KCRag Forum

Kansas City's ITS system, KC Scout, launched the public website this week.

http://www.kcscout.net

Not much on it right now except camera, sign locations but it's interesting to poke around in. Says the entire phase I should be going by late next year.

I personally don't like the site. I think it's hard to navigate and the blue scroll buttons are clumsy versus the normal IE scroll bars.

Yea, that website sucks so far, not user friendly at all. I'm sure they will work on that, they have a year before it really even up and running full speed.

channel 5 said this morning that the message boards are starting to go up (I assume on 435) but wouldn't be all up until Decemeber. From what it's sounding like it won't be ready until Dec 2003.

I've seen the supports for the signs are up on 435 and 70.....might we see some actual sign hardware before the year is up?

Some pics thanks to kcroads.com
http://www.kcroads.com/KansasCity/kcscout.html

As usual, Kdot goes the extra mile while Modot does the bare minimal to get by. I guess it's not that bad, but would have been nice if Modot put up nice, large structures like Kdot is doing, plus Modot is only gong to have two message signs that go completley over the highway, most will look like the second pic here:

BTW if you were wondering, Kdot decided to pay the extra costs associated with the nicer and larger trusses, modot did not.

KCgridlock wrote:As usual, Kdot goes the extra mile while Modot does the bare minimal to get by. I guess it's not that bad, but would have been nice if Modot put up nice, large structures like Kdot is doing

What is the advantage of the trusses that go all the way over the highway? In my opinion the smaller ones look much better. They are less obtrusive, yet the actual screens seem to be the same size and equally visible. (There is at least one on the MO side right now, on westbound I-470)

In other cities I have only ever seen the smaller type, never the giant one all the way across the road. If MoDOT can accomplish the same result more efficiently, then there will more money to spend elsewhere, or the existing money will go further.

I think the over the road ones would be more visible and tend to not draw your eye off the road, just above it for a second....

I'm just glad to see them going up

Anyone know when phase 4 will be completed?

I cannot believe the areal coverage that they will have. Pretty much covers the entire city and then some. I don't think I've seen any city with as many message boards as they will have put up by the end.

I definitely take back my earlier post, complaining of the lack of coverage in the northland!

From what I hear, Phase 4 won't be done until 2030

kcroads wrote:From what I hear, Phase 4 won't be done until 2030

Actually it could be as early as 2020 when Phase 4 is completed, I have no idea when Phase 2 or 3 or 4 will begin, but I will say that Phase 2 is only like 5-8 years off from now

Is it jus' me, or are the KC Scout boards on the Kansas side nicer than the ones in Missouri? I mean, hell, the ones in Kansas expand the freeway, whereas the ones in Missouri look like a billboard. The Scout in Milwaukee lists the exits of all the attractions around that particular area of the city, what attractions are in Johnson County to list? Why so big while Missouri's are so small? This is jus' an observation I've made the past couple of days on I-470 and I-435 in Missouri near Swope Park...maybe they have some that expand the interstate in the Northland.

$$$$$ is your answer....the over the highway ones are way more expensive. I don't think the signs will list any attractions....just road problems

As far as I can tell the size of the signs are virtually the same, it's the size of the metal structure that is different. Spending less per sign probably allows MoDOT to put up more signs. The info on the Scout web site says that the signs will only be used for special traffic alerts, not for normal congestion or anything else.

Also, it looks like some of the cameras are now up on I-70 in Jackson County. They are black orbs on top of talk poles, mostly adjacent to the info signs.

dangerboy wrote:The info on the Scout web site says that the signs will only be used for special traffic alerts, not for normal congestion or anything else.

That's a shame...those signs could be used for so much more....ozone alert, weather alert, amber alert, etc.

Why is that a shame? Those other things are readily available through many other mediums (radio, TV, Internet, text messages, etc). The goal of the system is traffic management, not information dissemination. If they put other stuff on the signs then people are likely to start tuning them out and miss important traffic info when it does come across.

However, their FAQ does state that they would considering adding Amber Alerts if the police requested it.

dangerboy wrote:Why is that a shame? Those other things are readily available through many other mediums (radio, TV, Internet, text messages, etc).

I drove into a tornado because I was listenin' to CDs...KC's radio sucks!

Um, no offense, but why not turn on a news radio station when you see storm clouds or rain? The warnings were issued well in advance and repeated often. Motorists still have to take some personal responsibilty for being aware of what is happening around them.

KCgridlock wrote:Some pics thanks to kcroads.com
http://www.kcroads.com/KansasCity/kcscout.html

The link is dry and the pics don't work.

I'm assuming this discussion is about the monstrous silver structures bridging on side of the freeway to the next with a big black screen on the front?

If so, what are they? From the posts above, it sounds like message boards? If so, when will they be activated?

What's with the overhead sensors/cameras that are within 50-100 yards of each of them?

Thanks
Dan