KC Transit in line for $3 million in just-passed state budget

By BRAD COOPER

The Kansas City Star

Kansas City bus service may get a piece of this year’s state budget after losing out last year.

The budget sent to the governor last week by the Missouri General Assembly contained $3 million for Kansas City’s bus service, helping it fight off financial problems brought about by stagnant sales tax collections.

Last year, Kansas City tried but failed to secure state funding, while cross-state neighbor St. Louis received $12 million for public transportation.

This year’s money wouldn’t restore any service cuts, including an axed program that provided free taxi service to bus riders when a bus is available for only part of their work trip.

But officials say it will replace stimulus funds that subsidized operations this year.

“It’s not going to be an expansion of any service,” said Mark Huffer, general manager of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.

Last year, Congress allowed transit agencies use some of their stimulus money for operations because cities across the country were slashing their public transportation budgets.

The bill made $690 million available nationwide for bus and rail service that otherwise would have gone to capital spending.

The ATA put $5 million of stimulus money into its operating budget this year to avoid deep service cuts. It also pulled $2.6 million from reserves.

Huffer has warned that the ATA could eat up all its reserves as early as 2014 without a new source of revenue.

This year’s one-time infusion of state funds would put the ATA at a better starting point when it crafts its 2011 budget.

“It’s not a long-term solution,” Huffer said. “It helps us in this period when sales tax collections are particularly low.

“Hopefully, it will buy us some time as we see the economy come back and sales tax collections come back.”