Deborah Fischer StoutCEO Vectura Consulting, LLC

Northern Flyer Alliance President

Economic Development Opportunity for Kansas City

Megapolitan Areas: America’s New Metropolis

April 13, 2006

Robert Lang, Arthur C. Nelson & Paul Knox

Virginia Tech, Alexandria, VA

John S. Hall

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Virginia Tech’s 2005

Megapolitan Geography

This is our economic

growth potential

Megapolitans in The News

USA Today July 2005

Planning group exec says KC must grow as region, not separate cities

Mitchell Silver, President American Planning Association in KC

OCT. 15, 2012 BY KEVIN COLLISON

The Kansas City Star

Megapolitans of the US as of 2008

St. Louis is now part of Chicago Hub Network

What Happened to KC?

• Not enough investment in rail

• Too highway centric

• Not working as a region

Why Rail?• Rail is more efficient and economical to ship

goods.

• KU ROI study: 4.6 to 1 tax considered economic development ratio for the corridor from KC to OKC, completed in 2009.

• Texas A&M ROI study: 4.5 to 1 economic development ratio for the corridor from OKC to DFW, completed in 2010

What has changed?

What is in our way?

Amtrak National NetworkThis gap is one of the barriers to economic growth

Service Gap

Pop. Kansas City2 Million

Pop. DFW 6.3 Million

12

Kansas C

ity –

Fort

Wort

h

Afternoon

through

the Gap

Afternoon

through

the Gap

Solid lines: existing Amtrak routesDotted lines: potential and possible routes

What could happen if KS/MO stays on the Side lines?

Next Steps for the Region

1. NEPA studies necessary. NEPA Regulation 64 FR 28545

2. Determine Stakeholders and create a Service Proposal

3. Thirdly, Stakeholders fund the studies

What will the NEPA cost?

$4.4M now,

or $19.1M after January 2013

What is Wichita doing?

What could KC do now?

This is our

Economic Future

Let’s invest in it!