KCGon.com
WHAT IS KCGON?
KCGon.com is dedicated to educating Kansas City on the benefits of a gondola as a mode of mass transit.
Gondolas are typically seen at ski resorts, and for all the right reasons; they move a lot of people, have a low environmental impact, and can withstand harsh climates and weather.
Kansas City needs a new mass transit system.One that does not impede on street traffic, that could be constructed quickly without destroying our beautiful landscape and neighborhoods, and could withstand this unpredictable Kansas City weather!
We at KCGon.com believe that a gondola system fits the needs of Kansas City. A gondola will not take away from street traffic, because it soars above it. Construction would be fast, and the system would not take up near as much room as a streetcar or monorail. Being able to go over obstacles, opposed to going through them reduces the environmental impact and construction cost. Gondola systems can be found on ski mountains and even on the coast of Brazil, so I believe that covers the range of weather Kansas City could receive on any given week.
Lastly, you're probably wondering the cost of such a system. Well, that's the shocker, it's actually not as bad as you'd think. Building a gondola system, with very nice 4-6 person CLIMATE CONTROLLED gondola cars would cost approximately $15M/mile to construct. "Modern" rail systems like streetcars cost approximately $35M/mile. That makes the price of constructing a streetcar sound a little ridiculous doesn't it?
What is the problem with our current mass transit in Kansas City? Currently we rely on a bus system for mass transit in Kansas City. We ended up with this bus system when Kansas City got rid of it's streetcar in 1957. Among the reasons for getting rid of the streetcar; it was an unsightly system, it was a dated system, and it was causing traffic jams for automobiles.
Here we are 57 years after we got rid of our streetcar, looking for a NEW option, and some people want to go back to a streetcar.
WE SAY THERE IS A BETTER WAY!
The fact is, the streetcar would be meant to relieve the load placed on buses running on well-traveled corridors. Without ressurecting a full blown streetcar system. Buses would still be needed to get people to the main streetcar line which is currently slated to be 2 miles long and run from River Market to Crown Center. Who really needs mass transit between those two points?
The streetcar does not remove automobiles from the road. A streetcar simply converts SOME bus riders to streetcar riders. We need to convert drivers into riders. In order to do that, we must increase the service area to reach new potential riders. A gondola system is a solution to this problem. With a gondola's low contruction cost, and ability to go OVER obstactles, we could quickly build a vast system at a low cost. A mass transit system that can service more of Kansas City without putting additional traffic on the roads.
WHAT DOES KC NEED?
#KCGon
EXAMPLES OF CURRENT SYSTEMS
GONDOLAS / TRAMS / CABLE CARS
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