Christmas came early for Mike Sanders. The Jackson County Executive landed $1.8 million in federal money to study his fanciful/awesome idea for a regional transit system.
Sanders sent out a press release on Tuesday in which he thanked five members of Congress for their help in shaking the money tree. The shout-outs to Kit Bond, Claire McCaskill, Emanuel Cleaver II, Sam Graves and Ike Skelton go to show how sprawling greater Kansas City has become without the kind of regional transit system Sanders wants to build.
The $1.8 million will be used to study the potential for commuter rail along I-70 between Kansas City and Odessa and the old Rock Island railroad that cuts through Raytown and Lee's Summit. A downtown streetcar line will also get a look.
Sanders originally proposed a "rapid rail" system of six lines stretching into six counties. Faced with the reality that the U.S. government is unlikely to write the $1 billion check necessary for such a system, Sanders and the Mid-America Regional Council are focusing on routes that federal transit planners will find the most appealing.
But even pared down, Sanders R.R. crosses three U.S. House districts. Hence, the head nods to Reps. Cleaver, Graves and Skelton.
The grant award is good news for residents who dream of boarding something other than a bus to get around town. But remember: The grant pays for a study -- not actual rails, cars, whistles or conductor's hats. The funding for those items may prove to be as elusive as Clay Chastain's self-awareness.
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