OFFICIAL - Main Street Streetcar Extension

[earthling]

Am indifferent if streetcar runs down Main or Broadway but would like to see MAX moved to Bway if streetcar runs along Main through Midtown and then run a local bus down Main.

The pro running down Main through midtown is that it's obviously a natural extension along Main through downtown to UMKC. But Main through Midtown is a main drag with far more rush hour car traffic compared to Broadway so streetcar cutting over to Bway may make more sense. As a bus rider, to me the only major difference between bus and streetcar is that streetcar will encourage more intimate pedestrian scale TOD and Broadway through Midtown is more conducive to that than Main. Pros and cons to either, am indifferent in the end.

[chingon]

I would rather take it down to UMKC, turn onto Volker and end this segment at Troost. Having a direct bus transfer at the MAX line would be so much more valuable. It will do help with confidence in that corridor and could help get federal funding since it's more transit centric.

And if you look at the distances a detour down Westport Rd is equal to about half that distance and a small segment on Brookside Blvd from Volker to 51st is about another third.

I never fully understood why we would take the train through a low density residential neighborhood over Troost if the goal is redevelopment.

It also drives the idea of providing access to jobs in the urban core from high need areas.

Main to Volker to Troost seems like it's has the greatest chance of improve the city.

Yes. I think I have mentioned before I think it would be a good idea to terminate an extension on Troost between UMKC and Rockhurst, either via Volker or via Cleaver (running past the museum). It not only connects to the Troost MAX for now, but would also set up a natural southward extension along Troost, which I feel is a better route than through Brookside. None of these ideas are really on the table, though.

That said, it's probably worth noting that the immediately neighborhoods south of the Plaza are not particularly low-density. In fact, if you subtract the UMKC landmass, South Plaza's density is about 8,000 ppsm, making it substantially higher than anywhere abutting the Troost corridor with the exception of S. Hyde Park and there is certainly very, very limited potential for any redevelopment or increased density along Volker.

[mykn]

I think Main could use the development brought on by streetcar more than Broadway. Broadway already is coming along quite well. But if it did ever switch over to Broadway from Main, I hope it's at Linwood for self serving reasons.

[mean]

Deciding streetcar routing based on where you would like to see development instead of where people want to go is really stupid.

[earthling]

Deciding streetcar routing based on where you would like to see development instead of where people want to go is really stupid.

Overall effective transit is what matters, whether bus or streetcar. IMO the only major difference between bus and streetcar is the TOD that streetcar creates and is more effective on less car traffic'd streets than high traffic. Having ridden streetcars (and every form of transit) around the world, streetcar works best on streets that are closer to pedestrian scale than major traffic thoroughfares .

Broadway through Midtown has more destinations where people want to go (center of Westport, Plaza, Uptown Theatre district becoming a hot spot). I'm indifferent on Main vs Broadway but Main has such high volume of car traffic. There are still benefits to run it down Main, especially given Main could use more help than Broadway (and it's a straight shot). MAX already serves Main through Midtown so is covered.

[flyingember]

Deciding streetcar routing based on where you would like to see development instead of where people want to go is really stupid.

That's precisely why I picked Troost over Brookside Blvd. As the #1 transit corridor people clearly already want to travel along it. Main St MAX still doesn't go south of the plaza half the time.

I would like to see phase 2 cover the Main corridor to UMKC and then follow with phase 3 as covering Troost from downtown to at least 63rd.

Maybe build that 18th St line to Troost and finally 18th/Vine can not be an incentive sucking part of town

I think we should build to replace the top use bus lines before any other route. I like the idea of a line north but there's clearly other corridors which would benefit more in the near term.

[beautyfromashes]

I think Main could use the development brought on by streetcar more than Broadway. Broadway already is coming along quite well. But if it did ever switch over to Broadway from Main, I hope it's at Linwood for self serving reasons.

I would think this would have to happen at Linwood instead of Westport Rd. There isn't enough space to make the turn at Westport and Main.

[mykn]

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[DaveKCMO]

sorry, kids. it's main street. you can talk about broadway all you want, but...
http://nextrailkc.com/main-street/

[missingkc]

Dave, I just tried to follow your nextrailkc link and symantec blocked it. Know of any problems with it?

[HalcyonKC]

My computer's antivirus also blocked it, it came up with a malware warning page.

[DaveKCMO]

their webhosting has been problematic (hacked a couple of times), so that's probably why it's been flagged. my mac running chrome via google fiber throws no errors.

[gfisch95]

As someone not at all in the know on these kind of things...

If this extension happens will Main St MAX stay where it is or will there be changes to where those busses run?

[flyingember]

As someone not at all in the know on these kind of things...

If this extension happens will Main St MAX stay where it is or will there be changes to where those busses run?

The last thing I remember is the decision wasn't going to be made until the extension is going in.

You wouldn't move every bus to the train with a forced transfer if it couldn't hold the numbers due to demand, number of trains, etc. It needs to work as a system.

[KCPowercat]

So have "peak" times been determined? When 3 vs. 2 trains running?

[ULCajun]

After renting in downtown for the last 3+ years, we have bought a house a couple blocks off of 36th&Main...extending the streetcar went from high on my priority list to highest. Look forward to see what comes.

[earthling]

In the meantime, you can take MAX, which runs often. And when streetcar is extended, free fare likely to go away.

[flyingember]

And when streetcar is extended, free fare likely to go away.

What's your basis? Last thing I recall was Dave saying it was expected the to Plaza corridor would provide enough money to continue free service

[DaveKCMO]

the 2014 financing plan would have allowed for free fares. a subsequent plan would likely carry that forward, but it would be up to the community (via the Authority) to decide.

[ULCajun]

In the meantime, you can take MAX, which runs often. And when streetcar is extended, free fare likely to go away.

Actually took the MAX from onelight to westport for MotM, it wasn't that bad. $6 per trip for us could get a little expensive tho. cheaper than uber. We just won't use it enough to justify $100/mo. We will be 2.5 miles from work, we will bike it.