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Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:56 pm
by KCPowercat
Valet parking....people rushing into Midland....general traffic....pedestrians being idiots....how do we fix? Discuss....

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:04 pm
by earthling
You know downtown has taken its next step toward being functional again when you have such good problems to have.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:09 pm
by swid
I know most/all have been mentioned elsewhere, but....

1 - It would be fantastic if the Sprint Center and the Midland developed (then promoted the hell out of on social media) "how to get here" routes that directed people to the major garages without crossing Main (or at least avoided doing so on 12th through 14th, at a minimum).

2 - Someone (the Downtown CID? KCPD? Anyone?) needs to yell at the people who think it's a great idea to park in front of the T-Mobile store and block that lane approximately 100% of the time during evening rush hour.

3 - move the valet parking (especially in its "let's close down the entire street" format) to anywhere that's not 14th between Walnut and Main.

4 - pedestrianize Main between 12th and Truman, leaving the E-W streets in that section open, though.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:35 pm
by KCPowercat
No more left turns between 12th and Truman.

Point one KC place parkers to Baltimore. I assume those entrances connect somewhere under the building?

Already stated but move the valet.

Fix the "smart" traffic light that always stops the streetcar going south before it crossed north Truman. Always!

Traffic officers

Ped and streetcar only but that's not happening.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:42 pm
by KCPowercat
It makes sense for customers why it's there. How about reverse the valet flow? Enter from walnut, valets can then exit onto main and into garage. Queue ends up on walnut from two directions.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:42 pm
by KCPowercat
Enforcement of parking will be better once private company starts...

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:49 pm
by KCPowercat
I've floated message board signs on each traffic signal light before. That would help....minneapolis has these. people get so stuck to their gps though.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:56 pm
by KCPowercat
Speaking of directions...maybe p&l can update their own. Reading just now it talks nothing of anything but driving to the district. Additionally some directions could be updated to not send people down the busiest streets.

Midland's site does mention RideKC buses (old link) but no mention of streetcar (which more people would know how to use)

Sprint center site only mentions driving.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:19 pm
by KCPowercat
Went back through twitter posts of the district...not one detailed parking direction or streetcar utilization tip since December 1....no matter, having that static site updated with better directions including "hey, dorks, take streetcar here" can't hurt, right?

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:29 pm
by WoodDraw
KCPowercat wrote:Went back through twitter posts of the district...not one detailed parking direction or streetcar utilization tip since December 1....no matter, having that static site updated with better directions including "hey, dorks, take streetcar here" can't hurt, right?
It's an easy fix, but like you said, GPS feeds so many people right there. Uber too. A fix has to be more active measures and less passive measures, if that makes sense..

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:46 pm
by droopy
I believe the highway signs on northbound I-35 directs “Sprint Center traffic” to use the 14th St exit rather than Broadway (which would include Truman) or 12th Street. Just an FYI for the discussion. People coming from the south, that’s the option they’re told.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:17 am
by DaveKCMO
the next downtown parking and transportation commission is jan. 23 at 11:30 (10th floor city hall). please come and testify with these fixes, if you can. i believe there would be support for closing truman to 12th (or restricting heavily) on event nights if there was enough of an outcry.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:40 am
by KCPowercat
I'd wager the biggest pushback would be downtown businesses including cordish and/or their tenants.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:46 pm
by horizons82
StrangerThings wrote:Do we think there would be heavy pushback from people coming downtown for events who are not regular downtown folks by closing main? People from the suburbs already think downtown is “inconvenient” and that parking is a nightmare. We all know that’s not true, they don’t.
As long as closure is coupled with installing LED directional signs on Truman, Grand, etc I think suburbanites would handle it well.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:35 pm
by KCPowercat
AEG shuts down Grand though right?

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 12:12 pm
by swid
Are short-term street closures in P&L being pushed to map data providers? If not, that would be very good first step.

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:15 pm
by Critical_Mass
This will fix the problem of blocking the streetcar:
on event nights, H&R Block's garage Main St exit could be closed (enter/exit off Walnut only) and Midland's / One KC Place garage Main St exit could be closed (enter / exit off Baltimore only).

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:46 pm
by flyingember
Grand has the no turn dynamic signs around train movement.

Doing this more places so at certain intersections all turns get blocked onto Main during event traffic could help. Add the digital signs, turn them on for an event, station traffic enforcement at one corner like a DUI spot and have some parking spaces emptied out and ready for enforcement with other cops ready to hand out tickets. People will quickly learn not to ignore the signs. Kind of like the people that don't park behind the line at 5th/Grand learn if they don't they may have a train inching towards them in their path and they can back up or wait longer

The point about following GPS makes sense so let the person get to Main on Truman rd and see they can't turn onto it, that they must turn at Walnut or Baltimore. Can't stop people from using the system but it can direct them wrong and make them learn without it.

And if the signs are setup so more people end up at a nice cheap garage near a train or bus stop, that's not a bad end result

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:56 pm
by KCPowercat
Also to help main traffic...quit shutting down all the other roads around p&l ....grand, walnut, 14th, truman

Re: Fixing p&l traffic backups

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:57 pm
by KCPowercat
StrangerThings wrote:
KCPowercat wrote:AEG shuts down Grand though right?
For their events and Cordish shuts it down for several of their own events.
Stop doing this would help Main street traffic.