NEW RAIL SYSTEM ISN'T KANSAS CITY'S ANSWER

Opposition appears to be growing to a proposal that would provide a light-rail system in the Kansas City, Mo., area.

The latest blow to a plan for a 25-year half-cent sales-tax increase to be decided by voters Aug. 7 came when the Greater Kansas City and Northland Regional chambers of commerce both opposed it. Other groups also oppose the plan.

The proposed train system would run 24 miles and cost $793 million. The tax would raise $317 million, and the federal government would put up $376 million. It is estimated about 17,000 people daily would ride the train, and the chairman of the Greater Kansas City chamber said the group's board believes that is too much money, for too long, for too few riders.

The board offers good reasoning. New rail systems are trendy, and the federal government's offering of 60 percent financing makes them attractive. But they will not attract the riders needed to make them feasible, and a rail system is not the answer to Kansas City's or Missouri's transportation needs, despite continued efforts at trying to sell Missouri's taxpayers on them.

Finding a way to finance road improvements in the Kansas City area would be money better spent.