TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY INSIDERS REVEAL EPIC DOWNTURN FOR STREETCAR RIDERSHIP!!!



The end of the year and slightly colder weather have translated into a dramatic downturn for Kansas City toy train streetcar streetcar ridership.

Correlating with data that provided by the KC Streetcar Authority and using a bit of independent statistical analysis, take a look at this SHOCKING graphic:



Perspective on the numbers:

"A graphical presentation of ridership trends as shown on KC Streetcar website. Since their method of counting ridership (Unlinked Passenger Trips) counts riders as they get on and again when they get off; their numbers have been reduced by one half to more accurately reflect the purported number of riders."

This year, behind the scenes and thanks to our KICK-ASS blog community, there has been an ongoing debate about counting methodology and the overall downward ridership trend during cold weather that is backed up by the Streetcar Authority's own stats.



There's no arguing that the streetcar line has created a great deal of excitement at City Hall but a lot of the exuberance isn't backed up by an uptick in jobs, new biz or anything more than additional subsidy in order to support one of the most expensive transit lines in the nation.

Developing . . .

Comments

  1. I guess it's not getting much benefit from all of those 24 million tourist claimed by Visit KC.

    Numbers are fun. Jobs are better.

    Where are the jobs if there's so much new activity?

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    Replies
    1. Okay, the numbers might be declining a little during the colder months but that makes sense. The colder weather keeps most people in doors.

      But instead of just criticizing, let's talk about solutions!

      Even TKC admits that there is excitement about the streetcar. What do we do with all of that great energy and pride in KC? Do we just ignore it or let it go to waste or really get to work and try to make our city the best in the nation? I'd rather do the latter and be part of the people helping to push KC forward. Look at our upcoming ballot. We have too separate proposals that want to continue the streetcar and they both have their own distinct supporters. Obviously there is demand and the economic benefit of having more people interested in Downtown should be obvious. Don't root against KC. See what you can do to help!

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    2. Trump won. KC is doomed. He ain't keeping up all of the Obama subsidies and welfare handouts.

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    3. 6:52, I respect your Pollyanna outlook, but the cooler weather keeps people indoors? For starters, it hasn't even been really cold yet. But even on the chillier days we've had, there's no shortage of traffic and people out and about in cars. The trolley is seen by many people as an entertainment attraction, sort of like the carriages on the Plaza. The high numbers reported in the summer correspond with the curious folks who wanted to ride the new attraction. But as a viable and ongoing source of actual transportation, it falls far short.

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    4. Ladies Who Lunch12/5/16, 9:01 PM

      6:52 you are either whistling in the dark or whistling all the way to the bank as you cash a city hall check.
      Your subservient attitude reflects the city hall ethos. "Please love me, please" This dickish attitude saddled me and the rest of KCMO with an albatross in the shape of a toy train.
      It is best for the city if you just stfu.

      Delete
  2. Did they all go over the cliff with Hillary last month?

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  3. Public Service Announcement12/5/16, 7:10 PM

    6:52 I have a solution, decommission the damn thing and save the taxpayers millions.

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  4. It's free (um...fully subsidized). Does it even matter if ridership has fallen??

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  5. ^^^ When they want to build an extension at the cost of a quarter billion dollars or more. YES, ridership does matter.

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  6. Too many rock smoking, farting boons on that train. They need to shut it down, deodorize it and try again.

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  7. 7:13, if you have trouble giving away a free product or service, it matters.

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  8. 6:52: Stay away from the Kool-Aid!

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  9. Tourist season ends and so does the adoration of the regressive, slow streetcar. I'm not surprised.

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  10. Yes, all 24 million tourists have gone home to Fairway!
    See you next spring...if the kids are still interested in riding on a train.
    Someone needs to introduce just a little bit of common sense and adult supervision.

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  11. The fact is people went downtown during the summer or fall to ride the new free amusement ride and now they have better things to do.

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  12. Would it make more sense for KCATA to run an express bus on the streetcar route rather than running empty trolleys all day?

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  13. Month cost is $1.2 million divided by 60,000 riders equals $20 cost to carry each passenger. Would be cheaper to give those folks a free 2 mile Uber ride?

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  14. No wonder they are hiding the daily ridership numbers of their website.

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  15. These numbers prove the trolley is an attraction for freeloading tourist.

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  16. Instead of pushing for expansion, those trolleys folks need to come up with a scheme to get people to use the existing streetcar. Maybe they should offer free rides to get the ridership numbers up?

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  17. 6:52 PM – the streetcar was an experiment that did not work. The only solution is to shut it down and save the $14 million a year wasted on it.

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  18. Agreed 9:15

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  19. Expansion?

    Can't we just trade this thing for faster, electric buses? Seems like a rip-off so far.

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  20. First the streetcar people promised jobs & new businesses in the district. When that didn’t work out, they started taunting ridership numbers. Since that did not work out, what next???

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  21. ^^^^^^^^^^What's next is the streetcar expansion- see you there!!!!

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  22. TOP PHOTO

    After all the chili had been judged and eaten at the cook-off, Bob forgot and lit a match!!!

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  23. Did you know???

    All transit ridership data relate to trips taken. Not to people. That's because that is how data are collected and reported. The heavy use of passes, transfers, joint tickets, and cash by people transferring from one vehicle, service, or public transportation agency to another makes it impossible to count people.

    This renders your stupid analysis even more pointless.

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  24. ^^^^ Ridership numbers that don't count people. GENIUS!

    Are you sure you want to be calling other people stupid?

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  25. If it's on the internet, it must be true!!!

    Just like it seyz here: http://tonyskcstreetcar.blogspot.com/

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  26. 6:52 You are right! What do we do with all of that great energy and pride in KC? Do we just ignore it or let it go to waste or really get to work and try to make our city the best in the nation? I'd rather do the latter and be part of the people helping to push KC forward.
    I suggest that we build warm waiting rooms at each Toot toot stop. They will need to be pretty large to allow for all of the riders that want to ride but are too cold to stand and wait for a free ride, but maybe some of the businesses would let people stand inside their businesses until the Toot Toot gets to the stop to pick them up. We need to move forward. Maybe we could park some buses at the Toot Toot stops for people to sit and wait in. Come on people lets sing Kumbaya and get warm.

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  27. 9:41am - your idea is brilliant; they need to park buses at each stop for people to wait in,because the trolley is too full.

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  28. Looked at some of the old articles, they wanted 500 million for additional phases. Now it has hardly been cold, and the end of the novelty factor and the end of tourist season have aligned to make this non essential.

    Does city hall question why people question their priorities. Also, where is the transparency on numbers, shaping up to be an expensive non essential, huge sink of attention and money.

    Be good to see the list of original backers, understand the rigor of their decision processes, and see the cost structure and who got paid on this one. Let's see those lists on who got paid, and who promoted this with the hype machine on high.

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  29. ^^^ Absolutely!

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