KCMO Downtown Streetcar

[GRID]

Saw this on youtube and it reminded me of that pic. This is honestly what downtown KC looks like to me every time I am in town. Doesn't really matter what time of day or what day of the week. It's better on Main Street south of 12th. But most of downtown KC always feels empty and void of people, cars, etc. Often major streets are closed like Grand and 14th through the P&L district and there is still no traffic.

I know some of downtown kc can get busy if there are events going on, but most of the time, it's not a busy place compared to just about any other major downtown. Again, I blame much of it on the geography of how downtown is laid out and of course all the freeways. The new Broadway Bridge for example will take even more people off the streets of downtown.

And it's like that in almost any video you ever see of downtown KC on any platform. The streets and sidewalks are empty (for an urban area like that).

I just wonder if people have any ideas on how to change this. Maybe it doesn't matter, but I still say getting rid of the highways or covering them up and removing half the access ramps to them would go very long way in making downtown KC less of a island of little activity and bring more people through the area.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LcCi4SurIUA

[KCPowercat]

ok. we've went round and round about this for a decade and there is nothing really here to discuss. Again sorry for bringing it up. Great pics.

[FangKC]

A blind, drunk person could wander aimlessly down the streets of Downtown some days and be fairly safe.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

The RAISE grant application period is now open ($1-$25 Million) and Tom from the Streetcar authority is asking for ideas, what’s the thoughts from this board?

[WoodDraw]

What's the criteria for raise?

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Unsure entirely, I haven’t skimmed through yet, some previous projects through past grant rounds have supported:
-bi-state transit improvements (JoCo Mission Transit Center, Metcalf Connex, KCK Connex, 7th/Minn transit Center, 47th/State Transit Center)
-Starter-line & Riverfront Streetcar
-bi-state Sustainable Corridors planning/design (pending)

https://www.transportation.gov/briefing ... aise-grant

[DaveKCMO]

Unsure entirely, I haven’t skimmed through yet, some previous projects through past grant rounds have supported:
-bi-state transit improvements (JoCo Mission Transit Center, Metcalf Connex, KCK Connex, 7th/Minn transit Center, 47th/State Transit Center)
-Starter-line & Riverfront Streetcar
-bi-state Sustainable Corridors planning/design (pending)

https://www.transportation.gov/briefing ... aise-grant

RAISE projects are rigorously reviewed and evaluated on statutory criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.

This year’s NOFO builds on the success of the RAISE program as authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by refining the rating rubric and continuing to give priority to safety, environmental sustainability, mobility and community connectivity, and quality of life.

Rigorous is right. RAISE applications are major efforts. DOT staff make the recommendations, which go all the way to the White House for approval.

Don't expect any highway widening. You'll need local match, which will be a challenge for any project not already funded (minus planning grants, which are usually just a portion of the money made available).

NOFO - Notice of Funding opportunity

[alejandro46]

Unsure entirely, I haven’t skimmed through yet, some previous projects through past grant rounds have supported:
-bi-state transit improvements (JoCo Mission Transit Center, Metcalf Connex, KCK Connex, 7th/Minn transit Center, 47th/State Transit Center)
-Starter-line & Riverfront Streetcar
-bi-state Sustainable Corridors planning/design (pending)

https://www.transportation.gov/briefing ... aise-grant

RAISE projects are rigorously reviewed and evaluated on statutory criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.

This year’s NOFO builds on the success of the RAISE program as authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by refining the rating rubric and continuing to give priority to safety, environmental sustainability, mobility and community connectivity, and quality of life.

Rigorous is right. RAISE applications are major efforts. DOT staff make the recommendations, which go all the way to the White House for approval.

Don't expect any highway widening. You'll need local match, which will be a challenge for any project not already funded (minus planning grants, which are usually just a portion of the money made available).

NOFO - Notice of Funding opportunity

I suggested an E/W Transit Streetcar planning grant. That seems to be one of the furthest along projects we have so makes sense to submit it.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Ridership numbers released. Not a super strong November, but overall 2022 ridership numbers have exceeded 1.4 million. Better than 2020+2021 ridership, and the SCA hinted at weekday operational hour changes going into the new year

[Chris Stritzel]

Ridership was through the roof today. Tons of Chiefs fans on the streetcar, long waits at the Union Station stop to board, 4 streetcars running, each one I was on was decently full. Loved it.

[trailerkid]

...daytime is about the same as it has always been since so few people work there.

It was pure luck our downtown was only sold off / given away to Cordish / AEG for entertainment and cheesedick luxury apartments and not sold off /given away to Sprint or Cerner for millions upon millions of vacant square feet.

Go to Downtown San Francisco on a Friday afternoon or a Monday. Most of it looks like Kansas City. You can go to Starbucks and there's 6 people in an hour. Their office rush (on its busiest "anchor days") now is like 30% of the pre pandemic levels. Downtown KC has been empty for most of our adult lives. Back to the future. We dodged a major bullet.

Give people a reason to walk around in the day. Streetcar was a start.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

...daytime is about the same as it has always been since so few people work there.

It was pure luck our downtown was only sold off / given away to Cordish / AEG for entertainment and cheesedick luxury apartments and not sold off /given away to Sprint or Cerner for millions upon millions of vacant square feet.

Go to Downtown San Francisco on a Friday afternoon or a Monday. Most of it looks like Kansas City. You can go to Starbucks and there's 6 people in an hour. Their office rush (on its busiest "anchor days") now is like 30% of the pre pandemic levels. Downtown KC has been empty for most of our adult lives. Back to the future. We dodged a major bullet.

Give people a reason to walk around in the day. Streetcar was a start.

That’s actually a point that I don’t think anyone’s really acknowledged, but good lord has that been a huge benefit for our downtown to not have been totally gutted post COVID.

[GRID]

...daytime is about the same as it has always been since so few people work there.

It was pure luck our downtown was only sold off / given away to Cordish / AEG for entertainment and cheesedick luxury apartments and not sold off /given away to Sprint or Cerner for millions upon millions of vacant square feet.

Go to Downtown San Francisco on a Friday afternoon or a Monday. Most of it looks like Kansas City. You can go to Starbucks and there's 6 people in an hour. Their office rush (on its busiest "anchor days") now is like 30% of the pre pandemic levels. Downtown KC has been empty for most of our adult lives. Back to the future. We dodged a major bullet.

Give people a reason to walk around in the day. Streetcar was a start.

Never really thought about it like that. It might be good that downtown KC is so lacking in office space now and has had so many conversions to residential. Super heavy office districts are really struggling now.

[langosta]

I would rather have a big downtown office district that can get repurposed than a sea of parking lots (what we have).

[trailerkid]

I would rather have a big downtown office district that can get repurposed than a sea of parking lots (what we have).

Do you know how many modern offices in SF are getting repurposed into housing right now? Zero. How many are proposed? Zero. And there are tech offices giving up entire buildings of 400,000+ square feet.

It's romantic to think all these offices can easily go residential, but it's not that simple. It's easier and cheaper to redevelop a parking lot for housing than a Salesforce Tower into housing.

You also have building ownership getting big money commercial rent. They aren't going to just change their business model because residents may make a street more active. They don't care.

[GRID]

Same in DC. Most office projects that have not broken ground have already switched to residential. Manhattan is doing the same, except for major projects like Chase's new super tall tower.

[WoodDraw]

I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I feel like the beg signs are becoming really dangerous along the street car. You can't get a walk with unless you time it right, so you either walk with a green light and don't walk sign or just wait for ages.

Is there any way to promote better pedestrian safety on main? Other streets aren't like this.

[FlippantCitizen]

I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I feel like the beg signs are becoming really dangerous along the street car. You can't get a walk with unless you time it right, so you either walk with a green light and don't walk sign or just wait for ages.

Is there any way to promote better pedestrian safety on main? Other streets aren't like this.

Beg buttons are for suckers. Look both ways and at the lights. I know when it's safe to walk and when not. Wish KC would get the timing of lights right for peds and cars for that matter right. Just another case of asking too much from a mid sized American city. Guess we have to make our own luck.

[WoodDraw]

I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I feel like the beg signs are becoming really dangerous along the street car. You can't get a walk with unless you time it right, so you either walk with a green light and don't walk sign or just wait for ages.

Is there any way to promote better pedestrian safety on main? Other streets aren't like this.

Beg buttons are for suckers. Look both ways and at the lights. I know when it's safe to walk and when not. Wish KC would get the timing of lights right for peds and cars for that matter right. Just another case of asking too much from a mid sized American city. Guess we have to make our own luck.

They are until you have a bunch of cars and pedestrians downtown that aren't used to being downtown. On any given day, most downtown cars give way to me and I wave and everyone is happy.

And tbf, if I have a do not walk sign and they have a green light, I can't complain against cars turning into pedestrians.

But everyone ignores the signs and it's not safe.

[KCPowercat]

I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I feel like the beg signs are becoming really dangerous along the street car. You can't get a walk with unless you time it right, so you either walk with a green light and don't walk sign or just wait for ages.

Is there any way to promote better pedestrian safety on main? Other streets aren't like this.

Done so they can prioritize streetcar. If it flips to walk each time have to hold the cross streets green longer so the lights can't flip back to giving streetcar the green faster. It's dangerous and confusing to have one set of lights different tm then the rest of downtown ped signals.

It's a battle fought and lost over and over, I've given up.