[oldmanshirt]

the mayor here in KC was on the radio today talking about light rail. His idea is to implement a 1/2 cent sales tax in every metro county that will be served by LRT. According to his math, a tax like this for 25 years will pay for bonds passed on the basis of $45-55 million per mile for a start-up system, with federal and state subsidies to help cover the rest, as well as help pay the operating and maintenance costs, which I think were estimated at $8mil per mile per year. Given that SA metro is of similar size and population density, but with perhaps less tricky geography (KC is mostly rolling hills with the exception of the SW portion on the Kansas side), it would seem those numbers could be considered a basis for LRT there.