Show-Me Institute Study Examines Kansas City Light Rail Proposals January 23, 2008
A new policy study from the Show-Me Institute considers whether light-rail transit is a worthwhile investment for Kansas City. The study, “Review of Kansas City Transit Plans,” analyzes recent proposals and, in the process, repudiates many of light rail’s presumed benefits as a transit solution. The study also makes recommendations for ways in which Kansas City can address its transit needs in a fiscally responsible manner.
The study’s author, Randal O’Toole, is an internationally recognized scholar for numerous think tanks, including the Cato Institute, the Reason Foundation, and the Thoreau Institute. He has written extensively on the failures of centralized government planning, light rail transit, and smart growth.
In the study, O’Toole documents the many faults with light-rail systems across the United States that have been built in recent decades, demonstrating that they are enormously expansive, they fail to reduce congestion, and they do not result in the types of urban redevelopment their supporters claim. O’Toole suggests that Kansas City should expand its successful bus–rapid transit system or move toward competitively contracted transit as ways to better serve the transit needs of the community.
The study's author, Randal O’Toole, is available for interview or comment, as are other Show-Me Institute scholars. Please contact either David Stokes or Jenifer Roland for scheduling or additional information.
