the unbearable lightness of rail

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I support light rail in Kansas City.

There's complaints that the line doesn't serve the entire city. That's true. But let's not forget, the vote on Tuesday is to fund a starter line. After you have a starter line, you build more lines to other places. It takes time, but a confident start would bode well for future growth.

I know we're used to a slumbering downtown and blighted surroundings, but it hasn't always been that way -- if you look at old photos of KC you'll notice how much life there was on the streets. And if you go downtown today you might be surprised how many signs of life are springing up again.

I'm with many of you out there who say there's more pressing needs in this city, such as putting more police on the street, funding education and the unfortunately unsexy issue of sensible sewage treatment. But if this thing is done right, the whole area will benefit from increased traffic flow, revenue and jobs.

So many times in the last few years I've driven past the bleak facades, payday loan signs, shell station crime tape, carjack-friendly drive-thrus, DUI checkpoints and heavily medicated pedestrians of the Main/Broadway Corridor and thought, "Man, this places needs a serious, far-sighted overhaul to help it get its shit together." It won't happen overnight, but as the thing gets built and used, new crosswalks, amenities and hopefully businesses will begin to appear.

Light rail -- like Barack Obama -- will obviously not be a singular savior to a city replete with complex problems. But the argument that there's "too many questions" smacks of the same subtle fear-stirring and defeatism heard throughout this election ("Do we know the real Barack Obama? Whose interests does he really serve? Too many questions!")

Light rail would have its flaws, hiccups and growing pains, without question. Personally I'd rather have trolleys -- that's a cool method of transit if this city ever saw one. Or better yet, the little trains they have at the Kansas City Zoo. But that's not what's on the ballot.

And those of you who think KC is getting all white and uppity trying to be like Portland or someplace should at least be thankful we're not voting on gondolas.

Rather than spell out any more arguments, I'll introduce this exchange between Matt and Nick. Matt rides the bus to work in KCMO. I don't know anything about Nick except that he doesn't like light rail and lives in Kansas, where (correct me if I'm wrong) light rail is not on the ballot. Reading Matt's comment-section refutations of Nick's points is an interesting exercise for those of you out there who are undecided. Or you could go even further and read about both sides in the Star. Much of the local blog noise over this thing can be found via Tony, who characteristically maligns the measure as a racist plan from an evil mayor.

On Tuesday you'll have to decide for yourself.

update: thanks again to Matt for this link to a very coherent and thorough discussion of the light rail issue