KCRag Forum

This really irked me hearing a radio ad for the Auto Show about having free shuttle parking from West Bottoms. The parking in this city has never been a problem and its reaching an almost comical climax.

Its kind of scary that the KC Auto Show even has to use Free Shuttle Parking from the West Bottoms as a marketing tool
http://kcautoshow.com/free-parking/

If OP ever decided to expand there convention center or make a new massive one, i think KC loses a lot of the local Trade Shows (Auto/Boat/RV/Garden/Sports)

Seems like a valuable service for those folks that don't want to pay for parking or walk very far. I wouldn't use it, but I see no problem with them offering the service. It's not like there's an overabundance of free parking near Bartle. What's the harm?

In the end, this is a long-established show that probably knows its attendees pretty well. I assume the feedback they've received drives these decisions.

The auto show is probably mostly attended by a suburban/rural crowd that doesn't go downtown much and doesn't know where to find parking. Having a shuttle mentioned in their ads probably provides reassurance to those folks and makes it more likely that they will attend. Hopefully when they get to the convention center they will see that parking was easier to find than they thought.

To many if you can't see the front door from parking spot it's too far away.

We want to see places offering free shuttles. That's how we better utilize existing parking for more things.

I bet there's thousands of riders every week parking at their hotel and using the streetcar as a shuttle

I don't see anything wrong with this. I'd rather people who aren't used to driving/parking downtown have an easy alternative than have them clogging up the streets, blocking crosswalks, and being a menace to both pedestrians and people who drive the correct direction on one-way streets.

I know we've talked about parking over and over again but saw this tool today. Allows you to see how much land cities dedicate to parking. For KC (inside the loop) - 29%

The deal is most of it is permit only and not publicly accessible - even when the business is closed. So has there ever been a movement to allow for public (can be paid) use of lots on nights/weekends?

No. I would imagine this would be a property rights issue where owners couldn't be forced to share their property.

I think there have been informal deals made though among parties like I think was done for the huge surface lot on Grand between 19th and 20th streets.

I've never seen any study done comparing how much revenue a number of city blocks can earn per acre with dense and mixed uses on the property versus the same number of blocks of surface parking lots. The other way to measure it is the property value of developed blocks versus surface parking. An example of this would be showing how much more Kemper banks' parking lots would be worth on paper developed versus their worth now. One would have to factor in replacing the Kemper banks' parking spaces in structured parking within the same number of blocks. Would the cost of building garage spaces still allow those blocks to still have a much higher measured value and revenue that it would be worth going forth with development?

In cities like Kansas City, where the cost to build may not be supported by rents, it may be riskier to carry the financing costs. We have seen with the Power & Light District that the City is making up the difference from the general fund because Cordish is not producing enough revenue to cover the bonds.

However, it depends on what one is building too. I think if Kemper banks developed apartments, they would likely not have the risk they would have with office and retail.

I have seen small studies that compare single-family houses in less dense suburban subdivisions versus more densely developed mixed neighborhoods in older central cities. I think that was measuring just tax revenue produced though.

In the city's defense, their official position is "shared parking arrangements" but that's easier said than done because of the issues above. There have been some small wins, especially with new developments.

Kansas City's latest national pub highlight! (lowlight?)

Want your city to thrive? Start by rethinking parking lots.
https://wapo.st/3VDeTf4

Meanwhile, many of my crossroads neighbors are vehemently dying on the sword of "where is everyone going to park". (This is not limited to baseball, fwiw) We exist in a giant parking lot! unbearable parking issues and unbearable traffic are the two greatest things that could ever happen to the crossroads.