KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City’s City Council was set to send a monorail transit plan to voters Thursday, but the measure was pulled back at the last minute.
Ballot language needs cleanup
Mayor Quinton Lucas said the council held off on voting because the ballot language submitted by the petition committee contained typos and unclear wording. The city’s legal team is working with Clay Chastain, representing the committee of petitioners, to fix the language before it goes to voters.
The measure currently bundles the monorail with other projects, including new bus service, park upgrades and a transit hub at Union Station.
Price tag
Lucas puts the cost of the plan at roughly $100 million a year. The plan would be funded by two separate sales taxes, one of which would be locked in for 40 years.
Lucas said the monorail proposal could pull funding from the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s bus system for 30 years.
Mayor questions the plan
Lucas said he is not sure a monorail is “a responsible expenditure of public funds” right now. He said he would usually look to professional staff to lay out the future of public transportation.
“We do have a streetcar line, we’re looking to add on to that streetcar line. I think we would very much welcome discussion on how do we look to expand that, how can we build a better future for public transportation — not necessarily, you know, look to travel around like the Jetsons,” Lucas said.
Lucas said the petitioners have a right to get the measure in front of voters once the ballot language is cleaned up.
Travelers react
The proposed monorail would link the airport to downtown, the Plaza and the zoo. KCTV5 asked travelers passing through Kansas City International Airport what they think of the idea…