Clay Chastain called last week to talk about his latest light rail plan, which he'll kick off at Union Station on October 14 at "high noon."
"We're going to try to repeat the political miracle of 2006," Chastain told me.
Chastain said he'll pimp his latest plan on the 14th with a short speech, answer some questions from
the media and then hit the streets to start his
latest petition drive -- or as he put it, "gallop to a new green horizon."
Chastain sounded like he's been watching a lot of old westerns, talking about "drama on the plains." There will be plenty of drama if the public backs his latest plan. He says it'll "reconfigure the infrastructure and the political structure," taking away the City Council's power to override a vote of the people.
The meat of Chastain's plan is an upgrade of Kansas City's "pathetic transit
system" to a "world class transit system," he said. It's a $2.2 billion
cap improvement project, "a big plan taking on a big problem," he said.
This time, he's promoting "a world-class,
light rail based transit system based at Union Station," Chastain
said. He's added five to six miles to the spine of his light rail line,
going from the airport to Kansas City's southern border with Lee's
Summit (gotta tap that suburban growth). There'd also be street car
lines running from downtown to the train station and east to Crown
Center and Gillham Road, Linwood Boulevard to Prospect. Another street
car line would run from Main Street to the train station to the Plaza
and Brookside and Waldo.
Electric buses would carry people to and from the rail line, cutting the number of park-and-ride lots.
Chastain can already hear the voices of his critics. He knows they'll say his plan
is too expensive. He answers that if Kansas City can pay to upgrade its
sports and entertainment facilities, then it can afford light rail. He
knows the critics will say Kansas City lacks the density for his plan.
"No shit, Dick Tracy," he says. He sees his plan pulling some
of the 142,000 lost taxpayers back into the city.
I had some news for Chastain. At least one reader had cast a vote for him as Kansas City's Best Anti-hero in The Pitch's readers' choice ballot for Best Of 2009 awards. (He didn't win; Mayor Funkhouser took that honor.)
"I'm not interested in winning awards," Chastain said. "I'm interested in winning a battle to save a city."
If his plan fails, he'll "figure this is a lost cause," "go out to
pasture" and build his wife a little Victorian home in Virginia. But
Chastain reminded me that he's coming off a victory in 2006.
"This is a battle we must wage," Chastain said.
Spoken like a true anti-hero.
Photo by Angela C. Bond
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I never really saw how Chastain is "crazy". He is just about the only person involved in this fight who is actually passionate about the issue.
Seriously, between Crazy Clay and Mayor Cleaver's "touristy frou-frou," mass transit in KC has been lost for another generation.
For those who say Kansas City is too small/spread out for a rail system take a look at Salt Lake City whose light rail is adding 2 new lines within the next two years. St. Louis, about the same size as K.C. has become way more dense since the light rail came.
Oklahoma City is trying much harder to bring streetcar to their city than K.C. is trying to bring streetcar/light rail. I will have to kill myself if OKC becomes a more progressive city than Kansas City.
I know he isn't a popular guy to like, but I have to love him for the fact that he is trying to make Kansas City a progressive city. He recognizes that this is the direction that cities over 2 million people are going. It seems as though there is a large percentage of people who want Kansas City to stay a small Cowtown. The fact that the metropolitan area is consistently growing and the fact that the downtown population has risen dramatically in the past fews are all signs pointed towards Kansas City becoming an actual city. Rail transit is what a lot of people look at before coming to a city. I can almost guarantee that if KC had light rail AND streetcar it would instantly become a much mored desirable city. I mean, K.C. has a lot of potential (I have friends who live on the East and West Coast who say this). We have a growing art scene, a recognize art museum, one of the best art schools in the country, and plenty of bars, theaters, and surprisingly good restaurants to make this city be a city that young people consider.
I have looked at this plan and it looks great. Sure it will cause an increase in tax, but it is proven that rail transit helps cities and communities. Anybody who is interested in making K.C. a more livable city
needs to vote for this.
Don't vote for it just because it's put forward by Clay Chastain. I know the cowboy thing is a little annoying, but, hey, even George Bluth went through a cowboy phase (not the best example? Fair enough).
in short: SIGN THIS PETITION AND VOTE ON THIS PLAN NEXT NOVEMBER!
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