KCMO Downtown Streetcar

[pash]

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[flyingember]

right now, it's all conjecture based on internet pictures.

I mean, that's kinda what we do. ...

the other consideration was property owners who complained that the MAX shelters and markers were too bulky for downtown sidewalks.

That's what I had assumed. And yet so many people insist that our sidewalks are plenty wide.

I made an effort yesterday to look at a MAX sign.
yeah, that's pretty bad on size

[DaveKCMO]

5th and Delaware is getting a brand new protected pedestrian island at the track curve. it's a substantial change to the intersection

it will also get a traffic signal, as will:

3rd & delaware
3rd & grand
16th & main

the area under the link will also get a HAWK signal to allow mid-block ped crossings.

[pash]

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[DaveKCMO]

Sounds like they might be a bit ahead of the construction timeline, but that we're going to be waiting on the trains to show up and get certified.

correct!

[FangKC]

People don't care about what a bus shelter looks like when they are freezing their ass off, or trying to stay dry.

I also get the point that, at some transit stops, one isn't there very long.

However, there are many bus stops around the city where after 6 pm, the bus only comes once an hour.

If you miss the bus by a minute, you have to wait 55+ minutes for the next one. If the wind is blowing, or it's raining, that is a miserable experience.

[JBmidtown]

Truth. You know why subways are great? Constant cover from the elements. We will never have the speed or frequency of a NYC subway at here but we could easily have that environmental cover that would make public transit more appealing

[KCPowercat]

Sounds like they might be a bit ahead of the construction timeline, but that we're going to be waiting on the trains to show up and get certified.

correct!

What takes "certification" so long? Who is certifying it? DOT?

[DaveKCMO]

it's the manufacturer.

[FangKC]

Truth. You know why subways are great? Constant cover from the elements. We will never have the speed or frequency of a NYC subway at here but we could easily have that environmental cover that would make public transit more appealing

That is true JBmidtown for inclement weather like rain and sleet. However, the subways can be really hot in the summer at many stations.

[flyingember]

the streetcar team deserves credit. they've been doing a huge amount of work in nasty weather.

was at The Farmhouse with family on Saturday (it was super busy in the snow!) and a team from Mark One (and others I didn't catch) was out tearing up the street entirely. this intersection is going to look great.

In theory they have one more week of the closure and that will complete the major closure needs on Delaware from 3rd to Indep Ave. It will be the example spot that can be used that this just isn't a train project

[DaveKCMO]

raygun will be the first to sell officially licensed streetcar swag, starting this friday: http://www.kcstreetcar.org/kc-streetcar-swag/

also: http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... etcar.html

Raygun owner Mike Draper said the streetcar helped attract his business to the Crossroads in 2013.

[flyingember]

raygun will be the first to sell officially licensed streetcar swag, starting this friday: http://www.kcstreetcar.org/kc-streetcar-swag/

also: http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... etcar.html

Raygun owner Mike Draper said the streetcar helped attract his business to the Crossroads in 2013.

why not open it up to anyone like this logo?
http://thenewkc.com/kc-logo-assets/

[mean]

According to the article, it is open to anyone. Or at least it is free. I assume they'll accept any reasonable request for a license.

[flyingember]

According to the article, it is open to anyone. Or at least it is free. I assume they'll accept any reasonable request for a license.

I pointed out a logo that's closer to a creative commons style. no need to ask, follow specific requirements that are the same for everyone, and it's yours to use

[mean]

I get that, but I don't think it is unreasonable that the streetcar authority retain some more fine-grained ability to control who gets to use their assets and what they can do with them, especially considering the pernicious nature of some of the streetcar opponents. I'm more familiar with BSD and GPL-type licensing than CC, but as far as I know CC wouldn't be able to prevent people from taking the authority's assets and making TOY TRAIN BOONDOGGLE shirts or billboards or whatever as long as they shared-alike their derivative works. Hard to blame them for wanting to avoid that.

[pash]

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[flyingember]

the best I can find is direct federal employee work can't be copyrighted.

How does it work for a third party contract for a nonprofit state corporation using money obtained through a multi-state agency distributing federal funding, state-level transit district authorized funding and a municipal sales tax obtained through a public vote and distributed by the city council work?

I know it gets more complex but that's pretty bad.

It would be cheaper to get the free publicity from the positive uses. Go creative commons for some control and let people make all sorts of items with the brand. It seems better to control but if you don't sue people who are unauthorized use of a brand name you do lose legal control and I doubt the authority will want to sue most unlicensed uses.

[flyingember]

for those who can't get downtown-

in the river market the 5th/Grand intersection is getting nice earth red colored, faux brick patterned crosswalks. . The SB track slab now goes from half of the curve from 3rd through to just before 7th on the bridge and NB from the same bridge over I-70 to what I'll call 350 Grand. that leaves 3.5 blocks to go in the river market and the maintenance line, along with the junction between the two. looks like that segment starts within a couple weeks. I would expect the city market will be largely clear and open for access by the peak spring season

at the other end of the line the segment from 20th to the bridge is nearly ready to pour. from the other direction the track is on blocks and ready to align from what I'll call 1875 Main to almost to 20th. Didn't look to see if it went under the plate at 20th. And there's a small gap right at 18th that I think was cready to pour but it's under tarps so it was hard to tell. 20th to Truman Road will be done by mid April if the schedule sticks.

at the crossover at Union Station more track is staged for it. the east side still isn't poured.

the project website says demolotion from Truman Road to 13th is next week and track work starts in 5 weeks.

that leaves 13th to 7th through the CBD. that's a total of 12 blocks worth of track and this is going to be the most photogenic sections with the parking garages overlooking it.

[DaveKCMO]

the constructors will be working around the big 12, fyi.