Clay Chastain Finalizes Kansas City Alternative Transit Petiton

A friend of the blog and one of our favorite local transit activists is gearing up for this latest crusade.

Here are the deets from an effort that will likely make it to the ballot as toy train construction along Main street ramps up . . . Take a look . . .

Clay Chastain's Plan: 2022 KC Petition Initiative for "Greenway Alternative Transportation System" Part V (last of 5-part series).....Federal Assistance + Ultra Light Rail + Greenway Route Map + Estimated Budget + Final Review.

Federal Assistance:
Modernizing a transit system is extremely expensive. Fortunately, there is a one-time federal funding opportunity available to help us do it. The smartest aspect of the 2022 Petition Initiative is the fact it is designed (and timed) to potentially secure One Billion Dollars for Kansas City from the "Infrastructure Bill" Congress recently approved. This amounts to a two for one deal making this challenging infrastructure-improving project workable.

Ultra Light Rail:
This new quiet, clean and low-cost rail technology is featured in the Petition's Greenway System south of the river (Monorail north of the river).  Because it doesn't require... an overhead wire catenary system (uses rechargeable energy storage device), a deep concrete foundation, nor relocation of underground utilities, Ultra Light Rail's construction costs (and time of construction) are a fraction of streetcars or conventional light rail.

Route  Map:
Comprehensive in design, the "Greenway Alternative Transportation System" serves the entire City.  It connects the northland to the southland and the eastside to the westside. It benefits everybody. A new Union Station Hub is the 'Heart" of the system. A Mini-Electric Shuttle Bus Fleet (not shown on Route Map), will transport passengers between Greenway Stations and secondary destinations (including to nearby passenger's residences).

Estimated Budget :
The total cost to construct the 66-mile "Greenway Alternative Transportation System" is $2.0 billion, which includes... 66-miles of Greenways (safe, park-style corridors with separated lanes for bikes / scooters, walking / jogging and All-Electric Transit ((Airport Monorail, Central City Ultra Light Rail, Electric Buses)), Union Station Hub, Penn Valley Park's reconfiguration into open green space central City park free of traffic, and a Downtown Aerial Gondola Transport System.

Final Review:
The Petition proposal is big and it is expensive. Most great things are. Rising gas prices, soaring car costs, mounting environmental concerns, lack of a local economic catalyst and the availability of federal matching funds, makes voter approval (in November) of an Alternative Transportation System great value for the tax dollar.  It will take thousands of traffic-clogging cars off our City's roads and parking lots every day. Kansas City's "Skyway" (Monorail) from Union Station to KCI coupled with the 66-mile Citywide "Greenway System", gives the Chamber of Commerce new heralded selling points for promoting Kansas City to the outside world. It will reduce carbon emissions, local air pollution and time lost in traffic jams. The Greenways will promote a healthier urban lifestyle by providing safer cycling, scootering and walking opportunities in our City. The Greenways will be an antidote for sprawl by attracting new economic / residential development around their livable affordable urban corridors. People who depend on transit can finally enjoy a state-of-the-art transit system with routes that are easy to understand and navigate. And of course, all the people whose marginal budgets are being eviscerated by rising transportation costs will love it because now they have a safe, convenient and far less-costly alternative transportation system in which to move about our City.  Population growth, economic vibrancy and modern transit have been stalled in Kansas City for 50-years. Kansas City needs a catalyst to get it going again. The 2022 Petition Initiative will put the wind back in our sails.

KC Activist, Clay Chastain
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Developing . . .