KCRag Forum

the next corridor to get BRT-lite treatment from KCATA. first public meeting on oct. 22. expect federal funding to cover most of the capital cost and perhaps the jackson county transit sales tax to cover the rest (assuming it ever gets back off the ground). service levels are already high, so expect only minor tweaks to improve travel times. the non-BRT #71 will probably stay (as it has on troost, although main street's #57 was recently lopped off at the plaza).

http://www.kcata.org/light_rail_max/pro ... ve._study/

https://www.facebook.com/events/553861794685458/

A properly done Cerner mixed-use development at Bannister could make a perfect southern endpoint for Prospect MAX.

Alas.

nah. it's extremely doable for a bus line.

the buildings are in one place. parking lots are nice for one thing too, they're super easy to tear up and build on. so if transit becomes a popular way to get to that site someone can add buildings as parking needs decrease

I don't completely like the project but it's not like parking lots are set in stone. they can be changed as needs at the site change.

Momentum is growing for a Prospect MAX bus line

For a city where the Main Street and Troost Avenue MAX express lines are already popular with riders, Prospect is seen as the logical next step.
“We’ve heard a lot of positives about bringing the MAX to Prospect,” said Danny O’Connor, planning director for the Area Transportation Authority.
He noted Prospect is the second most heavily traveled route after Troost, with about 6,000 riders every weekday.

Is there any momentum toward trying to get an east-west Max, like along 39th street for instance?

heatherkay wrote:Is there any momentum toward trying to get an east-west Max, like along 39th street for instance?

since 39th street is the only high-ridership corridor NOT being looked at for an upgrade right now, it might be a good candidate for repurposing the main street MAX equipment and service levels (assuming phase 2 streetcar is funded to operationally and financially replace it).

other potential corridors are north oak and broadway.

DaveKCMO wrote:

heatherkay wrote:Is there any momentum toward trying to get an east-west Max, like along 39th street for instance?

since 39th street is the only high-ridership corridor NOT being looked at for an upgrade right now, it might be a good candidate for repurposing the main street MAX equipment and service levels (assuming phase 2 streetcar is funded to operationally and financially replace it).

other potential corridors are north oak and broadway.

I have long thought they should move the MAX to Broadway, but I guess I honestly never thought about a crosstown BRTLite line other than Independence Ave, I always assumed the crosstown routes in KC were pretty low on the ridership ranking. But a 39th street line from KU MED to the VA (via Cleaver) would only be about 6 miles, would pick up W39th, Westport, Midtown, the Heart of the East Side and the ATA could add game day service to the stadia...

Lots and lots of people ride the 39 bus. I understand the appeal of lines bringing people into downtown, but we also need to be moving people across Midtown. I kinda feel like we need to focus a little on that before another N-S line. Sorry about getting off the Prospect topic.

not that it's any surprise, but i hadn't heard it specified until today: prospect MAX is considered a green impact zone project. may help with federal funding?

ordinance #140017 introduced yesterday to form the phase 2 TDD that includes prospect MAX funding. joint council committee meeting will review. could be in circuit court as early as this month.

DaveKCMO wrote:not that it's any surprise, but i hadn't heard it specified until today: prospect MAX is considered a green impact zone project. may help with federal funding?

The Green Impact Zone is shutting down for now, unless they can come up with more funding in the future.

http://tinyurl.com/pa678vt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9khdvVoriXg

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

price of the project includes a new transit center location that would replace 10th & main.

DaveKCMO wrote:price of the project includes a new transit center location that would replace 10th & main.

Is there a proposed location? I like the idea of running buses on Grand & 12th rather than building another transit center. I think they only breed loitering issues.

the original concept was two transit centers on the edges of the loop, but not sure where a single location would be.

DaveKCMO wrote:the original concept was two transit centers on the edges of the loop, but not sure where a single location would be.

Is there still a need for a transit center if 12th and Grand are used as transit corridors? I thought not. Anyway, I'd hate to see us replace one crummy transit center with another. If that is the case I'd just assume keep 10th & Main because it's near my house and I appreciate the variety of routes being so close.

i'll dig in, but i agree. it should at least have a climate-controlled interior for passengers waiting to connect or buy a pass. you know, so we can treat people like human beings.

DaveKCMO wrote:i'll dig in, but i agree. it should at least have a climate-controlled interior for passengers waiting to connect or buy a pass. you know, so we can treat people like human beings.

definitely. worth a little extra cost.

Not for the average 30-something rider but for kids and the elderly.

the horrible open air, no seat, no good sign, no anything stops in NOLA were the worst thing about their St. Charles line.
Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago at least had shading for people standing

DaveKCMO wrote:i'll dig in, but i agree. it should at least have a climate-controlled interior for passengers waiting to connect or buy a pass. you know, so we can treat people like human beings.

Yes a great idea. I would like to see a transit center we can be proud of. Climate controlled with vending machines to buy passes from. Lots of seating, good signage, and plenty of auditory announcements for the blind.

As for location, I would kind of like to keep it at 10th and Main. A nifty, revamped transit center there would be pretty awesome though I wish there was a streetcar stop at this intersection. It would be perfect for connections.

Any thoughts on a north loop location? Maybe a 7th and Main parking lot or a 9th and Main tear down of a worthless building? Either location would offer convenient transfers to/ from streetcar. 7th street would even offer a possible direct connection to an Indy avenue streetcar line if it went down Admiral.

heatherkay wrote:Lots and lots of people ride the 39 bus. I understand the appeal of lines bringing people into downtown, but we also need to be moving people across Midtown. I kinda feel like we need to focus a little on that before another N-S line. Sorry about getting off the Prospect topic.

I checked in with KCATA to get an idea of ridership on the 39. Here are the top 20 routes for average daily ridership, weekday, for January through October. Note that the Troost corridor is the highest ridership corridor and that the 25-Troost local and Troost MAX are accounted for separately.

1 26 MAX- Troost 6,003
2 71 Prospect 5,811
3 58 MAX - Main 5,203
4 24 Independence 3,371
5 31 Thirty-first Street 3,319
6 39 Thirty-ninth Street 3,233
7 101 Minnesota/State Av 1,950
8 47 Broadway 1,691
9 108 Indiana 1,534
10 54 Armour/Paseo 1,526
11 25 Troost 1,424
12 106 Quindaro 1,350
13 28 Blue Ridge 1,263
14 27 Twenty-seventh Street 1,098
15 35 35th Street 1,098
16 142 North Oak 1,062
17 12 Twelfth Street 995
18 30 Northeast 914
19 175 Seventy-fifth Street 869
20 173 Casino Cruiser 787

MAX on prospect was added to the region's long-range transportation plan yesterday, which allows the project to advance to federal funding.