With the ongoing expansion of the KC Streetcar underway and slated for completion in 2025, coupled with recent studies into future lines, now is the time for Johnson County to get on board with such a study.

We need to reduce our dependency on cars and have the option to take rail-based public transit in Johnson County, a county that was originally built on rail (Strang Line, for example).

Factors to consider include:

• the success of the KC Streetcar, as evidenced by its current expansions and recent studies for future expansions
• studies - including a recent KCATA East-West Transit Study - that have proven that buses are not the right approach to wean people off of cars, especially when they've been as inconsistent as they've historically been in Johnson County
• the cost of cars is out of reach for many
• the environmental impact of getting cars off the street in what has become an extremely car-dependent area
• the need to adopt a metrowide funding mechanism for future streetcar or rail expansions
• the need to better connect with the Kansas City region as a whole

With this petition, I am asking the Johnson County government and the impacted cities to consider a study into the feasibility and implementation of streetcar or rail lines.

The aforementioned East-West study put out a 10 year time table from the start of the study to full implementation, so the time to act is now.

My personal story as it relates to transit: I'm one of the many Johnson Countians who is forced to rely on a car to get around for work - simply because of how bad the local bus system has been for pretty much my entire lifetime.  I am also a big fan of the KC Streetcar and am excited about all of the possibilities it can bring to the entire metro area.