We've been getting a lot of questions about the toy train streetcar in the aftermath of a poorly attended celebration of one million riders.
To wit . . .
AT THE OUTSET OF A VOTE ON THE TOY TRAIN STREETCAR EXTENSION . . . OUR BLOG COMMUNITY DEMANDS ANSWERS OF REVENUE AND ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF THE TOY TRAIN STREETCAR CHOO-CHOO!!!
Remember that over the past year we've compared the boasts about ridership and they don't add up with numbers from bigger, better cities with more established rail transit.
Accordingly, here's the complaint and open question that streetcar cheerleaders must answer . . .
"We were promised the trolley would bring jobs & merchants. All we have some far is a darn expensive tourist attraction costing KCMO citizens over $8 million per year."
Important backup reference for that figure . . .
"The debt service for the bonds is based on the 4.42 percent interest rate is $4.4 million a year for 24 years. According to the streetcar's current budget, it will cost about $4 million to operate the system in the next year. With the debt payment, the total cost of the two-mile stretch is $8.4 million in the next year."
Add this to the over-budget construction of the starter line that costs anywhere from $150-200 MILLION . . . And all these concerns begin to add up as the streetcar eschews a fare that would potentially contribute millions to its operation . . . While many believe that the high priced extension proposal is a clandestine effort to bypass a citywide vote in order to keep the Midtown rail transit scheme going over the objections of many merchants and biz owners along the route.
You decide . . .
it depends if you're asking who is getting paid off.
ReplyDeleteLawyers, a few construction companies, developers and the Spanish streetcar manufacturer have been paid well.
Kansas City, not so much.
outrageous
ReplyDeleteIt's magic! It makes the local economy appear as if it's really running on all four cylinders.
ReplyDeleteLMAO
9 million a year for 2 miles of transit? What a ripoff.
ReplyDeleteSaw it up and down Main a few times last night. Most I counted was 6 passengers at one time. Least was 2 passengers.
ReplyDelete1 million passengers is lie, plain and simple.
How's the proof of your inflated ridership claims coming?
ReplyDeletehahahaha
Nothing like a Toy Train handjob. Thanks TKC.
ReplyDeleteMemorial Park will have to be sacrificed in coming years.
ReplyDeleteDie peasants!
ReplyDeleteWe don't care, we got our train.
More importantly, all the money that is being paid out in interest is nontaxable as income. So the rich get richer AND they get a free train to ride from their condo to the river market.
Serfs are such fools. Citizens are total idiots. Pa-thet-ic.
Will the streetcar ever pay off?
ReplyDeleteLet's see: First it's FREE.
So multiply the inflated number of riders times ZERO.
Then look at the decades of bond service and interest costs, plus maintenance and repair, plus operating costs, plus at some future date and probably while the bonds are still due, having to buy NEW streetcars.
Borrowing costs, fixed costs, operating costs, increasing maintenance costs,and,
IT'S FREE.
It generates no revenue.
But it's all worthwhile if Sly gets a new political gig.
A big thanks to KCMO taxpayers!
"WILL KANSAS CITY TOY TRAIN STREETCAR EVER PAY OFF???"
ReplyDeleteNope.
RE: TKC QUESTION: WILL KANSAS CITY TOY TRAIN STREETCAR EVER PAY OFF???
ReplyDeleteOh my!! That's a good one!
Please remember we're talking about mentally-challenged Democrats and self-interested real estate investors who rammed this ill-conceived boondoggle upon KCMO residents.
Answer: From the taxpayers standpoint, whether or not it would ever pay off was never under consideration.
When they were promoting the streetcar, it was all about economic benefit. Since that didn’t work out, now it is about how many tourists it carries. There is a serious flaw in their estimated ridership numbers, they are bald-faced lies. KC claims 6,800 riders per day while Atlanta claims just over 1,000 riders per day and Salt Lake City less than 1,000 per day.
ReplyDelete"There is a serious flaw in their estimated ridership numbers, they are bald-faced lies."
DeleteProof?
No?
OK. No proof.
Still.
I think it is time to cut our losses on the streetcar fiasco – shut it down. Operating expenses would go to zero & by defaulting on the bonds the interest expense would go away. Only people that would get hurt would be the tourist, they would have to take the bus.
ReplyDeleteThis PROVES the numbers are rigged!!!
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/NPGUIpv-JxI
I will tell you this, this is one of the worst scams kc has ever seen. Such a shame that we are allowing KCMO to pull the wool over our eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe free ride is over. The tourist using the trolley need to start paying for the service. San Francisco charges $7 for their cable car tourist attraction. I don’t think KCMO can charge that much, but a $3.50 fare might be appropriate.
ReplyDeleteKansas City is the only city in the US and maybe the world giving away free streetcar rides to tourists.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Streetcar hasn't even experienced Kansas City winters yet. It should be fun to see it shut down when cars and Delivery trucks are parked over the white street painted lines because they're COVERED BY SNOW.
ReplyDeleteI Am A Main Street Business Owner And I Have Not Seen The Promised Rewards Mostly Because The People Wish To Avoid The Freeloading Negroes Who Ride It Day And Night.
ReplyDeleteMost Humans Find The Negroes Objectionable And Do Not Want To Be Near Them.
Negro Please. Capitalizing Every Word.
DeleteThe streetcar authority needs to get fiscally responsible managers. It makes zero sense to run empty trolleys all day long. Nobody rides the thing on weekdays; the tourists come out on the weekend. Frequency of service needs to be adjusted to meet the demand and the resulting operating cost savings returned to the citizens.
ReplyDeleteAhh, peasants. You just don't get it. We bought those city-issued municipal bonds and are now earning tax-free interest income while you slog it out making ends meet with ever increasing costs for water, electricity and food. You are too stupid to revolt, too stupid to even apply the brakes as you go over the cliff into unending desperation.
ReplyDeleteYou will of course blame everyone but yourself, which is exactly what we predicted you would do. And, even more amazingly, you will continue to vote for and support the exact people who have poened you from day one.
I would feel bad for you, but it is hard to feel bad while stuffed with caviar and good wine, all bought and paid for with the interest income being generated from the TDD bonds.
Truly you are too stupid to do anything about it. You are so dumb that you even convince your children to go massively into debt for degrees that have been shown to be effectively worthless in the "modern economy". That is to say worthless in a post-NAFTA world.
Good luuuuuuck.
Let’s see – I have $8.4 million a year to spend. Where would it best be used? To give away free trolley rides to tourists or put 200 more police officers on the street?
ReplyDeleteAnybody who believes the ridership numbers the city is offering is an idiot. Their sensor based tracking is a joke.
ReplyDeleteWho gives a shit how many people the city says are on the trolley?
ReplyDeleteFirst big aksident and you know the people will be busting the doors down to get on so they can get paid for their pain and suffering! By the time the popo get there you know that mfer streetcar will be all elbows and a$$holes wit tha walking wounded!~ ERRYBODY GETS A CHECK!
Couple of mill a rider and the mfer be all full of peoples and KC gonna the next Flint. Bankrupt!
Keep wishing that it will shut down, just as long as you keep posting titty pics. Need more Jordan Carver.
ReplyDeleteNot only is the streetcar free, it also makes no money from advertising revenue. The buses charge $1.50 a ride and are plastered with advertising on all three sides of every bus and inside along the ceiling. The streetcar just has the Sprint logo
ReplyDeleteAll this begs a larger question - have we ever seen audited (by some reputable organization) figures on any of the city's projects? Don't recall ever seeing any and doubt that we ever will. Best chance was the Funk - unfortunately the world's worst politician.
ReplyDeleteJackson county doesn't fare much better.