us out of our gigantic obnoxious giant SUV's. We love our cars.
ReplyDeleteFINE.
ReplyDeleteIt can stop at 51st and ROCKHILL.
keep it away from Brookside Blvd.
War on the poor no matter how you slice it.
ReplyDeleteWhy are we fighting for Capitalism?
ReplyDeleteI'm in it for the cancer, stroke and heart attacks!
ReplyDeleteThe Bear's support Waldo.
ReplyDelete8:02: We people in Brookside/Waldo are not afraid of the streetcar's bringing crime to the area. We fear being taxed out of our properties. If you're really looking for awesome property in the area, keep me in mind. If taxes get much higher, I'm out of here.
ReplyDelete10:29: Giant obnoxious SUVs? In Brookside? Heaven forbid. Brookside is Priusville. Haven't you ever been here?
ReplyDeleteThe Downtown Streetcar Supporters are a bunch of sociopaths. Whatever it takes to bring these fools down is fine.
ReplyDelete"The Downtown Streetcar Supporters are a bunch of sociopatha"
ReplyDeleteJust like those who believe in man made global warming.
10:10
ReplyDeleteFrom Polar Vortex: climate change
"A study in 2001 found that stratospheric circulation can have anomalous effects on the weather regimes.[29] In the same year researchers found a statistical correlation between weak polar vortex and outbreaks of severe cold in the Northern Hemisphere.[30][31] In more recent years scientists identified interactions with Arctic sea ice decline, reduced snow cover, evapotranspiration patterns, NAO anomalies or weather anomalies which are linked to the polar vortex and jet stream configuration.[29][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] However, because the specific observations are considered short-term observations (starting c. 13 years ago) there is considerable uncertainty in the conclusions. Climatology observations require several decades to definitively distinguish natural variability from climate trends.
Southern Hemisphere Ozone Concentration, February 22, 2012
The general assumption is that reduced snow cover and sea ice reflect less sunlight and therefore evaporation and transpiration increases, which in turn alters the pressure and temperature gradient of the polar vortex, causing it to weaken or collapse. This becomes apparent when the jet stream amplitude increases (meanders) over the northern hemisphere, causing Rossby waves to propagate farther to the south or north, which in turn transports warmer air to the north pole and polar air into lower latitudes. The jet stream amplitude increases with a weaker polar vortex, hence increases the chance for weather systems to become blocked. A recent blocking event emerged when a high-pressure over Greenland steered Hurricane Sandy into the northern Mid-Atlantic states.[38]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_vortex
It was 5 degrees on March 1 in CK. Just sayin
10:50: 10:10's not interested in facts. You'll only confuse him. He's a sociopath, and he's drunk the Kool Aid.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry the toy trains are going to attack and stop the Rossby waves and polar vortex's!
ReplyDelete10:29 for every Prius in a Brookside driveway there is an SUV. Don't you know they cancel each other out?
ReplyDeleteEvery single home on my street except mine owns at least one SUV. many have 2.
Anti anything fearbots.
ReplyDeleteLots of places with rail transit also have car loving SUV driving people:
Dallas St. Louis salt lake Cincinnati Cleveland Tampa Charlotte Los Angeles Houston
Next red herring....
Kids want cars it's just they don't want to admit they are broke and underemployed most of the time. Plus they don't understand that this is really a tax scheme being crammed down peoples throats, and they are the ones that will end up holding the bag. If they stick around here that is.
ReplyDeleteThey won't. The will move. They're used to other people cleaning up after them, and that won't change.
ReplyDelete8:02: Please come by and make me an offer. Put your money where your mouth is. Unless you're one of the hipsters who work at Starbucks, in which case you can put your parents' money where your mouth is.
ReplyDelete2:52 is Dave Johnson and he is right. Streetcar and SUVs can co-exist, but there will be much less money for bicycle lanes, snow plowing, intersection upgrades, and improved bus service.
ReplyDelete