Downtown KCMO - A Fantasy Map

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by luzianne

Interesting. I think there would be enough people interested in that if a private company were to provide a service similar to the KCATA Chiefs/Royals Express. Especially with parking at $40 now.

Hey, how was your Airbnb experience? We were thinking about doing that in Orange County but a lot of cities don't allow short-term rentals. I'm seeing a lot of "book at your own risk." May go with North San Diego County instead.

I don't understand this either. The Chiefs used to run hundreds of buses to games from all across the metro and they were very popular. We used the park and rides in Waldo when we lived there and the ones in Blue Springs after moving there. The Royals express only ran a few buses per game, but they were very well used by people in downtown and crown center hotels. Now tourist are forces to taxi or urber out there. Many cities have since brought back express routes to games using city bus systems so I would imagine that the Chiefs have had something to say about keeping the buses away so they can get more parking revenue. This is a huge negative of having a monopoly parking situation with no transit access. It cost more to park at Chiefs games than it does in most urban stadiums. But you have few alternatives short of walking miles and leaving your are in sketchy surrounding residential neighborhoods.

I know you didn't ask me, but I have used Airbnb in a few cities, mostly big cities like NYC and Chicago so I can stay in high rise condos with nice views. Works well, but there is some risk involved as the host can cancel at any time and many cities are cracking down on them because they evade taxes.

We used VRBO to rent a single family home on the North Shore of Oahu Hawaii this past June and it worked out great.

[KC_Sleuth]

Originally Posted by luzianne

Hey, how was your Airbnb experience?

It was good but you got to scout for deals, do the homework on reading reviews, and I imagine it's largely dependent on location. We had a particular location in mind and went from there. We didn't spend a ton of time in the place...most of the time we were out doing stuff so it was more of a place to park our stuff, sleep, and take a shower in the a.m. I would do it again.

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by KC_Sleuth

It was good but you got to scout for deals, do the homework on reading reviews, and I imagine it's largely dependent on location. We had a particular location in mind and went from there. We didn't spend a ton of time in the place...most of the time we were out doing stuff so it was more of a place to park our stuff, sleep, and take a shower in the a.m. I would do it again.

Thanks. Yep, I have been reading reviews and researching extensively. We are looking for more than just a place to sleep and shower. We will be out a lot but also would like to have a place we can hang out, relax, cook dinner, with a pool, hot tub, outdoor grill, 4+ bedrooms, near ocean if not beachfront, washer/dryer, nonsmoking, etc. I love that you can search and pick and choose amenities and location (looking at Homeaway/VRBO too).


We rented a house through VRBO in Florida several years ago and that was a good experience.

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by kcmo

I don't understand this either. The Chiefs used to run hundreds of buses to games from all across the metro and they were very popular. We used the park and rides in Waldo when we lived there and the ones in Blue Springs after moving there. The Royals express only ran a few buses per game, but they were very well used by people in downtown and crown center hotels. Now tourist are forces to taxi or urber out there. Many cities have since brought back express routes to games using city bus systems so I would imagine that the Chiefs have had something to say about keeping the buses away so they can get more parking revenue. This is a huge negative of having a monopoly parking situation with no transit access. It cost more to park at Chiefs games than it does in most urban stadiums. But you have few alternatives short of walking miles and leaving your are in sketchy surrounding residential neighborhoods.

I know you didn't ask me, but I have used Airbnb in a few cities, mostly big cities like NYC and Chicago so I can stay in high rise condos with nice views. Works well, but there is some risk involved as the host can cancel at any time and many cities are cracking down on them because they evade taxes.

We used VRBO to rent a single family home on the North Shore of Oahu Hawaii this past June and it worked out great.

I would like to see the buses to the stadiums come back in some form. I don't think the Chiefs have to worry about lost parking lot revenue. There are still going to be people who want to tailgate every game. It would be nice for people who don't care about tailgating to have another option.


Thanks for the Airbnb input. That's one thing that scares me - the owner canceling and leaving us homeless in California at the last minute! I have seen a lot of places that I was actually interested in where the owner had canceled a prior reservation and that scared me off from booking.

[TabulaRasa]

What's really interesting is that Pace buses (the suburban division of Chicago's RTA, which the CTA is part of) has somehow finagled a way to keep its ESPD express routes, which serve as shuttles to all Chicago's professional sporting venues and other popular destinations. Express buses run on game days to I think all of Chicago's teams' venues. For sure Soldier Field and the baseball stadiums.

They're not privately run shuttles, they're part of the regional transit authority.

[KC_Sleuth]

As I understand it, or at least as it's been explained to me, KCATA could run a bus service to TSC if they built a stop infrastructure there and had maintained some type of regular, non-game day service at the complex. So basically, they would be paying to build a stop (pending approval or at the behest of Jackson County Sports Complex Authority). But just running Royals/Chiefs express on Sundays and game nights/days was not going to be in compliance with the FTA's charter rule - this rule was put in place in 2009 to protect private charter companies from public competition (yay, lobbying.)

Instead, what they do is run the regular service routes 28 & 47 that include a stop in the vicinity of the TSC. Unfortunately, that stop was in the running for the "Sorriest Bus Stop in America" but lost out to one in Silver Springs, Maryland. The KC/TSC stop is awful and super dangerous. The bus just drops you off in the middle of what really is a highway - no sidewalk in one of the directions.

Sorriest Bus Stop In America

Streetsblog Competition

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by KC_Sleuth

As I understand it, or at least as it's been explained to me, KCATA could run a bus service to TSC if they built a stop infrastructure there and had maintained some type of regular, non-game day service at the complex. So basically, they would be paying to build a stop (pending approval or at the behest of Jackson County Sports Complex Authority). But just running Royals/Chiefs express on Sundays and game nights/days was not going to be in compliance with the FTA's charter rule - this rule was put in place in 2009 to protect private charter companies from public competition (yay, lobbying.)

Instead, what they do is run the regular service routes 28 & 47 that include a stop in the vicinity of the TSC. Unfortunately, that stop was in the running for the "Sorriest Bus Stop in America" but lost out to one in Silver Springs, Maryland. The KC/TSC stop is awful and super dangerous. The bus just drops you off in the middle of what really is a highway - no sidewalk in one of the directions.

Sorriest Bus Stop In America

Streetsblog Competition

It's really not funny, but made me laugh! OMG - that picture! How would you even know it was a bus stop?

[KC_Sleuth]

I agree. It''s funny in a sad way.

[Minnesota Spring]

Originally Posted by rwiksell

2040 is probably wildly optimistic for a vision like this. But hey... my fantasy, my timeline.

This is based on my general wishlist for Downtown KCMO, primarily in regard to parks and transit:

1. Redesignate all of I-670 as I-70, and cap it from Wyandotte to Grand with a Boulevard-style park (similar to Ward Parkway.)
2. Remove the entire "west loop" and "north loop" stretches of I-70 and I-35, including that in the West Bottoms. Even at rush hour, these stretches are not particularly busy.
3. Replace these demolished freeways with a linear park system: parks, parkways and recreation trails. Allow for limited vehicular traffic, but prioritize for pedestrians, bicycles and mass transit.
4. Expand the Main Street Streetcar line south to the Plaza / UMKC, and north to Isle of Capri Casino / Downtown NKC.
5. Add two more Streetcar lines, one from downtown KCK, through downtown's convention district, to the Old Northeast Neighborhood. A second from Boulevard Brewery, to Union Station, to 18th & Vine.
6. Build a Pedestrian/Transit bridge over the Missouri River, extending from Delaware Street to Harlem, to the Downtown Aiport. Incentivize riverfront development (parks, condos, entertainment) in Old Harlem, with a nod to its very interesting past.
7. Add three bona fide Bus Rapid Transit lines. A "Broadway to KCI Express" Running from the Plaza to the Airport, with minimal stops. An "East Side Line" from the River Market to Swope Park, via Grand / Prospect. And a "Midtown Crosstown" running the length of 31st Street within city limits. (It could even go to Downtown Overland Park if Kansas will play ball.)
8. Add more linear parks around the perimeter of Downtown proper, including the East Side. Go on a road diate, creating "complete streets" with protected bike lanes, widened sidewalks and more trees to create a walkable/bikeable network within and between neighborhoods.
9. Move the Royals into a new stadium perched on the bluff next to Quality Hill, where I-35 used to be. The land is already publicly owned and available, and the site will provide an amazing vantage point for fans to view the Skyline, the River, and the West Bottoms.
10. Make the "Pile of Debris Casino" (aka Isle of Capri Casino) true to its name, and demolish it. Move the Chiefs into a new stadium in that spot. Yes, I think their current location is perfectly fine for an NFL stadium, but when it does come time to let Arrowhead Stadium go (*sniff) the casino location would be spot-on. It could hug the river, benefit from the extended Streetcar line and great Interstate access, surface parking could be plentiful, and it could raise the profile of the city's riverfront recreation opportunities. If this spot doesn't work out, Old Harlem (see #6) with the right transit connections, would be another very promising site.

That's it! What's on your list?

P.S. If you like this map, and know someone who could use some map design work, please PM me. Thanks!

P.P.S. If the animated GIF above isn't working for you, here's a JPEG of the final vision:

That looks awesome! Lots of good ideas. Reminds me of Downtown Minneapolis in a lot of ways. Just wish we could get some freeways covered and the proposed SW light rail line built though. Downtown's throughout the Midwest are really making a comeback.

[rwiksell]

Originally Posted by Minnesota Spring

That looks awesome! Lots of good ideas. Reminds me of Downtown Minneapolis in a lot of ways. Just wish we could get some freeways covered and the proposed SW light rail line built though. Downtown's throughout the Midwest are really making a comeback.

Thanks Minnesota! I agree; downtown Minneapolis is great.