KCATA Commissioners approve Comprehensive Service Analysis
Posted by Transit Action Network on June 6, 2010
May 26. Ron McLinden and Janet Rogers attended the KCATA Board of Commissioners meeting.
Items of note:
There are new opportunities for federal funds and KCATA will be applying for this money. Under “Clean Fuels” and “State of Good Repair” programs the requests will be out of items that are already in the ATA’s capital budget, such as hybrid vehicles and electric service trucks, a new revenue collection system and a new bus cleaning system.
The ATA will also be looking for eligible “livable communities” projects using the TIGER and TIGGER grant programs of ARRA.
KCATA is contracting for a Comprehensive Service Analysis of its bus operations. The 15-month $533,881 contract is with Nelson-Nygaard, a transit consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco. See the ATA staff presentation to the BOC-Comprehensive Service Analysis
If you don’t already know, rather than having major service cuts or raising fares again this year, KCATA is using its sales tax reserve account to maintain service. The Finance Department made a report saying if things continue as they are now, KCATA expects to exhaust it reserve fund early in 2014. Of course, improved sales tax revenue, full funding from Kansas City’s ½ cent sales transportation tax and one-time money from the State of Missouri would help to postpone or eliminate the problem.
Transit Action Network (TAN) 
erogers said
Any word on public input opportunities? That piece is completely missing in the timeline…
Jsrogers said
I have been told there is a public input phase later in the analysis, but I don’t know the time frame yet.
sharon pendleton said
Has there been any consideration of local (KC in particular) TIF funding being redirected AWAY from costs of building parking structures TO funding the use for public transit into the TIF area? This will require a policy change, but it seems obvious that many policies do not work in favor of the general public.