Rockhurst Sentinel

Issue date: 9/24/07 Section: News

Media Credit: lightrail.com The Metrolink in St. Louis can serve as an example for proponents of a similar line in Kansas City.

Since 1992, Clay Chastain has been trying to get light rail started in KCMO. Until 2006 he has been unsuccessful in doing so.

Fifteen years ago Chastain proposed running a line of rail the length of Troost Avenue (right next to Rockhurst) but Troost is one of the few streets that runs the length of Kansas City; the price tag on that would be ridiculous. Another one of Chastain's proposed lines was on Broadway. With the Broadway plan he wanted to demolish an entire section of Broadway and remove homes and businesses to build this line. The citizens of KCMO and the Broadway area were outraged at the fact Chastain wanted to demolish their homes and business' and that plan has been dropped.

The price tag on the current planned line is $1 billion, but actual cost invariably exceeds the projected cost. For example, in Boston a plan to put just 3.5 miles of highway underground was originally supposed to cost only 2.8 billion dollars when the plan was hatched, its estimated final cost will be over 15 billion dollars.

In November 2006 Kansas City voters approved a measure that would create a 25 year half cent sales tax increase to help pay for the line. The only problem with this tax hike is that it will only cover $455 million to $5467 million. The rail planners are hoping for State or Federal funds to cover the remaining cost of the project.

Governor Matt Blunt (R) has stated that he is reluctant to hand Missouri funds over to the rail planners, partly because Metro in St. Louis Missouri constructed their lines without any state money. Metro did however have Federal funds backing them when the project began in 1990.

It would probably be in Kansas City's benefit to take a look at the light rail in St. Louis, they could probably learn a few lessons. For example, St. Louis started small with $435 million starter line. Kansas City's is already at $1 billion. Start out with a small line in the city, don't stretch it out to KCI Airport, it is way too far away. Also the builders need to try and avoid the Chastain method of demolishing roads and neighborhoods; they should try and build sections underground or elevated. In St. Louis the Cross County expansion places the rail in between the North and South lanes of the Forest Park Expressway and then underground to avoid demolishing homes and business'. If Kansas City can accomplish those things light rail might become a reality, but for now it appears that light rail is going nowhere in Kansas City.

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