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COMITTMENT 2019 COVERAGE OF THE MAYOR’S RACE TODAY. PROPOSING THE CITY CREATE IT’S OWN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. MICHEAL MAHONEY HAS MORE ON HER PLAN. >> JUSTUS ANNOUNCED HER KC-DOT PLAN AT THE 1ST TELEVISED DEBATE. THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT KEEPING THE STREETS FIXED UP AND FILLING POTHOLES. >> THAT IS WHY I’M GOING TO CREATE AS YOUR NEXT MAYOR, A NEW DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, TO MAKE SURE WE’RE GETTING IT RIGHT. >> SHE SAYS HER DOT WOULD NOT BE ANOTHER CITY OFFICE BUT IT WOULD , COORDINATING THE CITY SERVICES, LIKE FIXING EXISITING STREETS OR BUILDING NEW ONES. >> WE DON’T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW. THERE IS NO SINGLE PLAYBOOK WE’RE WORKING FROM. >> I DON’T KNOW IF REQUIRING ANOTHER MEETING WHEN WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT TO FIX POTHOLES IS IN ANYWAY HELPFUL. >> THE PLAN WOULD ALSO INCLUDE COORDINATION WITH THE CITY’S STREETCAR SYSTEM SHE SAYS IT IS NOT A TAKEOVER. >> WHAT I WANT IS ONE PERSON AT CITY HALL WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING THE LIASON WITH THE KCATA AND WITH THE STREETCAR AUTHORITY. >> WE JUST NEED TO GET O

Advertisement Jolie Justus suggests creating department of transportation to maintain KC streets Mayoral election is six weeks away Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Kansas City mayoral candidate Jolie Justus is proposing the city create its own department of transportation to help maintain city streets.Justus announced her plan during the first televised mayoral debate Monday."That's why I'm going to create, as your next mayor, a new department of transportation to make sure we're getting it right," she said.Justus said her department of transportation would not be another city office; it would coordinate the city services, such as fixing existing streets or building new ones."We don't have that right now. There is no framework or single playbook that we're working from," Justus said."I don't know if requiring an extra meeting when we're trying to figure out how to fix potholes is in any way helpful," mayoral candidate Quinton Lucas said.Justus' plan would also include coordination with the city's streetcar system and the ATA bus system, which is another agency. Justus said this would not be a takeover."What I want is one person at City Hall who is responsible for being the liaision with the KCATA and with the streetcar authority," Justus said."We just need to get our departments doing what they're supposed to be doing and not creating a new department or organization that does that," Lucas said.The mayoral election is six weeks away. KMBC will host a mayoral debate June 11.