Light Rail in Kansas City

In November 2006, voters in Kansas City, Mo., approved a citizen-sponsored, light-rail ballot initiative to continue a 3/8-cent sales tax for 25 years and divert it from the current bus system to support light rail. The city and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) evaluated the voter-approved plan and identified a number of problems that make it unfeasible.

 

They are now conducting an Alternatives Analysis (AA) as part of a request for federal funding. The AA will review a wide range of issues, from funding to alignments to ridership. It will look at a 12-mile corridor extending from the Northland's Vivion Road and North Oak Trafficway area south to the Country Club Plaza, and east to Prospect Avenue via Linwood or Emanuel Cleaver II.

 

Visit the KCATA's light-rail Web site ››

Visit the Kansas City Light Rail campaign Web site ››

 

 

List of Transit Proposals

Over the last year, a variety of light-rail or streetcar concepts have been proposed by different groups for downtown Kansas City and beyond. Learn about the plans ››

 

Background

• Public invited to light-rail scoping meeting (February 22, 2008, KCATA)
• Funkhouser introduces plan for regional light rail (February 4, 2008, The Kansas City Star)
• AS I SEE IT | The time has come for light rail (November 19, 2007, The Kansas City Star)
• RTA Presentation to Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (November 14, 2007, Regional Transit Alliance, )
• KCMO Mayor and Council are leading the cause for light rail (November 9, 2007, Regional Transit Alliance)
• Statement regarding Kansas City City Council's recent light-rail decisions (KCATA, November 9, 2007)
• RTA urges City Council to repeal Chastain Plan (November 8, 2007, Regional Transit Alliance)
• Citizen Task Force recommendation to city council (KCATA, November 6, 2007)
• Light-rail testimony to Kansas City, Mo., Transportation and Infrastructure Committee – Ordinance 071130 (October 24, 2007, Regional Transit Alliance)
• Maps, presentation and summaries of August 2007 public meetings (KCATA)
• KCATA Light Rail Fact Sheet (pdf, 624kb, KCATA)
• Summary and map of light rail ballot initiative
• Photos of light rail with in-ground power source in Bordeaux, France
• Federal Transit Administration New Starts process to apply for funding (pdf, 57kb, FTA Region VII)

 

Recent News

• Kansas City's Citizens’ Task Force named (August 15, 2007, KCATA)
• Public invited to give input on future of light rail (August 10, 2007, KCATA)
• Chastain, analysis team clash on light-rail plan (August 10, 2007, Kansas City Business Journal)
• Petition seeks repeal of light-rail plan (August 7, 2007, The Kansas City Star)
• Public invited to be part of Light Rail Alternatives Analysis (July 25, 2007, KCATA)
• Light-rail analysis will arrive in early 2008 (July 11, 2007, Kansas City Business Journal)
• KCATA takes next step in light rail planning: Board approves Alternatives Analysis contract (June 20, 2007, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority)
• Downtown Kansas City Council Light Rail Position Statement (May 2007, pdf, Downtown Kansas City Council)
• Kansas City Design Center announces winner of light rail urban design competition (May 2007, Kansas City Design Center)