Kansas City Seeks Input on Street and Traffic Plans

Just a reminder from Let's Go KC, that the city of Kansas City is seeking public input on its street and traffic plans.

Stop by one of these open houses to voice your opinion, all from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
North Community Center on Monday, Sept. 20.
Tony Aguirre Community Center on Tuesday, Sept. 21.
Gregg/Klice Community Center on Wednesday, Sept. 29.
Line Creek Community Center on Thursday, Sept 30.
Marlborough Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Hillcrest Community Center on Thursday, Oct. 7.

The Better Block Project

Impressive video on how a group of enterprising young people were able to transform a car-centric block into a more pedestrian-friendly, visually pleasing space in just two days spending only a thousand bucks.







From one of the organizers:

We've got the first complete street in Dallas…. It didn't cost millions of dollars. We didn't have to hire consultants from other faraway places to make this happen. It took us a day. And all we did was slow the street down. We made room for everybody. For cars, for people, for bicyclists.… We've changed the psychology of the street.

Dangerous Crossings - Buford Highway in Atlanta

This video is the impetus behind this blog. It aired a few weeks ago on PBS' new show "Need to Know" and it highlights the dangerous nature of Buford Highway in Atlanta. Fast highway speeds, limited visibility due to hills, and virtually no pedestrian crossings have created a perilous environment for pedestrians, at a time when the area is attracting more low-income residents that utilize bus services and need to hazard crossing the highway to get where they need to go. The inspiration of this blog was the Atlanta pedestrian-advocacy group featured in the story - PEDS.org.



Blueprint America special report: Dangerous Crossings

The story also reminded me of some of the state highways in our area that pose a risk to pedestrians. The one nearest to me is Shawnee Mission Parkway in Johnson County. Most of Shawnee Mission Parkway serves pretty automobile-centric areas, but as you travel east into the denser areas of Johnson County, the highway poses more of a threat to pedestrians trying to cross. The developers of the Mission Gateway Project at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Roe wanted to slow down the highway and make it more pedestrian friendly, connecting their project to neighborhoods to the south, but they received resistance from KDOT.

Raytown has also made strides towards making areas more pedestrian-friendly, helping the local establishments, but it appears as if the presence of Highway 350 is an impediment towards those goals.

What other dangerous highways do we have in Kansas City?

Overland Park lists dozen most dangerous intersections

Overland Park has released a list of its dozen most dangerous intersections. One of the comments makes an obvious but perhaps overlooked point - the intersections with the most accidents are going to be the ones with the most traffic. It is simple logic - more cars means more chances for accidents.

Which is why it would benefit drivers if we actually improved the walkability and transit use in this community. Fewer drivers would mean fewer accidents - particularly if we give the option not to drive to people that are higher risk drivers (in particular the very young and the very old).