A four-part series explores the shortcomings of transit politics and planning in Wichita, Kansas.
"Wichita is far behind peer cities in the provision and use of public transit," reports Chase M. Billingham.
The sluggish pace of Wichita's transit funding isn't due to car culture, which is also present in other similarly sized cities, notes Billingham. "The true source of divergence is funding. Wichita Transit is severely underfunded, even compared to its peers in nearby car-friendly cities such as Omaha, Oklahoma City and Tulsa."
Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows Wichita Transit receiving approximately $4.2 million in local funds in 2017. "By comparison, local agencies that year received $7.4 million in Tulsa, $14.1 million in Oklahoma City, $14.5 million in Omaha, $15.4 million in Des Moines and $70.4 million in Kansas City," according to Billingham.
Local leaders are looking for new sources of revenue to fund transit projects, but a frequently floated idea of implementing a dedicated local sales tax has never been made a reality.
"Transit was one of four priorities that the city identified when it held a referendum on imposing a new 1-cent sales tax in 2014. Amid well-funded opposition and much controversy, that referendum was decisively rejected by voters."
The article is the third in a four-part series of guest commentaries on the subject of transit funding and planning in the city of Wichita.
FULL STORY: Wichita spends far less on public transportation than its peers — that has to change
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.