Bicycle/Pedestrian River Crossing Public Meeting, Oct. 10

[beccanator]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Findings and recommendations from a Bicycle/Pedestrian Missouri River Crossing Feasibility Study will be displayed during a Tuesday, October 10 open-house public meeting scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mid-America Regional Council’s offices, located at 600 Broadway in downtown Kansas City. 

No formal presentation is planned, so participants may attend at their convenience during those hours to view displays, visit with study team members, and provide their input to the study process.

A team that includes representatives from the Missouri Bicycle Federation, the Federal Highway Administration, municipal government and community representatives is working with MoDOT to identify a bicycle/pedestrian river crossing location that MoDOT will commit to funding by 2012.

[KCFutbol]

http://www.bigdambridge.com/party/photos.aspx

[kard]

^^  you're such a tease.

[kard]

Hey beccanator, could you please include a source when you quote like that?  Thanks!

[warwickland]

am i going to have to shut this thread down?

who goin?

i'd like to if im in town! but i may not be.

[dangerboy]

Anyone up for drinks afterward?  It's important to reward yourself for civic involvement

[beccanator]

The above quoted information, Kard, is from an email I received from Aaron Bartlett, Bicycle/Pedestrial Coordinator at MARC. Happy?

I am planning on attending in the evening and am certainly up for drinks afterward. 

[MidWestSider]

working with MoDOT to identify a bicycle/pedestrian river crossing location that MoDOT will commit to funding by 2012.

are we talking about attaching something to an existing span.. or building a independent ped/bike bridge?

[dangerboy]

are we talking about attaching something to an existing span.. or building a independent ped/bike bridge?

MoDOT is studying three things... Retrofitting the ASB Bridge, retrofitting the Heart of America Bridge, and building a new, stand-alone bridge.  ASB would entail some sort of new deck structure.  HOA options range from putting barriers on the current bridge to cantelevering something off of the side.

[kard]

I'm under the impression they've reached some sort of conclusion and want to display it to the public here.  I encourage you to go and ask yourself:

- Could I use such a crossing safely / comfortably?
- Could I access it easily / safely?

Personally, I'd like to see at the MINIMUM a dedicated path 4' - 6' wide each direction or a single 8' - 10' path separated from traffic by a 3' - 4' high concrete barrier or a tall and very strong fence (or combo of both).  Also, instead of stairs I'd like to see ramps or a spiral ramp (similar to those at The K or Arrowhead).  Stairs create the need for elevators and those are too expensive to maintain / unreliable in the weather (example: the elevator at the 1st and Main ped bridge).  It also needs to be connected to the streets / paths in the area.

The above quoted information, Kard, is from an email I received from Aaron Bartlett, Bicycle/Pedestrial Coordinator at MARC. Happy?

I wasn't meaning to be a jerk.  It looked like a press release and I couldn't find it posted anywhere.  I was wondering if there was more to it.  Thanks for the info, still.

[dangerboy]

Good points Kard.

MoDOT is under a very tight timeline to incorporate this into the final federal approvals of the Paseo Bridge project.  This one night will be the only opportunity to see and comment on the plan.  If we don't like the it, we'll need a huge uproar to delay or change it.

MoDOT will most likely propose putting barriers along one or both sides of the Heart of America Bridge, with an entrance along the existing ramp from 3rd Street.

The Paseo Bridge is being studied separately, and there are already rumblings that MoDOT is going to decide its too expensive.

[scooterj]

To me something on or near the HOA would be the most practical crossing point, though simply building a barricade isn't enough, they would also need to do something about the flimsy plastic drainage grates on the shoulders.

A separate dedicated bridge would be really cool though and make a nice attraction.

The Paseo Bridge is being studied separately, and there are already rumblings that MoDOT is going to decide its too expensive.

The problem I've had with the Paseo Bridge idea is that a ped/bike crossing there just wouldn't go anywhere useful.  The southern end would be convenient to the park and the casino but not much else.  The northern end would be pretty much useless, you'd be dumped off on the south side of the railroad yards and then what?  You're trapped. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

The problem I've had with the Paseo Bridge idea is that a ped/bike crossing there just wouldn't go anywhere useful.   The southern end would be convenient to the park and the casino but not much else.   The northern end would be pretty much useless, you'd be dumped off on the south side of the railroad yards and then what?  You're trapped.   

You don't like bicycling from casino to casino?    Being on a bike is probably about the only way to avoid getting pulled over along the casino stretch of 210.

[dangerboy]

The problem I've had with the Paseo Bridge idea is that a ped/bike crossing there just wouldn't go anywhere useful.  The southern end would be convenient to the park and the casino but not much else.  The northern end would be pretty much useless, you'd be dumped off on the south side of the railroad yards and then what?  You're trapped. 

The Paseo and HOA bridges would server two different purposes. 

HOA would be great for connecting the street grids of NKC and Downtown KCMO for bicycle commuters and other transportation uses. 

The Paseo would have a more recreational purpose, connecting the trails that will someday run along the levees on either side of the river.  It would also benefit folks in Columbus Park and the Northeast who work in the industries on the north end of the bridge - many who live public housing and have limited transportation options.

Another reason to build both is the plan for redeveloping the riverfront.  The two bridges would allow for a great circular trail on either side of the river.

[scooterj]

The HOA is already easier for Columbus Park residents to get to than The Paseo, and connects to those NKC industrial jobs just as well.   The HOA path would of course have to be extended north to connect to 10th Avenue, but that should not be very costly at all.   Lack of access to jobs south of the RR tracks would still be a problem, but a Paseo route has a similar problem for access north of those same tracks.

I'm not totally opposed to a crossing that serves a primarily recreational purpose, just as long as it doesn't come at the cost of a safe crossing that serves the most practical purpose.

[beccanator]

I wasn't meaning to be a jerk.  It looked like a press release and I couldn't find it posted anywhere.  I was wondering if there was more to it.  Thanks for the info, still.

I wasn't meaning to be a jerk either, sorry if it came across that way. We coo'? 

[beccanator]

More....

The study's findings and recommended location will be added to the Environmental Impact Statement that will be completed before design and construction of a Missouri River bridge along the I-29/I-35 corridor.

[dangerboy]

OK folks I'll be retiring to Harry's Country Club after 7pm.  Hope to see y'all there.

[markf]

dangerboy, I am already double-booked that night but I'll try and drop by the CC.  You can give me a recap of what you learned.

[dangerboy]

MoDOT will probably propose altering the Heart of America Bridge to add a bike/ped path on the northbound  shoulder and some tiny bike lanes in each direction.

What would y'all thik of removing Heart of America's third southbound lane?  This would allow for a 10 foot barrier-separated path on *both* sides.  Obviously removing an automobile lane wouldn't be politically easy, but it would be more palatable if lots of the public asked for it...