KCTV 5KC one step closer to streetcar plan

A big change in the way people get around Kansas City could be a step closer to becoming a reality.

The city council could approve a streetcar plan Thursday.

City council members are expected to consider the longtime debate over a light rail plan, one week after a committee recommended rejecting the initiative.

Activist Clay Chastain's $2.5 billion light rail plan would mean a 3/8 cent sales tax increase and $1 billion in unguaranteed donations.

Council is expected to introduce a streetcar plan Thursday.

The proposal includes a Main Street route from Union Station to the River Market, as opposed to a light rail that runs from Waldo to KCI Airport.

The streetcar plan would cost roughly $100 million.

Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank president Tom Hoenig has made a lasting statement just before his retirement.

He recommended the city eliminate the e-tax and move forward with the light rail.

Hoenig believes the city dug a financial hole and is struggling to get out of it.

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