Our pledge campaign has done very well! We have pledges from 380 individuals, families and clubs for a total of $22,121. That is an average of more than $58.00 per pledge. I want to thank everyone for their support!

Continue reading ‘People on Paseo Update’ »

On Wednesday, December 17 the Kansas Department of Transportation will hold a regional summit to discuss the future of the transportation system in Wyandotte, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, and Douglas Counties in Kansas.

Wednesday December 17
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (registration at 8:30 a.m.)
Jack Reardon Civic Center
500 Minnesota Ave, KCK 66101 (map/directions/transit)
RSVP to angela@shockeyconsulting.com or 913-645-4780

This is an excellent opportunity to let KDOT and your local electd officials know that it is critical for the region to provide transportation choices for all citizens.  Specific things you can mention include:

• Dedicated transit funding for the current bus system and future transit improvements
• Inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian facilities in new transportation projects
• Enforcement of traffic laws increase safety
• Complete Streets policies to ensure roads are built for all users – motorists, transit users, pedestrians, bicyclists, and the disabled.
• Support efforts to extend Amtrak passenger to rail from KC to Wichita, and on to Oklahoma and Texas.

The CIty of KCMO is working on a brand new master plan for Downtown, and next week you have an opportunity express your vision the area.  One of the proposals is prioritize walking as the most important transportation mode.  While most people often think of downtowns as being the most walkable parts of a city, Downtown Kansas City has some very big challenges for pedestrians.

Cast your vote for the future of Downtown Kansas City!

Please attend one of the interactive workshops and help the team to make decisions that reflect YOUR vision for the future of the Greater Downtown Area.

This will be the first opportunity to react to preliminary recommendations for the Greater Downtown Area Plan. One of the ways that we will collect your opinions is with our new electronic voting keypads.

Tuesday, November 11
Union Station
Arthur Stillwell Conference Room

Workshop 1
5:15 – 6:45 p.m.
or
Workshop 2
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Select the time that works for you

We will present preliminary recommendations for the four main goals of the Plan:

· Double the population of the Downtown Area (this includes adding new jobs)
· Make walkability the most important method of transportation and the pedestrian scale the guiding urban design philosophy
· Maintain our infrastructure and keep our neighborhoods safe
· Create a framework for a completely sustainable downtown area

RSVPs are encouraged but not required. RSVP to info@plandowntownkc.com or call Gerald Williams, Project Manager, City Planning and Development,at 816-513-2897.

Spread the Word! Please invite your neighbors, colleagues, family, and friends who live or work in Downtown Kansas City. To learn more visit www.plandowntownkc.com

This week the Mid-America Regional Council is holdling forums across the metro area to get input into the region’s next long-range transportation plan, which will guide transportation spending priorities through the year 2040.  This is a great opportunity to ask for a higher priority and more resources for alternative transportation – transit, walking, bicycling, etc.

Learn more and find a forum near you.

Let’s Go KC, the Missouri Bicycle Federation, and the City of Kansas City, MO are partnering for a much-needed project to conduct a traffic count of bicycle and pedestrian traffic at key locations throughout the city.  We need volunteers for two hours shifts to help with a count.  This has never been done before in Kansas  City, so getting an official count of bike/ped traffic is crucial for making the case for the city to spend money on bike lanes, trails, sidewalks, etc.

Volunteering will entail attending a one hour orientation session and spending two hours at an intersection with another volunteer.  We will supply instructions, forms, directions, etc. Counting will take place on Oct. 14 and 21, with orientations the evening before each count.

Sign up now to volunteer

The KCMO City Council recently passed a very extensive climate protection plan designed to dramatically reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. The plan includes some significant directives designed to encourage more bicycling and walking for transportation.  Bike/Ped facilities are to be included in new and rebuilt roads and infrastructure, 2% of the city’s transportation budget shall be spent on pedestrian projects, and 1% on bicycle projects.

With transportation accounting for as much as 30% of the city’s carbon footprint, it is imperative that we begin moving some trips from single-occupant automobiles to bicycling, walking, and transit. Simply increasing KC’s rate of walking and bicycling to the national average would go a long way towards meeting the city’s climate protection goals.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation has more details. Special thanks go out several bike/ped advocates who sat on the steering committees and worked hard for the inclusion of these measures in the final plan – including Regional Transit Alliance board member Ron McClinden, KCMO Bike/Ped Coordinator Deb Ridgway, and Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh.

The directors of the Missouri and Kansas Departments of Transportation will be the guests on Steve Kraske’s Up To Date radio show on Wednesday.  Please make sure that the discussion about the future of transportation in Kansas City includes bicycle and pedestrian issues. Call and/or emailing questions to either Pete Rahn of MoDOT or Deb Miller of KDOT.

Up-To-Date
Wednesday, May 28, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
89.3 FM or www.kcur.org
Get your question on the air:
Call 816-235-2888 or email uptodate@kcur.org

Some possible questions to ask…

How will MoDOT and KDOT help cities respond to surging demand for transportation alternatives like bicycling, walking and transit?

What are the two states doing to reduce the number pedestrians and bicyclists injured or killed on state highways? (Missouri likes to tout its reduction in highway deaths, but forgets that bicycle fatalities have not decreased at the same time).

Will MoDOT quit messing around with bike/ped on the Paseo Bridge and just “get ‘r done”  ? ?

How will MoDOT stick to Pete Rahn’s promise to integrate bike/ped into future projects after he killed the Complete Streets bill?

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.

• KC Star: Prairie Village listens to ideas for 75th Street.
• Village Vision 75 planning project.

Continue reading ‘Prairie Village to enhance 75th 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.

• KC Star: City, Kaufman Center for Performing Arts near deal on parking garage.
• KCATA funding information.
• International Parking Institute: parking parking garage costs.

Continue reading ‘City to spend as much on parking garage as transit’ »