Smart Moves transit implementation plans move forward
MARC, in partnership with local officials and the region's transit providers, has been working towards an expanded regional transit system for years. MARC and the three main transit agencies are developing a two-phase implementation plan based on Smart Moves, Greater Kansas City's vision for expanded and enhanced regional transit service. Smart Moves indentifies a combination of urban and commuter public transit service needs.
MARC received $261,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to carry out Smart Moves planning on the Missouri side of the region, and has budgeted $25,000 to supplement bus rapid transit planning in Kansas, which is farther along. The bistate regional implementation plan will consist of two phases of activity, focusing first on urban corridor service and later on commuter corridors.
Requests for Qualifications:
Phase I: Regional Transit Proposal - Urban Corridors (pdf)
Phase II: Regional Transit Proposal - Commuter Corridors (pdf)
PHASE I: URBAN CORRIDORS
Phase I will develop a regional bus rapid transit proposal to build on local work completed so far, and to compete for federal funding through ARRA in September. Bus rapid transit is an enhanced bus system that operates on bus lanes or other transitways and combines the quality of rail transit with the flexibility of buses. The MAX route in the Main Street corridor in Kansas City, Mo., has been successful as the region's first bus rapid transit route. Local planning for the expansion of bus rapid transit service has continued for the Metcalf/Shawnee Mission and State Avenue corridors, and federal funding has been secured to construct Troost Avenue bus rapid transit.
The Phase I proposal will support the implementation of one or more major "Urban" transit service corridors outlined in Smart Moves. MARC has contracted with Olsson Associates to help develop the proposal.
MARC plans to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which recently made available $1.5 billion in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grants for capital investment in surface transportation projects. Grants of $30 million to $200 million will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs and benefit economically distressed areas.
PHASE II: COMMUTER/SUBURBAN CORRIDORS
Phase II will center on developing a commuter/suburban services implementation plan that outlines transit services for the region's major commuter corridors. It will evaluate options for providing high-level commuter services via commuter rail or other viable alternatives, and clarify a preferred commuter service concept.
For more information, contact Tom Gerend at MARC.