KCMO Downtown Streetcar

[KCPowercat]

I don't see either of those as their reasoning. Really 2 buck parking is their motive here?  There will still be plenty of drivers to the p&l.

My guess is they are actually worried about the construction impact. They don't seem to be considering the long-term gains

[mudjack]

Can Cordish derail this? If not, why should I care what they think?

[mean]

They have a lot of money. A lot of money can do pretty much anything in the right lawyer's hands.

[tella100]

$$ and the fact that the city has a huge financial stake in the success of the P&L.

[KC-wildcat]

I'm not in the anti-Cordish camp.  If they derail (pun intended) a Main or Grand option, I will be. 

[KC-wildcat]

I imagine Cordish's angst is surrounding the fact that it will give visitors who would otherwise likely be confined to getting drunk in P&L's nightlife mall a safe, convenient, and desirable connection to other places where they can spend money.

Could be.  But then again, KC STRIP party bus line has a booth set up on Grand - right in front of McFaddens - with giant flags and promotional material set up.  There are also throngs of cabs parked around and throughout P&L thur-sat every weekend. 

Seems like if eliminating connectivity was Cordish's angle, they would have tried kicking out the cabs and busses already. 

[kboish]

The fact that the city has a huge financial stake in the PnL is exactly the reason why they should be putting the streetcar line directly through the district and not around it. 

[chrizow]

The fact that the city has a huge financial stake in the PnL is exactly the reason why they should be putting the streetcar line directly through the district and not around it. 

exactly.  and how "disruptive" could the construction of this thing really be on the 1-2 blocks through the P&L? 

[KCPowercat]

Good point on the KC Strip....but they do probably get a cut from them somehow.

Maybe their minds will be set more at ease when they realize the construction won't be a typical light rail construction period that does take awhile and I'm sure does affect businesses to some extent.  It's shortsighted to want to kill the project down main because of that.  Not like the have sales quotas to meet to the city....that was long given up on years ago.

[shaffe]

Cordish opposing this should come as no surprise since the only reason the MAX runs on 12th and not 14th is because they didn't want a big old nasty bus running on a border street of their development district.

Fuck em if they want to stand in the way of our progress. The district has been an amazing thing for downtown revival - but no one project is bigger than the ultimate goal.

[KCPowercat]

Cordish opposing this should come as no surprise since the only reason the MAX runs on 12th and not 14th is because they didn't want a big old nasty bus running on a border street of their development district.

Fuck em if they want to stand in the way of our progress. The district has been an amazing thing for downtown revival - but no one project is bigger than the ultimate goal.

I think you mean 11th not 13th....but totally agree with your post.

[KCPowercat]

Should we bash Cordish in this thread or the Transportation Streetcar thread?  I'm good with either but don't want to miss out on it.....or does it deserve it's own????? hhhmmmmmm

[Highlander]

I don't see either of those as their reasoning. Really 2 buck parking is their motive here?  There will still be plenty of drivers to the p&l.

My guess is they are actually worried about the construction impact. They don't seem to be considering the long-term gains

Two dollar parking is not their issue.  Right now, they have a captive audience.  Want to go to an event at the Sprint Center...pay event parking, eat at the district and drink there afterwards.  A street car down Main or Grand disperses the crowd, gives them more options for parking or eating or drinking.  Likewise, you can pay your two bucks  to park in the district (pretty cheap) and then go any where on the line to party...that's a bit less likely because parking is free or cheap elsewhere too.  But in either case, it creates competition and options for what was until now a captive audience. 

Yea, the construction would be an access problem but not much of one (there's more than one way into the district) and a line going from CC to downtown is not going to bring in an "undesirable" crowd so I think you can dismiss the latter and discount the former.  I don't know their motivation but they've used some pretty strong words and they've used similar language every time a competition issue arises (e.g., Westport drinking district) .

[Highlander]

They have a lot of money. A lot of money can do pretty much anything in the right lawyer's hands.

The worst case scenario would probably be an alternative route...but this needs to be optimal.  Grand or Main.  Preferably Grand. 

[ColumbusParkian]

I don't know...I'm certainly no Cordish cheerleader, but I can see how a street car going down Grand from 12th until past 14th would be a bad idea. I am down in this area daily, including when there are big events, and that are becomes a gridlocked clusterfuck before and after a huge concert. I can only imagine that adding a streetcar to the mix would make the regular traffic come to an absolute nightmare. I don't much care about Cordish not being able to have the street blocked off for their festival things (which are always underwhelming), but I'm not interested in seeing that corridor become gridlocked either.

Has the idea of Walnut ever been thrown out? It's a one way street with relatively low traffic, and goes through the center of P&L rather than the edge. I'd think you could take away one lane for a streetcar or other type of rail transit and not see any major negatives. It wouldn't hinder people getting into the parking garages for P&L, they could still have their parties or whatnot, and we can still move people around the city a little better.

[KCPowercat]

I actually agree grand isn't a good route.

[KCPowercat]

I agree since parking is cheap/free everywhere I don't think that's their motivator.  Like others posted they let the strip line pick up and drop off at their front door so not sure they are scared of competition that easier access to a few additional bars like cashew or harry's.

I can't figure out their angle.....bur I haven't heard it come up with one that's any better than what they are actually saying that construction will hurt.

[cdm2p]

Walnut is a lot more congested than you think.

[ColumbusParkian]

I drive and walk down Walnut at a minimum of 5 days a week. I think it's actually exactly as congested as i think.

[shaffe]

I think you mean 11th not 13th....but totally agree with your post.

Whoops. 11/13 is indeed what I mean.