1. Michael Collins pointed out a vastly under-used transportation resource: the Missouri River. | 2. People entering the work force are more likely to want to live Downtown than either of the previous two generations, Sherry McIntyre said. | 3. Experience shows that density follows light rail everywhere, said Jim Harpool. | 4. When people understand the community benefits of a transit system, they support it even if they don’t personally use it, said Dick Jarold. | 5. Kitty McCoy said the challenge of explaining mass transit needs to people is helping them understand all the elements that are required. | 6. By providing amenities that people can’t get in the suburbs, said Kite Singleton, Kansas City can attract more residents to the urban core.

“It will happen if it’s the right priority in the minds of everyone associated with it,” affirmed Dick Jarold, senior director for the Kansas City Transit Authority. To get the kind of density needed, Jarold continued, public and private sectors have to work together to assure appropriate zoning and incentives.

“You look back 20 years ago,” said Harpool, “transit was not on the tip of anyone’s tongue. It didn’t have a positive image. We didn’t have politicians who were talking about new projects.” He believes we have an opportunity today because the image of transit in the Kansas City area has improved and, with it, so has political support.

Sherri McIntyre, director of the Kansas City’s Public Works Department, observed that the city has already made many of the necessary policy changes to implement light rail. “We can do those things,” she added, “because we have a commitment from the [City Council].” The city is now looking at providing “connectivities” in all modes of transit, following the leadership of MARC. The operative term, said McIntyre, is “complete streets.”

Michael Collins, president and CEO of the Port Authority of Kansas City, shared his experiences living in Washington, D.C. and using that city’s extensive metro system. “There’s a sense of actually getting out and doing more,” he said. There are costs involved but there are payoffs as well. “We can go down to a one-car family because we have that option now,” said Collins. “That’s something I would love to see here in Kansas City. It was a blessing while we were in D.C.”

“What we’re seeing is the economic changes in demands from different generations,” affirmed McIntyre. “We’re seeing a generation of 20- and 30-year-olds that want to be able to live without a car.” She was not alone in suggesting that younger people will take advantage of the new transit and make Kansas City more attractive to that demographic as a result.

Dick Jarold argued that one challenge planners face is convincing those who may never use the transit system that it’s still important to the community. He cited as reasons the economic development benefits, sustainability, and environmental benefits. “Whether you’re a daily user or not,” he said. “It’s something important for us as a community as a whole to get behind.”

It is the role of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance to help get the community behind transportation projects through education and advocacy. “That’s pretty much our sole mission,” said Kitty McCoy. “One of our guiding forces is to make sure that we understand all the technical aspects of opportunities we have and then objectively pull that down into something that everybody can understand.”