Questioning Road Expansion In Kansas City Metro Area

Columnist Mike Hendricks says, "With gas at $3.20 a gallon at some stations this week and no mass transit system to speak of south of I-435, maybe now would be a good time to question some of our assumptions." In a town with more highway miles per capita than anywhere else in the nation, this is a big step.

But, government officials are skeptical.

“'I don’t think we know how the price of gasoline will play out,'” says Frank Lenk, director of research at the Mid-America Regional Council. “'We don’t know if gas prices will go up enough to reverse trends.'”

"Of course, when it comes to where folks flock, the trend continues to be toward sprawl. So far, Lenk sees nothing in the stats and projections to suggest a change."

"But with gas at $3.20 a gallon at some stations this week and no mass transit system to speak of south of I-435, maybe now would be a good time to question some of our assumptions."