Streetcar to the riverfront

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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

smh wrote: Sat Dec 10, 2022 9:51 am
KCPowercat wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 2:28 pm
smh wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:36 pm I still don't really understand the usefulness of this extension. What are the ridership projections? Taking it to the Current stadium seems to be the new selling point, but won't the vehicle be stuck in stadium traffic on the bridge, potentially impacting operations for the entire line down to UMKC?

KC Streetcar stands out because of how well it was executed. I guess I'm just worried this is going to muck up the existing system and harm the overall productivity of the service.
Connection of the housing that has little link to downtown now. The ped/bike bridge will obviously help that too.

Also if (I believe it will) go under 35 to Isle of Capri and the city owned lot there would add value.
I just struggle to get onboard (hehe) with the vision. We're talking a relative handful of apartments and a significant amount of money to get down there, plus operational impacts to any future extension over the river (as mentioned by GRID). Had Port executed the original vision for the Riverfront as a dense walkable neighborhood with thousands of residents then I think this routing might be justifiable. But as is it just doesn't seem justified. Run a shuttle to 3rd and Grand.

I mean, I am happy to be wrong but I am also aware that a lot of American streetcar systems try to do too much and end up being less useful than they might otherwise have been. The great thing about KC is we got it exactly right on the starter line which is why our system gets great press and kills most others on ridership. To me, the riverfront extension does not build on that success but rather dilutes it.
Terminal track allows layover instead of doing the loop, so bunching will be much less of a concern. Significant event driver in decent weather (April—October) with the stadium. Eventually a possible Viking river connection, which PortKC had voiced a desire for the riverfront to be the possible port (don’t know how tenable it would be but that’s what it’s been sold as). Isolated island of development, with still less than half of it fully fleshed out. A possible park and ride at the city lots at Ballys KC, and long range it gives a possibility to expand to a future redeveloped East bottoms.

From the way it’s sounded the NKC extension was always going to operate as a separate route, even without the riverfront, so I don’t see it as much of a functional loss. For the cost to the city, which is fairly negligible, as most of this is coming from the feds, I’d say it’s a win
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alejandro46
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

Post by alejandro46 »

First tracks delivered today!

https://twitter.com/TomGerend/status/16 ... 4074618881
Tom Gerend …
@TomGerend
It was great to see the first load of new #kcstreetcar rail get delivered for our Riverfront Extension earlier this week, a major milestone in our effort to reconnect our City to our riverfront.
@kcstreetcar@RideKCTransit@portkc@KansasCity
Image

More video:
https://twitter.com/kcstreetcar/status/ ... 8597453824
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Wasn’t it mentioned that there is to be some movement on this in the late winter or early spring?
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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I'm pretty sure they don't have the money
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Minutes from yesterdays meeting aren't up yet, but a Notice To Proceed at the end of this month was anticipated at the December board meeting.

Minutes can be reviewed here: https://kcstreetcar.org/news-events/meetings/

It was also taken up at Wednesday's KCATA board meeting, including a contract I'd assume was signed off on. Schedule shows construction completion around Nov 2025, followed by several months of testing.

View here: https://kcata.portal.civicclerk.com/eve ... files/4046
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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WoodDraw wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 12:22 pm I'm pretty sure they don't have the money
Wrong.

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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Hmm interesting. This whole extension perplexes me a bit, but happy they're finding money.

Not sure it's the best use of transportation money but 🤷🏼‍♂️ no one picked me to make these decisions
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smh
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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WoodDraw wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 12:57 pm Hmm interesting. This whole extension perplexes me a bit, but happy they're finding money.

Not sure it's the best use of transportation money but 🤷🏼‍♂️ no one picked me to make these decisions
Concur. In a world where the riverfront was developed more intensely I think it makes sense. As it stands, I don't sense much ridership.
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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smh wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:02 pm
WoodDraw wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 12:57 pm Hmm interesting. This whole extension perplexes me a bit, but happy they're finding money.

Not sure it's the best use of transportation money but 🤷🏼‍♂️ no one picked me to make these decisions
Concur. In a world where the riverfront was developed more intensely I think it makes sense. As it stands, I don't sense much ridership.
It's not outrageous if you have a fancy casino hotel and a multi-use soccer stadium. Things that I thought would happen just kinda didn't.

But when you're a hammer everything looks like a nail and you build when you have money. Not something I'll get too worked up over.
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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WoodDraw wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 12:57 pm Hmm interesting. This whole extension perplexes me a bit, but happy they're finding money.

Not sure it's the best use of transportation money but 🤷🏼‍♂️ no one picked me to make these decisions
You think? It's a total waste considering how the riverfront is developing. Money would have been better spend on some other extension. Plus this alignment sort of makes crossing the river a mess unless they build a new bridge across the river from the stop at Berkley Park.

But it's happening so may as well embrace it.
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Y’all act like they haven’t released plans for dense walkable new era urbanism surrounding the stadium area…its still barely half developed down there
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:21 pm Y’all act like they haven’t released plans for dense walkable new era urbanism surrounding the stadium area…its still barely half developed down there
Hmm I wish they would have reconnected the street grid more. A lot of the stuff is a bit suburban looking with promises to develop later.

I don't love when places are like it's don't to start out as parking but for sure will be developed soon.

I'm okay with it, it's just that everyone says we have no money for transit and then we spend it on this.
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:21 pm Y’all act like they haven’t released plans for dense walkable new era urbanism surrounding the stadium area…its still barely half developed down there
Haha, I dunno man... can I get a link?
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Yeah can’t say I’ve seen this “new era urbanism”
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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smh wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:31 pm
Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:21 pm Y’all act like they haven’t released plans for dense walkable new era urbanism surrounding the stadium area…its still barely half developed down there
Haha, I dunno man... can I get a link?
https://kcrag.com/viewtopic.php?p=661384#p661384
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Loving the 6 back to back parking garages
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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TheLastGentleman wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:39 pm Loving the 6 back to back parking garages
I mean, it’s still KC…we can’t expect too much. They’re at least wrapped by uses fronting the pedestrian street, and helps buffer the PKWY
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Unless the buildings in the remaining lots are 40 stories each, the amount of residents that will be added at this point don't justify the streetcar extension cost. That area needed to be built out at a much higher density. Looking at that site plan and how much room there is around the structured parking, they might double the units that have been built so far.

I agree, they need to find a way to rebuild the grid and get the Riverfront connected to Columbus Park.

KC Current is going to pave over all those empty lots for parking and who knows how long they will take to develop.

I still think the streetcar should take a left at the Berkley stop and go across the river to NKC from there and connect to Swift. Rather than having the riverfront a spur or something.

It's still a nice investment though. Got a bunch of money from the feds and building that pedestrian bridge will really improve the entire area.
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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Odd takes. The stadium development area will be 1,100+ units & a 300+ unit Cordish project also to come. Will be the densest few acres in KC, a great urban node for the streetcar. Things could change, but these have more on the board than almost any other projects in the city rn.
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Re: Streetcar to the riverfront

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bspecht wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:51 pm Odd takes. The stadium development area will be 1,100+ units & a 300+ unit Cordish project also to come. Will be the densest few acres in KC, a great urban node for the streetcar. Things could change, but these have more on the board than almost any other projects in the city rn.
I'm definitely open to it!
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