Capping the Loop

[langosta]

Closing main to cars might be just as bad as leaving it open if cars back up waiting to turn off main. Makes me think the best solution is no N/S street closures.

I don't think closing main is a near term goal, at least downtown.

Certainly to get future parking funneled away from the streetcar.

I've talked to people involved and they rightly think it's going to fuck the streetcar. And they rightly say stop building massive garages that feed into these streets.

My argument back has been if we keep making decisions based off past bad decisions than we just keep building on them.

I wouldn't do the park unless you close it all. But that is a minority opinion.

Along this mind set, I think we will need to rebuild the streetcar as LRT on grand through downtown if there is ever an expanded system.

[TheUrbanRoo]

Closing main to cars might be just as bad as leaving it open if cars back up waiting to turn off main. Makes me think the best solution is no N/S street closures.

I don't think closing main is a near term goal, at least downtown.

Certainly to get future parking funneled away from the streetcar.

I've talked to people involved and they rightly think it's going to fuck the streetcar. And they rightly say stop building massive garages that feed into these streets.

My argument back has been if we keep making decisions based off past bad decisions than we just keep building on them.

I wouldn't do the park unless you close it all. But that is a minority opinion.

Along this mind set, I think we will need to rebuild the streetcar as LRT on grand through downtown if there is ever an expanded system.

Would’ve been better this way if it turns back into Main at Union Station area

[KCPowercat]

I think looking into two ways on both sides of Truman would help any n/s closires

[WoodDraw]

I think looking into two ways on both sides of Truman would help any n/s closires

I think it would be required, along with a long term plan for grand to decrease closures.

[smh]

Let the future north loop project be the spot for organized sports, etc. The loop park should be more like a square. You might throw a ball, but more likely you'd sit and chat with someone or have a coffee. Or maybe even just enjoy passing through on your way to somewhere else.

[alejandro46]

I don't think closing main is a near term goal, at least downtown.

Certainly to get future parking funneled away from the streetcar.

I've talked to people involved and they rightly think it's going to fuck the streetcar. And they rightly say stop building massive garages that feed into these streets.

My argument back has been if we keep making decisions based off past bad decisions than we just keep building on them.

I wouldn't do the park unless you close it all. But that is a minority opinion.

Along this mind set, I think we will need to rebuild the streetcar as LRT on grand through downtown if there is ever an expanded system.

Would’ve been better this way if it turns back into Main at Union Station area

My vote/dream is to keep the grid as-is in the hopes we could close Main to streetcar-only through the urban core. Re-configuring some parking garages would be less expensive than rebuilding the line and if we keep the grid connected.

[DaveKCMO]

I think looking into two ways on both sides of Truman would help any n/s closires

I think it would be required, along with a long term plan for grand to decrease closures.

But neither is on the table. Do you see the problem I'm trying to alert everyone about?

[WoodDraw]

I think looking into two ways on both sides of Truman would help any n/s closires

I think it would be required, along with a long term plan for grand to decrease closures.

But neither is on the table. Do you see the problem I'm trying to alert everyone about?

I do! Maybe I'm not describing my view correctly.

I don't think it is worth the money if it is just pocket parks with no changes to long term downtown movement.

It's not required that we build everything if the design comes out shit. But we have this money so I guess we're building something?

I just think we've lost the plot.

[WoodDraw]

Along this mind set, I think we will need to rebuild the streetcar as LRT on grand through downtown if there is ever an expanded system.

Would’ve been better this way if it turns back into Main at Union Station area

My vote/dream is to keep the grid as-is in the hopes we could close Main to streetcar-only through the urban core. Re-configuring some parking garages would be less expensive than rebuilding the line and if we keep the grid connected.

I would be okay with this if that was their plan. But that's not what people are advocating for.

As far as I know today, the plan is for pocket parks and keep everything open for traffic with no changes.

[Chris Stritzel]

At least the sound of the highway goes away for a few blocks. Keeping all streets open or closing them all down are two opposite ends of the spectrum. The middle is closing Baltimore and Walnut down or just one of the two.

As far as Streetcar delays go, I blame the out of sync stoplights. The city and Streetcar authority need towers together to automatically set all lights to green ahead of the streetcar when it's rolling to keep traffic moving. When it stops at a stop, the light immediately behind it should turn red with the light in front turning green once the doors close. That'll resolve a good amount of delays that are caused by the lights.

[WoodDraw]

I've been on that for a long time.

My theory is that they think if they allow a streetcar to go by the car behind them will tailgate and block the intersection, so they stop the streetcar and just block the n/s traffic once it turns green.

This is a known and complained about thing. I don't know if I'm correct but I believe I am.

[langosta]

I've been on that for a long time.

My theory is that they think if they allow a streetcar to go by the car behind them will tailgate and block the intersection, so they stop the streetcar and just block the n/s traffic once it turns green.

This is a known and complained about thing. I don't know if I'm correct but I believe I am.

Let the streetcar Zoom between stops, have the light then yellow or red to vehicles but maintain “green” for streetcars to role into the station?

[WoodDraw]

At least the sound of the highway goes away for a few blocks. Keeping all streets open or closing them all down are two opposite ends of the spectrum. The middle is closing Baltimore and Walnut down or just one of the two.

From what I've heard, the sound of the highway not so much, although we don't have a final design of course.

I disagree on your second part as well. I think the middle would be to close them in the future over an extended period while changes are made but use the money now with that expectation.

[WoodDraw]

I've been on that for a long time.

My theory is that they think if they allow a streetcar to go by the car behind them will tailgate and block the intersection, so they stop the streetcar and just block the n/s traffic once it turns green.

This is a known and complained about thing. I don't know if I'm correct but I believe I am.

Let the streetcar Zoom between stops, have the light then yellow or red to vehicles but maintain “green” for streetcars to role into the station?

I think the only way to do it would be to have double red lights with a streetcar green.

[TheUrbanRoo]

I’m with WoodDraw & Cratedigger. Downtown KC needs to have a big fully functioning urban park like this without street interruptions more than it needs to worry about the streetcar IMO. The streetcar will be fine either way. We need to kill it with this park though.

[Critical_Mass]

I understand the fears about affecting streetcar performance with closing one or both of Baltimore and Walnut, however it seems like basically no one uses those streets today. At "rush hour" and other busy times of the day you will find Main Street choked with traffic and slowing the streetcar, but you can go one block over in either direction and it's like a ghost town (especially Baltimore). Drivers have had six or seven years now to adjust their behaviors and it just hasn't happened.

[TheBigChuckbowski]

A park in the middle of downtown is a nice to have. Functional transit is a necessity.

[DColeKC]

I understand the fears about affecting streetcar performance with closing one or both of Baltimore and Walnut, however it seems like basically no one uses those streets today. At "rush hour" and other busy times of the day you will find Main Street choked with traffic and slowing the streetcar, but you can go one block over in either direction and it's like a ghost town (especially Baltimore). Drivers have had six or seven years now to adjust their behaviors and it just hasn't happened.

I would like to see Walnut closed at minimum as part of this project. I don't see any major negative impacts to traffic flow but do see the park ganging some positives from doing so. The concern about Main and the streetcar are valid, but I agree there are other ways to help that issue.

The city is starting to address some of those issues. One small example is they plan to put up barriers coming out of some of the garages to prevent left turning traffic entering Main. The Garage attached to Costentinos is either already done or being done soon.

We all have our wishes for the park but I suspect it will be a mix of all the things we want. During the week, likely a nice calm place to read a book, eat some food or toss a football around. Weekends will have some programming by various entities with downtown interests. Would love to see some bigger festivals take place a few times a year as well. Boulavardia comes to mind but I don't think it will be big enough.

[KCPowercat]

I understand the fears about affecting streetcar performance with closing one or both of Baltimore and Walnut, however it seems like basically no one uses those streets today. At "rush hour" and other busy times of the day you will find Main Street choked with traffic and slowing the streetcar, but you can go one block over in either direction and it's like a ghost town (especially Baltimore). Drivers have had six or seven years now to adjust their behaviors and it just hasn't happened.

So let's use those lanes by making Main not convenient for them to use.

[KCPowercat]

I understand the fears about affecting streetcar performance with closing one or both of Baltimore and Walnut, however it seems like basically no one uses those streets today. At "rush hour" and other busy times of the day you will find Main Street choked with traffic and slowing the streetcar, but you can go one block over in either direction and it's like a ghost town (especially Baltimore). Drivers have had six or seven years now to adjust their behaviors and it just hasn't happened.

I would like to see Walnut closed at minimum as part of this project.

Keep Grand open and it's a deal.