Alliance for Transportation Choice
Archive for the ‘planning’ Category.
Plans are progressing to expand the popular MAX bus rapid transit system to a new line on Troost Avenue. There are two open houses this week. Stop by either one at your convenience to learn more and provide your feedback.
More on the April open houses.
Prairie Village, KS is planning for improving and enhancing 75th Street. One of the things that residents are asking for is a better environment for pedestrians, including slowing traffic and adding space the between sidewalks and the street.
Today’s KC Star has a story about how the city of KCMO is going to spend $47 million of taxpayers’ money to build a 1,000-space parking garage for the new performing arts center under construction at 16th and Broadway. For comparison, the city spends $48 million a year on the bus system.
So the city is essentially spending an entire year’s worth of bus service to build a single parking garage. It’s a massive amount of money that works out to $47,000 for each parking space, more than twice the average for typical parking garages. For the cost of this one parking garage, we could double bus service for an entire year.
Building parking garages is OK when and where they are needed. The interesting issue here is that the city is spending this money at the same that it is cutting other city services to balance the budget, as well as struggling to find enough money to keep the bus system running and pay for a promised light rail system.
To be fair, the contract to build this garage was signed by the last mayor and city council, so most of the current politicians are trying to deal with that legacy. However, the situation still a very bad message.
Despite all kinds of talk about climate protection, the environment, mass transit, green solutions, re-urbanizing the urban core - city leaders are not putting their money where their mouth is. When push comes to shove the city is still putting the automobile first, even the most urban of environments.
Continue reading ‘City to spend as much on parking garage as transit’ »
One of the KC region’s primary suburban arteries could become a much more urban corridor if Overland Park City Council approves a new master plan for Metcalf Avenue. With used car lots and payday loan stores creeping into the northern stretches of the corridor, the city is keen to go in a new direction soon. And they seem to be getting a clue that a change in philosophy is needed to really keep northern Overland Park sustainable in the long term.
The Metcalf Vision includes improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities, mixed-use development to put stores and housing within walking distance of each other, and a possible bus rapid transit line similar to the MAX in Kansas City. The plan is a big departure from OP’s traditional low-density suburban sprawl, so it will be very interesting to see if the City Council has the courage to go forward with it.
Yesterday more than a dozen supporters of a livable Kansas City showed up at City Hall to advocate for the new development code. Despite opposition from big developers like Hunt Midwest and McBride & Sons, the City Plan Commission approved the addition bicycle parking for new apartment and condo buildings.
The Commission also approved a provision to include pedestrians, transit, and bicycles in the traffic studies that developers do to analyze the impact that new development will have on traffic. This is a huge step towards creating a full integrated transportation system that includes all modes.
The next step is the City Council and hearings before their Planning and Zoning Committee. Stay tuned for updates on the process.
On Feb. 5 at 11:00 am, City Hall council chamber 26th floor, the City Planning Commission will be discussing the new development code. They will be discussing bicycle parking—long-term and short-term, and whether to include bicycles, pedestrians and transit in traffic analysis that is routine for motorized vehicles. We need as many people as possible to show up to support these issues.
Deb Ridgway, our KCMO bicycle/pedestrian coordinator, will be speaking in support of bicycle parking and bicycle, pedestrian, transit traffic analysis. Let’s Go KC will have speakers. The development community will be there to argue against it. We want the city to see that the public supports bike/ped issues but the public needs to show up.
I spoke to several of you in the last week about coming to this meeting so I hope you will. If you live in Kansas, you can still come because you ride, walk and spend money in KCMO. You do not have to speak but we will point out how many people are there to support bicycle/pedestrian issues. You can speak if you want—it’s a public meeting. If you have questions please contact me.
Thanks so much.
Laurie Chipman
Kansas City Bicycle Club
Let’s Go KC
In November 2007 the City Plan Commission added long term bicycle parking and bicycle/pedestrian traffic analysis to the proposed new development code. The first item would require indoor bike parking at most work places and overnight bike storage in apartment and condo buildings. The second item would require developers to include bicycles and pedestrians when they analyze the traffic impacts of new developments.
On December 18, 2007 several representatives of metro real estate developers testified against these two items and were able to convince the City Plan Commission to remove them from the proposal. The CPC meets again on February 5th and we need bicyclists and pedestrians to show up and speak out. More info coming soon.