Where is the Best Pedestrian Friendly Street in KC?

[chaglang]

The Pedestrian Street with the most potential and could probably be the best one:
Troost from 31st to Armour Rd

As much as I would love that, Troost from 39th to 47th would be even better. Especially around 41st.

[pash]

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[smh]

Even in areas where there are a decent number of pedestrians and places for them to go, the infrastructure often makes hoofing it annoying and sometimes dangerous. Aside from narrow sidewalks and lack of trees, the corners of roadways are broadly rounded off to allow cars to turn at higher speeds; don't-walk signs are the default, so you have to push a button and wait forever to get a walk sign (when the intersections are controlled at all); crosswalks are poorly marked (or not marked at all); etc., etc. The streets around the Brookside Shops and Wornall north of 75th in Waldo, to name two areas that otherwise might be nice pedestrian areas, suffer from all these problems.

The best area for walking in the city has got to be downtown, particularly around Power & Light. There are lights and marked crosswalks at pretty much every intersection; the streets are narrow enough that cars don't drive too fast; many of the streets are one-way, which makes it easier to keep track of who might run you over; and though there is an obvious lack of street trees, there's a usually a lot of shade from the tall buildings. And most importantly, there's an increasing number of places to walk to and from and an increasing number of people actually out and about.

It's also somewhat discouraging that when we do invest money the results can be so poor. Specifically, I'm thinking about the east side of Main Street between 12th & 13th. Easily one of the busiest pedestrian blocks in the city and yet the sidewalk is too narrow, the basins for the trees take up way too much of the sidewalk, and the doors to businesses abut the sidewalk rather than being set back in slight alcoves so as to not open directly into the paths of passersby.

[pash]

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[Pork Chop]

I may have the name wrong, but I believe its called Delaware in the River Market.

[Highlander]

I've always thought the most obvious answer to this question is Nichols Road through the Plaza. It's the perfect pedestrian street; shops on either side and it ends on either side of the plaza - so you do not even have to impact traffic flow. The one thing it needs is more of a vibe like 47th (such as a couple of more restaurants with outdoor seating that could spillover onto the pedestrianized avenue). At the same time, a couple of the north south streets through the plaza (again, those that don't really extend past the Plaza) could easily be closed down to traffic. I'd also like to see the only significant above ground surface parking lot on the Plaza changed into, well, an actual plaza. Be nice to have truck restaurants, events, and even performers busking in the area - a glockenspiel would be cool too.

[longviewmo]

I know it's not "in KC" but 3rd street in Lee's Summit is a damn near perfect pedestrian area.

This is the only thing I could come up with - from Market to Green.

[FangKC]

We need to pick a clean slate urban neighborhood and redevelop it with emphasis on the pedestrian street experience--like my Paseo West/Jazz Hill post under the Downtown Housing thread.

http://forum.kcrag.com/viewtopic.php?p=495339#p495339

[taxi]

To their credit, the big-assed proposed/planned 20 acre development in Columbus Park had, at its heart, a pedestrian only "green way" or something like that, where 4th St. would be. The City said no way, emergency vehicles need to be able to go down there and make a U-turn. Now, in its current planned state, 4th St. is paved and rather wide, though I don't recall the dimensions.

I recall looking at the plans and wondering why the emergency vehicles couldn't just access those units from 3rd or 5th Streets, and treat 4th more like an alley. This goes to show you that when people in KC have great ideas and good intentions, there's always some authority that is quick to say no. I suppose it is give and take, especially when projects are heavily subsidized.

[Demosthenes]

My vote goes to 39th street west. Though not necessarily one particular street, I must give honorable mentions to the core of the Crossroads (couple block radius of 18th and Wyandotte) and Columbus Park.

Also an honorable mention to Mass St. in Lawrence, though not in KC.

[IraGlacialis]

I read the thread title and immediately thought, "There are no pedestrian streets in Kansas City." And as far as I know there really are no streets they are closed to car traffic anywhere in the city. Am I wrong?

Many cities do have true pedestrian streets, and they're usually big parts of those cities' main attractions.

Not sure if it counts but doesn't Cliff Dr still close to vehicular traffic on weekends?

That might work for events or maybe on weekend nights (like Westport Rd), but we don't have enough pedestrian density anywhere to make it viable 24/7.

Along those lines, I have been thinking for a while that, rather than Westport Rd, the Westport stretch of Pennsylvania Ave (from 40th Terrace to where it ends at St. Luke's) should definitely be closed-off post-6PM Fri&Sat. During that time, convert the intersection to ped crossing.
Doing that should remove a lot of headache for both pedestrians and drivers on Westport Rd.

[Highlander]

Along those lines, I have been thinking for a while that, rather than Westport Rd, the Westport stretch of Pennsylvania Ave (from 40th Terrace to where it ends at St. Luke's) should definitely be closed-off post-6PM Fri&Sat. During that time, convert the intersection to ped crossing.
Doing that should remove a lot of headache for both pedestrians and drivers on Westport Rd.

This makes sense. It's narrow, already has a lot of pedestrian traffic, and like Nichols Road on the Plaza, really isn't required for vehicular traffic. Another good candidate would be 14th street through the P&L District.

I am surprised the subject of Nichols Road, at the very least, has never even been debated publically in KC. I think being able to drive absolutely everywhere seems to be very ingrained in KC culture like some kind of taken-for-granted entitlement. The vitriol in the KC Star comments section because of a road-closing event like the Hospital Hill run would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

[IraGlacialis]

Another good candidate would be 14th street through the P&L District.

Yeah, considering that it is not a through street, doesn't even have street parking at least around P&L and gets closed-off many times anyways, there is really no reason that road should be operational from Main to Grand.
I'd say to start with closing those off Friday and Saturday nights. And then from there, see if it would be desirable to close them off period.

I am surprised the subject of Nichols Road, at the very least, has never even been debated publically in KC.
...
The vitriol in the KC Star comments section because of a road-closing event like the Hospital Hill run would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

Has Nichols been something that has even been brought up?

Eh... In the end it is best to view KCStar comments the same way one views the comment section on any news page or YouTube comments for that matter. 2-parts crazies, 1-part spam, and 1-part useless filler.

[IraGlacialis]

Though I wouldn't say to close it off (people take of that themselves), another road that appears to become a de-facto pedestrian street during 1st Fridays is 18th between Wyandotte & Baltimore.
Baltimore, from 20th to 22th, does look like a candidate to be closed during that time.

[FangKC]

The Pedestrian Street with the most potential and could probably be the best one:
Troost from 31st to Armour Rd

In the 1950s and 60s, Troost was a vibrant entertainment district, and was hopping with activity. There were a lot of nightclubs along Troost then--most notable were probably the first Milton's Tap Room, The Yum Yum Room, Cat Balleu, and the Jewel Box Lounge.

You can see Troost in the 1950s in this clip from Robert Altman's "The Delinquents" at starting at minute 3:50. You can see all the signs lit up at night on the businesses there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEIpZuy36UI

http://www.slideshare.net/Reconciliatio ... ost-avenue

[Highlander]

The Pedestrian Street with the most potential and could probably be the best one:
Troost from 31st to Armour Rd

In the 1950s and 60s, Troost was a vibrant entertainment district, and was hopping with activity. There were a lot of nightclubs along Troost then--most notable were probably the first Milton's Tap Room, The Yum Yum Room, Cat Balleu, and the Jewel Box Lounge.

http://www.slideshare.net/Reconciliatio ... ost-avenue

Unfortunately, there's little activity there today. Pedestrian streets should have pedestrians.

[Highlander]

Another good candidate would be 14th street through the P&L District.

Yeah, considering that it is not a through street, doesn't even have street parking at least around P&L and gets closed-off many times anyways, there is really no reason that road should be operational from Main to Grand.
I'd say to start with closing those off Friday and Saturday nights. And then from there, see if it would be desirable to close them off period.

I am surprised the subject of Nichols Road, at the very least, has never even been debated publically in KC.
...
The vitriol in the KC Star comments section because of a road-closing event like the Hospital Hill run would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

Has Nichols been something that has even been brought up?

Eh... In the end it is best to view KCStar comments the same way one views the comment section on any news page or YouTube comments for that matter. 2-parts crazies, 1-part spam, and 1-part useless filler.

Nichols has never been brought up as a potential pedestrian street. There are problems with Nichols on the Halls end of the plaza because it's kind of stark with few storefronts but from Wornall to the west, it's a perfect pedestrian corridor. From a traffic point of view, it serves little purpose which makes it even a better candidate.

[taxi]

Yum Yum! The strippers on Troost certainly don't look like that anymore! Not that I'd know.

[Demosthenes]

Not quite there yet, but in the next few years I see Main st in the South Plaza being one of the most pedestrian friendly streets.

[AlbertHammond]

I have been walking a lot more and I was reminded of this thread. Anything more to add?