KCK Gondola

[DaveKCMO]

How much are these things affected by adverse weather?

It shuts down, like everything else.

[FangKC]

I don't think weather will be a problem. I used to see the Roosevelt Island gondola in New York City go by my office window all day long in all seasons. It did stop during lightning storms and when winds reached over 50 mph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6QcsQA0a-c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R38Zi4VYCmI

Gondolas aren't slowed down by traffic blockages either.

It's stupid to end the line in Case Park on Quality Hill. If they are going to build it, make sure it goes to the Main Street streetcar line. That doesn't mean there can't be a stop at Case Park so that Quality Hill residents can use it to go to the West Bottoms without having to walk to Main Street. When I lived on Quality Hill, I often wished there was a better way to get to the West Bottoms than walking on the 12th Street bridge or driving.

[Rabble]

The great news is the UG is wanting to get DT KCK, the Kaw River and their side of West Bottoms included as part of Urban Kansas City.

However, I hope the gondola idea gets replaced by the idea of a streetcar running from 8th & Main, down through the EXISTING 8th Street tunnel, then along 9th followed by James Street, crossing over the Kaw on the underused James Street Bridge, up Strawberry Hill to DT KCK.

[kas1]

Would it be possible to connect this to 16th and Main by routing this along James St/670/southern tip of the convention center land/16th St? I'm assuming that the logistics of running this into the middle of the loop don't work out, but this idea shouldn't be taken seriously if the line doesn't connect to the existing transit network on each end. This alignment arguably is better for the positioning of the West Bottoms stops as well.

[normalthings]

A streetcar to KCK would be very very expensive. UMKC line is $100 million a mile. 8th Street tunnel iirc has a highway and a large office building in the way now.

[moderne]

Gondola down the 670 lid park to Main?

[normalthings]

Gondola down the 670 lid park to Main?

With the FBI leaving downtown, that might actually be doable

[DaveKCMO]

Would it be possible to connect this to 16th and Main by routing this along James St/670/southern tip of the convention center land/16th St? I'm assuming that the logistics of running this into the middle of the loop don't work out, but this idea shouldn't be taken seriously if the line doesn't connect to the existing transit network on each end. This alignment arguably is better for the positioning of the West Bottoms stops as well.

Perhaps if you defined transit as something other than just streetcar you'd already be there.

[wahoowa]

yeah... the jog from washington or broadway to main is so much more manageable than the jog from the dole courthouse to main. i'm all for connecting fixed transit to fixed transit where it works out but definitely don't think it has to be point to point to add value. walking/ busing/ scootering or bike sharing all help close whatever gaps remain. and those gaps pale in comparison to crossing the bluffs and the river. doing it in a tourist attract-y kind of way is a plus for everyone imo, seems hard to deny that the streetcar itself has helped move the needle towards transit for many. and obviously getting the fixed transit to and from KCMO would be a boon for KCK and the west bottoms moreso than the other way around.

just selfishly i kind of like a more southern point in the w bottoms as a way to connect downtown more seamlessly to recreational opportunities (hyvee, that bridge development) as opposed to the st louis ave/forrester area. if that stuff on the south side comes through it's really adding something i don't see a path to getting in downtown proper in the next 10 years. but 100% would take whatever we can get in this respect. would be pretty surprised if a gondola is up within 10 years in any event.

edit: honestly terminating a few blocks W of the streetcar might help bring some of whatever fixed transit boost you believe in to a different corridor of the CBD. it would be cool to see this help set off major development in the 16/washington-broadway area.

[earthling]

edit: honestly terminating a few blocks W of the streetcar might help bring some of whatever fixed transit boost you believe in to a different corridor of the CBD. it would be cool to see this help set off major development in the 16/washington-broadway area.

The upside to terminating gondola around 8th/Broadway is that it could more quickly spur developing the lots along 8th to Main and create more pedestrian traffic in that part of downtown. Would be a great place to do a ped only stretch with a vision for downtown's main shopping corridor (20+ year big picture), target a stretch of major retailers at base of about a dozen mixed hirise/mid-rise residential.

[kas1]

Would it be possible to connect this to 16th and Main by routing this along James St/670/southern tip of the convention center land/16th St? I'm assuming that the logistics of running this into the middle of the loop don't work out, but this idea shouldn't be taken seriously if the line doesn't connect to the existing transit network on each end. This alignment arguably is better for the positioning of the West Bottoms stops as well.

Perhaps if you defined transit as something other than just streetcar you'd already be there.

I'm defining it as high-frequency service. Nobody's gonna want to use a service with 45 minute headways to connect to and from the gondola. But more to the point, 9th and Jefferson is not within the walk shed of most stuff downtown, nor is there a lot of development potential in the immediate vicinity. It makes no sense to spend a bunch of money on an infrastructure project like this and not ensure that the terminus is located as centrally as possible. If you're gonna build a transit line with only 3-4 total stops then it's vital to ensure that you're generating a lot of ridership at those stations either because they're major destinations or because of transfer activity. The current proposal does not achieve that.

[normalthings]

I love the idea of a terminus at the southloop cap. Bartle hall pylons might be an obstacle.

BAP doesn’t work for a few reasons

[moderne]

I have this Jetsons-Disney-World's Fair image of gondolas floating between the Bartle Sky Stations and Kauffman Center.

[KCPowercat]

It would be desirable to get it closer to HyVee arena and that potential entertainment bridge/space

[normalthings]

I have this Jetsons-Disney-World's Fair image of gondolas floating between the Bartle Sky Stations and Kauffman Center.

SAME!!!! The south end of Bartle hall might be a good terminus. Avoid the pylons and might be doable with just 1 turn.

[FangKC]

Instead of a gondola, what about a long roller coaster from KCK to the south loop deck?

[KCKev]

Hard to take pictures on a roller coaster! Just build the skyteam in the proper location with great views. Who needs drones when you can have a real live experience. West bottoms the next iconic Kc landscape?

[earthling]

^On a tangent, the gondola cabins can profile yesteryear pictures of WB with QR code for more pics/info, for KCK as well. Some amazing WB disaster pics too.

[dnweava]

Who is suppose to ride this? No tourist is interested in KCK.

[Riverite]

People who live in KCK, people who want to go to Strawberry hill or WestBottoms loads I bet, increasing transit reach can help the ridership increase more per mile.