TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! KANSAS CITY FREE BUS RIDES INCREASE THREAT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST PASSENGERS SEYZ REPORT!!!

Kansas City's move toward free bus rides has been greeted with celebration and optimism among local progressives and transit activists across the nation but INSIDER REPORTS AND DATA DELIVERED TO CITY HALL disclose a far more perilous story.

To wit . . .

BEHIND THE SCENES, TRANSIT OFFICIALS WARN CITY HALL THAT KANSAS CITY FREE BUS RIDES THREATEN THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS AS THEY DESPERATELY SEEK MORE SECURITY FOR ROUTES!!!

Violent attacks near bus stops and shooting have long been a concern of transit officials kept silent as to not frighten locals.

Still, even a quick Internets search will reveal a litany of gunfire, beatings and violent altercations involving Kansas City buses.

For instance, today bus advocates tout the new $56 million Prospect MAX line that will host free rides for passengers for the next 90 days. Meanwhile, the murder of a Kansas City father gunned down in the early morning hours at a bus stop along Prospect remains unsolved and is just one of many violent and deadly incidents along that route.

Another example: Not so long ago, action video of a gunman pouring bullets into the KC Metro made national news.



Accordingly, here's FIRST WORD about the situation according to a TOP ECHELON INSIDER speaking on the topic of report quickly making it's way to 12th Oak . . .

"Even a nominal fee keeps some of the criminal element away from the buses along with those with mental health issues who might be prone to violence. Unfairly or not, we rely on drivers to enforce fees as a means of offering some form of security for passengers even at great peril to themselves. The fares help to maintain order on the bus lines and offer a means of investment in transit for low-income riders who pay for the service that includes some considerations for their safety. Eliminating the fees strips away this low-cost opt-in for stakeholders. Essentially, low-income workers under the proposed new system won't have any more rights than criminals and violent offenders getting free access to this service. Again, the fee might not seem like a lot of money to most residents but still serves as a viable contribution and efficient means of passenger screening."

To be fair, these warnings don't seek to halt the free bus rides bus simply offer credible warnings about public safety. One more quote:

"We agree that free transit service can have a transformative impact on Kansas City but not without specific steps to ensure the the safety of riders, drivers and residents along many stops throughout our metro."

That's about 6,500 stops just to offer a clearer picture. And so we ask our blog community . . .

HOW WILL KANSAS CITY WORK TO INSURE PUBLIC SAFETY NOW THAT FREE BUS RIDES WILL ALLOW ALL RIDERS ABOARD?!?

To give a sense of scale to this public safety dilemma, remember that local bus service starting in KCMO covers around 398 square miles in seven counties with an average weekday ridership of around 60,000 people on more than 330 vehicles.

Securing FREE transit on a scale this massive is clearly AN ADDITIONAL COST NOT FACTORED INTO THE FREE RIDE EQUATION now that fares might be eliminated and the dynamic of the service is fundamentally changing.

You decide . . .