Phase Three Streetcar Expansion

[alejandro46]

The most important thing is stopping with mixed traffic streetcars. It's somewhat defensible in the urban core, but outside we really need to insist on dedicated row.

100%. All lines outside of the urban core need to be center running in a dedicated lane. 40-50 mph is more than sufficient for our needs.

[earthling]

If the streetcar were a commuter line would agree with center running but along Main I don't think center running is a good idea in this case as it's more like local service, not commuter and the street will get a road diet through Midtown. Also KC's free fare implementation is more like a horizontal elevator between districts integrated into the sidewalk, which is a really nice mode. Really like how integrated it feels. Center running wouldn't be as integrated.

NKC may be different story, center running might make sense.

[AlkaliAxel]

What I wanted to happen was to run them on each side of the road and only allow streetcar and busses, and ban parking on the side of the street to allow dedicated lane for the transit. But how dare you tell the car to park somewhere else.

[beautyfromashes]

If the city was paying for it, the build would likely be different. But, it is being paid for by the residents who voted for taxing themselves. They should be the priority on what best suits them. I believe most wanted the configuration that they are building.

[DaveKCMO]

If the city was paying for it, the build would likely be different. But, it is being paid for by the residents who voted for taxing themselves. They should be the priority on what best suits them. I believe most wanted the configuration that they are building.

That's certainly not how the city sees it. Public Works was dead set against center-running and did nothing to boost its profile or pretend to be objective on the MSE. Of course, Midtown stakeholders wanted exactly what downtown got, so here we are.

There's no indication that ridership or business success would be any different with the configuration. All you're getting is improved reliability, which is something we should all want --- especially those who've come to rely on streetcar for daily needs.

Regardless of how you define what the streetcar is doing, most of the conflicts are at the curb (even if you eliminate all of the parking).

[AlkaliAxel]

Isn’t one of the problems with running it in the center of Main St that riders would have to walk to/from the streetcar in front of traffic?

I know they’d put up a walkway or something but still…the hassle?

[WoodDraw]

Public works still hasn't fixed the insane situation where a light will stop the streetcar right before a stop. Going north to the crossroads stop is the worst offender.

Two forced stops literally feet apart.

[DaveKCMO]

Isn’t one of the problems with running it in the center of Main St that riders would have to walk to/from the streetcar in front of traffic?

I know they’d put up a walkway or something but still…the hassle?

If you use transit, you're always going to have to cross a street on one or both ends of the trip. You're not going to always walk out of some business and directly onto the platform. The walk shed downtown already exceeds 1/2-mile!

[normalthings]

Isn’t one of the problems with running it in the center of Main St that riders would have to walk to/from the streetcar in front of traffic?

I know they’d put up a walkway or something but still…the hassle?

This has never been a problem for me. Even in LA

[beautyfromashes]

If the city was paying for it, the build would likely be different. But, it is being paid for by the residents who voted for taxing themselves. They should be the priority on what best suits them. I believe most wanted the configuration that they are building.

That's certainly not how the city sees it. Public Works was dead set against center-running and did nothing to boost its profile or pretend to be objective on the MSE. Of course, Midtown stakeholders wanted exactly what downtown got, so here we are.

So, the city (public works) wanted side running too./? I guess the point is that those that pay the bills should decide functionality. The streetcar is literally a neighborhood connector. As much as people want it to be the backbone of a regional transit system, I just don't think it is. If so, the region would be paying for it and making decisions like lane layout that affect regional goals and desires.

[beautyfromashes]

Public works still hasn't fixed the insane situation where a light will stop the streetcar right before a stop. Going north to the crossroads stop is the worst offender.

Two forced stops literally feet apart.

I really don't know why the lights aren't timed to the standard speed of the streetcar. There are many times I'm riding and we hit every single red light. The lights should be hitting green just when the cars are about to reach them. And stops should be hyper timed to last the exact amount of time to keep the functionality in place. If there is a problem and the cars hit a red, it should be the only one they hit the rest of the length.

[normalthings]

Vision Metcalf Plan circa 2008. TOD & Deciated ROW Transit. OP is increasing transit funding and per their own master plans, found support for fast/frequent transit on metcalf.

[DaveKCMO]

Vision Metcalf Plan circa 2008. TOD & Deciated ROW Transit. OP is increasing transit funding and per their own master plans, found support for fast/frequent transit on metcalf.

But they haven't actually budgeted for anything beyond augmenting the county's micro transit service on Saturdays to serve the farmer's market.

[GRID]

Yippie, more office towers in Johnson County! Bike lanes, transit etc or not, JoCo has literally kept KCMO from being the city it could be. Let the country sprawl and decay...

The absolute last thing KC needs is more suburban office space. And that is likely all that would ever materialize out of this silly make believe rendering.

[normalthings]

Yippie, more office towers in Johnson County! Bike lanes, transit etc or not, JoCo has literally kept KCMO from being the city it could be. Let the country sprawl and decay...

The absolute last thing KC needs is more suburban office space. And that is likely all that would ever materialize out of this silly make believe rendering.

JoCo is serious about growing. KCMO does not appear to be as serious or at realistic with what it takes.

[FangKC]

Meaning tax incentives.

[SilentSpades24]

Vision Metcalf Plan circa 2008. TOD & Deciated ROW Transit. OP is increasing transit funding and per their own master plans, found support for fast/frequent transit on metcalf.

But they haven't actually budgeted for anything beyond augmenting the county's micro transit service on Saturdays to serve the farmer's market.

I'm assume the expansion the BOD passed is through federal relief money?

[SilentSpades24]

Yippie, more office towers in Johnson County! Bike lanes, transit etc or not, JoCo has literally kept KCMO from being the city it could be. Let the country sprawl and decay...

The absolute last thing KC needs is more suburban office space. And that is likely all that would ever materialize out of this silly make believe rendering.

JoCo is serious about growing. KCMO does not appear to be as serious or at realistic with what it takes.

Easy to grow when the urban core was red lined and hollowed out and allowed to fall into dosrepair for 50 years, all while massive portions of the city are bulldozed to run interstate highways to these new suburbs.

Also easy when you build a great tax base off the back of that white flight, and can essentially offer whatever incentives you feel like, and would rather engage in a boarder war rather than grow the entrie metro.

JoCo is serious about sprawl, not actually growing in a productive manner. KCMO showed promise, but unfortunately wants to cut back incentives (like em or hate em, they help growth).

[DaveKCMO]

I'm assume the expansion the BOD passed is through federal relief money?

Yes, the County is funding a "pilot" expansion with COVID relief. No long=term obligation.

[alejandro46]

The first priority I think is to expand the Streetcar along the East side, either 31st and Linwood or another acceptable route. All this talk about JoCo streetcar and JoCo transit should only be viewed in the context of a larger regional vote where those residents would contribute dedicated funding to RideKC for bus and streetcar service in their area, which they do not do currently. So all this hate about JoCo stealing jobs and development from KC although it may or may not be valid points, I think having JoCo spend more money on JoCo transit to improve JoCo itself is a good thing and will make the city overall better.