Indepedence Center is still a traffic nightmare!

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 7:59 pm

Saturday, I tried to get to the center from Lee's Summit and I-470 was backed up to Woods Chappell. I finally made it to US 40 and it was also a disaster. I finally made my way into the Eastland shopping center and Valley View Pky was backed up. Made it to Little Blue Pky and it was backed up in both directions from 39th to US 40. I finally got to the Mall and 39th was at least moving, I think because everyone else was stuck on the inbound routes. I accidentally went into the Wal-Mart and go stuck in the parking lot for a half hour.

Insane...I can't even imagine this area as more and more shopping and other development opens up in the coming years and Bass Pro???

What a mess. FIX BLUE RIGE MALL. Indep Center is now serving several hundred thousand people. Why a developer doesnâ€™t step up and redevelop that mall, I have no idea.

Good2Great · Post by **Good2Great** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:29 am

It is a traffic nightmare. Just imagine if real retail was downtown....better pack a lunch for that one!

Post by **dangerboy** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:43 pm

I still remember a couple of years ago when people where calling 911 from their cars, because they had been stuck in the parking lots for 2-3 hours. Perfect example of allowing growth before improving the infrastructure. Also shows how starved the eastern half of the metro is for retail.

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 1:37 pm

dangerboy wrote:I still remember a couple of years ago when people where calling 911 from their cars, because they had been stuck in the parking lots for 2-3 hours. Perfect example of allowing growth before improving the infrastructure. Also shows how starved the eastern half of the metro is for retail.

Did anything result from the 911 calls, like police coming and helping direct traffic out, or was there nothing anyone could do?

I was stuck in that parking lot for 45 minutes one night several years ago when the new development there was only just getting going. I can't even imagine what it must be like over there now. I avoid that area at all costs on weekends and around holidays.

Post by **bahua** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:30 pm

The traffic in the suburbs is horrible, and the worst in the metro, hands down. Nowhere in the city do I sit, staring blankly at a red light for 3 full minutes. I hate hate hate driving into the suburbs, because it's like walking on flypaper.

go
STOP
go
STOP
don't go, you STOP!
go for 40 yards -STOP!

ShowME · Post by **ShowME** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:30 am

Doesn't NE Lakewood Way turn into Little Blue Parkway which runs into 39th Street? I know that interchange at 291 & 39th Street is the biggest clusterf*ck I've seen. I assume development will just continue to sprawl eastward down 39th Street towards Blue Springs.

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:34 am

ShowME wrote:Doesn't NE Lakewood Way turn into Little Blue Parkway which runs into 39th Street? I know that interchange at 291 & 39th Street is the biggest clusterf*ck I've seen. I assume development will just continue to sprawl eastward down 39th Street towards Blue Springs.

Once it reaches RD Mize it's blocked... that area is built up all residential and just beyond that a state forest/conservation area blocks it from spilling into Blue Springs.

I doubt it'll even get close to RD Mize, there's some nasty hills and curves in the area of 39th/Pink Hill east of Selsa/Little Blue.

On the other hand, that whole area is being developed in an area that was once stone cliffs and boulders, so a massive terraforming project probably could make that land usable.

Post by **dangerboy** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:39 pm

scooterj wrote:On the other hand, that whole area is being developed in an area that was once stone cliffs and boulders, so a massive terraforming project probably could make that land usable.

They shaved off several feet of limestone cliffs to flatten the site for Eastland Town Center - that was how they got the area declared "blighted" and eligible for TIF. As along as the city of Independence is willing to pay for the terraforming, the topography won't be an issue.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:52 pm

dangerboy wrote:the topography won't be an issue.

Leave the topography alone...

Post by **bahua** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:14 pm

dangerboy, always picking on the topography...

What did it ever do to you?

Post by **dangerboy** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 4:31 pm

I love the topography. I's just sayin' that they will keep using TIF to make the hills as flat as Olathe cornfields as long as developers are willing to build boxes.