Kansas City Commuter Rail Coming Soon?!?

Don't hold your breath . . . They've been talking about this idea since the 90s and it has never gained traction beyond constant government studies.

And yes, some smarty pants always remind us that passenger rail traffic takes PRIORITY over all else on local lines . . . Which is cool but still doesn't make it any more profitable.  

Still . . . We share the pipe dream if only to entertain our evening readers . . . 

Kansas City and Olathe leaders are weighing whether fixed rail could offer people an alternative to getting around the metro, with officials proposing two different visions for how it could work.

“You think about what comes next. Commuter rail could come next. But commuter rail is full-size passenger cars on freight tracks. It’s difficult,” said Olathe Mayor Pro Tem Dean Vakas.

While Mayor Lucas feels a commuter rail would be easy to add to areas like Olathe and Lee’s Summit, Olathe Mayor Pro Tem Dean Vakas is eyeing a different set of tracks: Light rail.

“Commuter rail probably has limitations, but light rail comes into play,” said Vakas. “Here in Kansas City, while we certainly should consider what commuter rail would look like, and I think it’s important that we think in terms of one KC holistically. We’re not talking about one line. We’re really talking about the next step up on fixed rail transit that could serve the entire Kansas City metropolitan area. 9 counties, 119 cities.” 

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kansas City to Olathe: Fixed rail ideas gain momentum, but questions remain