Missouri Bicycle News Article

According to a new poll, the proposed Bi-State tax for the Kansas City area, 50% of which would finance an upgrade to the Chiefs' and Royals' stadiums and the other 50% area arts initiatives, is trailing in all three counties where it must pass. A KCStar article reports:

The poll indicates the arts have more backing than the stadiums. In the three counties combined, 46 percent said the arts were more worthy of tax support, while 22 percent said the stadiums were more worthy of such support. Others said the two were equally worthy or unworthy.

When asked if they were more likely to go an arts event or to a Royals or Chiefs game, 42 percent said an arts event and 36 percent said a game, with most of the remaining respondents saying the likelihood would be equal.

One sticking point among voters is the fact that the $180 million from the tax earmarked for stadium improvements represents 92% of the cost of the improvements. According to a Pitch Weekly article, team owners in other parts of the country who asked voters to help pay for similar improvements chipped in about 33% of the total cost--four times the amount Chiefs and Royals owners are contributing.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation has suggested that any bi-state tax initiative in the Kansas City area include funding for the MetroGreen plan, which invisions hundreds of miles of bicycling and walking paths throughout the greater Kansas City metro area.

MetroGreen has broad citizen support and would provide facilities in or near every community in the Kansas City metro area.

Because much of the cost of trails can be paid through federal Transportation Enhancement grants, and because the trail system can be gradually built over a period of years, and a plan to support MetroGreen could be put into place at a fraction of the cost of the proposed stadium improvements.

Related:

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