This particular grant program places a special emphasis on transportation investments that enhance the sustainability, livability, and safety of communities. KCMO Resolution 090716 details the specific allocations proposed for each project.

Green Impact Zone: $26.1 Million
Street resurfacing, sidewalks, traffic signals, pervious pavement, transit facilities, and Troost Bridge over Brush Creek. More about the Green Impact Zone.

Regional Transit: $27.5 Million
Design and engineering of a Downtown streetcar car system.  Infrastructure improvements on future Bus Rapid Transit routes include North Oak, Metcalf, State Avenue, and Easter Jackson County.

Bicycle and Pedestrian: $12.1 Million
Multi-use trails, on-street bicycle routes (including bike lanes), bicycle parking, sidewalks, crosswalks, ADA accommodations, and comprehensive education and encouragement programs.

Rail and Front Street: $21.8 Million
Freight railroad infrastructure.  Reloction/expansion of Front Street west of Paseo Bridge.

We should know by the end of January if our application is funded. See KCMO Resolution 090716 for more details.

While all projects sound very worthy, their combined $340 million price tag is more than the $300 million expected to be available for the entire state of Missouri. The city and possibly suburban neighbors will have to make some hard choices about which projects or combination of projects is submitted to the Feds.  The US Department of Transportation criteria for selection includes long0-term impact, sustainability, livability, economic competitiveness, and safety.

Downtown Streetcar – proposed by the KCATA. 2.5 mile loop between the River Market and Crown Center. The hope is that up to $100 million in construction costs could be paid for by the feds and the operating costs paid for by an assessment on property along the route. This 2.5 mile segment is deemed the most likely to succeed from the recent light rail study.  The tracks would be built to accommodate light rail vehicles in the future. Streetcar presentation (PowerPoint).

Regional Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - Proposed by the Mid-America Regional Council.  MAX service on Main Street and Troost Avenue would be expanded to four more Smart Moves corridors in Kansas City and the suburbs – North Oak, 40 Hwy, State Avenue, and Metcalf Avenue/Shawnee-Mission Parkway in Johnson County. Cost is estimated at $50-100 million.  A lack of ongoing operating money is a big weakness, especially for the two Kansas routes. BRT presentation (PDF).

Bicycle/Pedestrian Network – Proposed by the city’s Public Works Department.  The proposal would speed the build out of both on-street bike routes and multi-use trails, sidewalk construction and repair, crosswalks, curb cuts, and many ADA accessibility improvements.  The $45 million plan would have a strong emphasis would be placed on creating transportation corridors for bicycle and pedestrian commuters. Transforming Transportation for a Livable Kansas City (PDF).

Urban Transportation Safety Program - Another Public Works proposal includes $20 million in sidewalk improvements as part of a $97 million package for street resurfacing, traffic signals, etc. It would cover the city’s East Side, between the Missouri River and 103 Street, east of The Paseo. Presentation (PDF).

The T&I Committee’s blog has more information on these and other proposed projects. For even more context, archived video of the July 16th and 23rd committee meetings is online.

Saturday June 6th is National Trails Day, and it will be celebrated locally with events at several metro area trails.  The Mid-America Regional Council has a list and map of local events.

An especially important event is a ceremony to dedicate the new bike/ped bridge over US 71 Hwy in southern Kansas City. The new bridge connects a trail along Hickman Mills Drive on the east of the highway with future trails extending to the Blue River and into the Kansas suburbs.  It is an important east-west link in the developing trail system in that part of the city.  The bridge was built as part of the Grandview Triangle reconstruction.

US 71 Hwy bike/ped bridge dedication
Saturday June 6th, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
98th Terrrace and Parkwood Avenue
Kansas City, MO (Map/directions) ]]> http://letsgokc.com/archives/255/feed 0 http://letsgokc.com/archives/180 http://letsgokc.com/archives/180#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:18:02 +0000 Let's Go KC http://letsgokc.com/?p=180 Kansas City is feeling the crunch of the national recession, and needs to cut at least $80 million from the upcoming 2009-2010 budget.  This makes it more important than usual to speak up for transportation choice.  Over the next six weeks there will be a public hearing in each of the six City Council districts.  This is your chance to ask your elected representatives to make sure that transportation choice remains viable in Kansas City.

Here some specific items that are either in danger of cuts and/or things that are competing for funds:

• Bus service – The City Manager is proposing a 15% cut from the KCATA budget, just as more people are using and relying on public transit.
• Crosswalks – Paint for crosswalks was cut from the 2008-2009 budget and should be restored to protect pedestrian safety.

Find your Council District.

Budget Hearings:

During tight budget times it is especially critical for us to speak up and let the City Council know that bicycle, pedestrian, and transit funding are important and deserving ways to spend money.  It’s pretty easy, and all you have to do is briefly state your desire for the city to fund bus routes, sidewalks, bike routes, trails, or whatever else you want to see built.

Monday, January 26, 6:00 p.m. – North
Northland Neighborhoods, 3015 Vivion Road(map)
Tue, January 27, 6:00 p.m. – Central
Gregg-Klice Community Center at 18th & Vine, 1600 East 17th Terrace (map)
Wed, January 28, 6:00 p.m. – South
Baptiste Education Center, 5401 East 103rd Street (map)

The semi-rural area at I-470 and Raytown Road is a highly auto-dependent location with no bus service.  The nearest bus stop is two miles away, and the connecting streets do not have sidewalks. It is in stark contrast to the transit-rich location of KCP&L’s headquarters at 12th and Main in Downtown. Can KCP&L really claim to be building a green campus when the employees that work there will be dependent on the automobile to get to work?  Do you think KCP&L will be buying carbon offsets to remediate the impact of employees’ car commuting?

This is one more example of how the sustainability conversation in Kansas City often leaves out the transportation piece.  And that is a problem because transportation contributes more than a third of our greenhouse gas emissions. The metro area’s grand vision of being “America’s Green Region” will never be attainable until we start putting transportation’s environmental impact at the top of the agenda.

Business Journal: KCP&L buys 83 acres for new campus

KCP&L Press Release


View Larger Map

Olathe, KS is developing a new bicycle plan that focuses on providing a real transportation system with a combination of on-street bike routes and off-street trails. It is a very progressive plan for providing transportation options in a suburban community.  Tonight the Olathe City Council will  hear a presentation on the plan, so a big show of support would be very helpful.

Tonight, Dec. 23, 7:00 p.m.
City Hall, 100 West Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS (135th Street west of I-35)

Dale Crawford of the Johnson County Bike Club and KanBikeWalk sends along these details…

To all Olathe & Johnson County Bicyclists
————-YOUR PRESENCE IS NEEDED ————–

The long dormant Olathe Bicycle Transportation Plan has resurrected and is being discussed at the Olathe City Council this coming:
Tuesday, Dec. 23 @ 7:00 PM
Olathe City Hall, 100 W Santa Fe, Olathe, KS

This will be a Study Session, so public discussion will be minimal.  But there is plenty of seating available to show support for this progressive approach to addressing the needs of bicyclists in a suburban community.  Council rarely has citizens show up in support of something (usually in opposition), so a strong showing from the bicycle community will leave a huge impression.  To see the Council Agenda Item go to:

http://www.olatheks.org/files/CityDocuments/CityCouncil/agendas/12-23-08.pdf

No formal action will be taken since this is a Study Session, but the bike plan is early in the agenda so please be on time.  There will be a presentation by staff followed by discussion with Council during which Council will give staff direction on future of the plan.  Primary discussion will focus on costs to implement the plan.  If, and it s big if, Council supports the plan, staff anticipates bring the it back to Council for hopeful adoption by March 2009.  We can expect at least one more Study Session to discuss additional policy/implementation issues following a presentation of the bike plan in January at an upcoming public Developer Forum.  More on these future meetings will follow when timing is confirmed.

If you can’t attend, consider a short personalized email to City Council members stating something along the line of the following examples.  Any personal touches of experience bicycling in Olathe would be great.

If from Olathe: As an Olathe resident, I support the dual system plan currently proposed in the Olathe Bicycle Transportation.  It addresses the needs of “all” bicycling citizens from children to advance commuters.  As a road bicyclists, improving the  arterial roadway network by adding wide outside lanes and bike lanes improves the safety of the road for all users, not just bicyclists.  Safety alone is enough reason to justify the small additional cost to road improvement projects in Olathe.  As the plan is incrementally implemented through future road improvements, Olathe residents will begin to feel they have a safe alternative to always driving their car.  As you constituent, I urge your support of the Olathe Bicycle Transportation Plan.

Sincerely,

Name
Address

If not from Olathe: As a frequent bicyclist of Olathe’s roadways, I support the dual system plan currently proposed in the Olathe Bicycle Transportation.  It addresses the needs of “all” bicycling citizens from children to advance commuters.  As a road bicyclists, improving the  arterial roadway network by adding wide outside lanes and bike lanes improves the safety of the road for all users, not just bicyclists.  Safety alone is enough reason to justify the small additional cost to road improvement projects in Olathe.  As the plan is incrementally implemented through future road improvements, Olathe residents will begin to feel they have a safe alternative to always driving their car.  Thank you for supporting the Olathe Bicycle Transportation Plan and the safety of all roadway users.

Sincerely,

Name
Address
email addresses for Council members are listed below and can be found at: http://www.olatheks.org/Council/Members

mcopeland@olatheks.org -Mayor Copeland
jbacon@olatheks.org – John Bacon
bmontgomery@olatheks.org – Bob Montgomery
lcampbell@olatheks.org – Larry Campbell
jrandall@olatheks.org – Jim Randall
khuttmann@olatheks.org – Kathlenn Huttmann
mvogt@olatheks.org -Marge Vogt

The weather has been lousy for bicycling, so why not spend an evening making Olathe and your Johnson County a better place to ride when the weather is better.  Staff needs citizen support on this initiative to gather enough Council support to get it adopted.  It is by no means fully supported at this time making your presence all the more important.

This plan proposes both bike lanes and trails so please forward to any bicyclist or runners you may know who like trails, too.

Dale Crawford
JCBC Advocacy Co-Chair
KanBikeWalk Vice-President

All your pledges mean so much especially in these uncertain economic times. I know there are still people who want to make pledges but haven’t made the time yet. And there are organizations and businesses that our volunteers need more time to contact and hope to talk to soon.

You can still make a pledge at: http://letsgokc.com/action/paseopledge.php

To show how many supporters we have, see the lists below.

Pledging organizations
Kansas City Bicycle Club, $1,000 matching grant: 300 members
Johnson County Bicycle Club, $500: 400 members
Clay-Platte Trackers of Kansas City, a walking club, $100
Atchison County Bicycle Club, $200: 28 members
Greater Kansas City Bicycle Federation: 100 members

We have 127 members in our Facebook group
See the list of pledge supporters here
See the story in the KC Star

At this point we are trying to get information about the status of the bridge and see what we can do to help get the bicycle/pedestrian trail.

MODOT, KCMO, the Thunderhead Aliiance for Bicycling and Walking and every other official organization in the country is sending in their list of “ready to start” projects to apply for funding through the Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Package for 2009. The Paseo bridge trail is on that list as is the Heart of America bridge and Chouteau bridge.

As of now, no one knows which projects of the thousands sent in, will get funding. And, I believe, no decisions will be made until the new administration takes office.

The more people we get to pledge the better. The officials want to see broad community support and while we have it, we need more. While the amount is important, it is more important to get many people to ask for the bicycle/pedestrian trail. So tell everyone you know as the river crossing trail is so important to the community for connectivity of roads and trails, clean environment, active healthy living, economic development and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Thanks for your support! And Happy Holiday!

Laurie Chipman
Let’s Go KC, Alliance for Transportation Choice, representing 26,500 people
Missouri Bicycle Federation
Kansas City Bicycle Club Advocate

Please take a few minutes to voice your support for more trails in Kansas City. The city is considering requests to fund three different trail projects, and they need to hear from Kansas Citians who want them to do it. There are two new trails in the Northland, and in important connection between the Trolley Track and Indian Creek Trails in the south.

Find our more and send a quick email.