Federal Funding At Risk If KC Alters Plans

"The way light-rail planning is going, Kansas City could end up forfeiting millions of federal dollars already committed to the city, according to some local and federal officials.

That’s because of new ideas emerging for Troost Avenue. Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser is pushing a regional rail concept that includes light rail on parts of Troost. He’s also likes an alternative, pitched by Kansas City Councilman Russ Johnson, that calls for modern streetcar rail on Troost north of 63rd Street.

The problem is, that conflicts with a Troost improvement project ready to start.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority already has $24 million in federal funding committed to an express bus line on Troost called bus rapid transit. It’s basically like the MAX on Main Street.

But if some sort of rail is pursued on Troost instead, some officials think that money would vanish."