Of a whopping 555 eligible voters, 318 voted this week to approve a special taxing district to help pay for a downtown Kansas City streetcar, reports David Twiddy.
The streetcar, which is expected to run 2 miles through downtown Kansas City from Union Station to the River Market is expected to cost $101 million. "[City Councilman Russ] Johnson said the city and the Port Authority of Kansas City now must create a
Kansas City Streetcar Authority. The authority would be responsible for
holding a second vote, most likely during the November elections, to
approve a slate of special property assessments and a sales tax within
the district to generate the remaining $75 million for the project," explains Twiddy.
Apparently the segment approved this week is just the first phase in a system that could eventually expand throughout the city.
According to Twiddy, "A group of streetcar supporters has started Neighbor.ly, an online 'crowdfunding' platform to raise money for the project through
individual donations."
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