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Kansas City Overlooked For State Transit Funding

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-836638.mp3

Kansas City, MO – Earlier this year, the City Council cut the budget for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority by 7 million dollars. They cited a declining sales tax. The KCATA is raising bus fares, and last year, voters extended a 3/8th cent sales tax for transit. But even so, officials said bus service would be reduced on 25 routes. That is, unless they could secure funds from the state of Missouri.

Both Kansas City and St Louis are currently feeling the transportation budget pinch, but lasy week, St Louis ended up with 12 million dollars in emergency relief. Kansas City. on the other hand, received no state transportation funds. So why did Kansas City seem to get overlooked? KCUR's Susan Wilson spoke with the Mark Huffer, General Manager of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.

This story was produced for KC Currents. To listen on your own schedule, subscribe to the KC Currents Podcast.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Susan admits that her “first love” was radio, being an avid listener since childhood. However, she spent much of her career in mental health, healthcare administration, and sports psychology (Susan holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Bloch School of Business at UMKC.) In the meantime, Wilson satisfied her journalistic cravings by doing public speaking, providing “expert” interviews for local television, and being a guest commentator/contributor to KPRS’s morning drive time show and the teen talk show “Generation Rap.”
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