Sometimes We Can Solve Problems Where We Live

Much of the work of the National Federation of the Blind happens at the national and state levels; however, we ought to remember that many important issues, such as transportation, can be dealt with at the local level.

During the November 2019 meeting of the National Federation of the Blind Kansas City Chapter, we discussed a proposal by the city council to move toward a zero-fare bus system. We felt that this could affect the transportation we rely on, and we decided as a chapter to have a city official come to talk to us about it. The recently elected mayor of Kansas City, Quinton Lucas, graciously agreed to attend our January 18, 2020, meeting. The mayor gave us thirty minutes of his busy schedule during which he outlined his accomplishments since he took office on August 1, 2019. He also assured our members that bus fares are a tiny fraction of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority budget and that the money lost by not charging fares could easily be found in the city budget.