SIX MONTHS LATER:
Smart Moves and the Regional Investment Fund after the light rail vote
May 2007
The first generation of the Smart Moves Regional Transit
Plan was developed between 2000 and 2005 in an effort
to provide the Kansas City region its first detailed bistate
transit vision. The plan was created through a partnership
between the Mid-America Regional
Council (MARC),
the Kansas City Area
Transportation Authority
(KCATA), Johnson County
Transit, and Unified Government
Transit, and was the product of
extensive public involvement and community support. While the plan was predominantly a bus-based service
plan, Smart Moves also outlined potential commuter rail
corridors and future light-rail opportunities.
In November, 2006 the light-rail vote in Kansas City, Missouri, confirmed the public’s desire for viable, more intense transportation alternatives and articulated a new component for the region’s transit vision.
In response to the light-rail vote, and in an effort to capitalize on other planning efforts underway around the region, the Smart Moves team has initiated an update to the Smart Moves plan. The plan update will be integrated and run parallel with the light-rail planning activities and will also provide an opportunity to identify new connections and services throughout the region. As an overarching objective, the plan update will continue to promote a regional context for future transit investment on both sides of the state line.
Public involvement and engagement will play a key role
in helping to inform the update of the Smart Moves plan.
MARC has recently received a grant from the Federal
Transit Administration to conduct the “Guide the Ride”
initiative which will be used to help promote the public’s
involvement. The Guide-the-Ride project will consist of
approximately 25 public engagement sessions around
the region focused on local transit issues and needs and
will help to ensure the Smart Moves Update reflects public
opinions and desires. MARC hopes to roll out “Guide-the-
Ride” public engagement sessions as early as this June.
Regional investment fund legislation continues to see
activity as well. While Missouri legislation was originally
adopted in spring of 2006, a legislative amendment is
currently under consideration to confirm Missouri’s ability
to move forward independent of action in Kansas. The
identical Missouri house and senate bills are SB 671 and
HB 1009 respectively.
For more information, contact MARC Assistant Transportation Director Tom Gerend at 816-474-4240.