What is the Bridging Park & Market project?
This aspirational community enhancement project focuses on the River Market, Columbus Park, Route 9, and Independence Avenue. The goal is for residents and visitors to experience a more livable, safe, and connected community that encompasses a more intuitive multimodal transportation system to include bicycles, pedestrians, transit, and cars.
The image above provides an aerial view of the study area, which spans approximately from 1st Street on the north to Admiral Boulevard on the south. The intersections that will be considered for at-grade crossings (i.e., bringing the Route 9 to street level) include 3rd Street, 5th Street, Missouri Avenue, Independence Avenue, and 6th Street.
Background
The Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study, completed in 2018 by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and MoDOT, focused on the US-169 corridor from Route 9 to I-35. This study recommended that strategies along Route 9 between the Heart of America Bridge and I-70 should include bringing the existing facility to grade (i.e., street level) and to reconnect Independence Avenue all the way to Broadway Street.
What are the Goals of this Project?
- This process will evaluate the feasibility of bringing Route 9 to grade between I-70 and the Heart of America bridge over the Missouri River and to reconnect Independence Avenue across Route 9.
- This project will examine ways to change the current disjointed highway and street network into an intuitive design of interconnected roadways, freeways, sidewalks, transit, and bicycle routes.
- This project will include concepts on how to restore east to west connections along Independence Avenue to the River Market and Central Business District, repairing an important, broken connection to east Kansas City.
- This project will create a transportation system that has the potential for economic improvements by enhancing the movement of goods and people.
Who is Leading this Project?
The City of Kansas City, Missouri and the Downtown Council of Kansas City are preparing the plan in partnership with area neighborhood and community associations, residents of Kansas City, Missouri, city officials and the consulting team of Olsson, Venice Communications and Hg Consult Inc. The project team will engage the public throughout the process to gather input, set goals and priorities, and refine the document.
Project Resources
What is the Process?
The Bridging Park & Market project is in a “next step” in evaluating ideas that arose in the Beyond the Loop PEL study a few years ago. We remain in the due diligence phase of this project and are beginning to evaluate some high-level concepts with varying degrees of impact on the street and highway networks. We are meeting with stakeholders in September, including representatives from MoDOT and KCMO staff, as well as representatives from the River Market and Columbus Park. We anticipate the first round of online public meetings to be held in October. This will be an opportunity to provide input on a variety of potential options, including those with minimal changes.
It is important to note that there is no funding identified at this time for any construction projects, so it is likely several years off before the public would see any changes. This is the opportunity for us to start reaching out and gathering input from the community to determine what changes, if any, should be planned for. This is a public project and your input is vital.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. Click on the “Get Involved” tab above for information on how to reach us.
Project Resources
- Bridging Park & Market Feasibility Study, February 2021
- Press Release: Bridging Park & Market Self-Guided Online Open House Announced
- Article: Highway Robbery: How 80 Years of Land USe and Transportation Policy Slowly Strangled A Neighborhood by Thomas Morefield, urbanangle.netThis article was not generated by the study group but provides and insight into the neighborhood and its history.
- Bridging (Columbus) Park & (River) Market Study PresentationPresentation from First Stakeholder Meeting
- Beyond the Loop Planning & Economic Linkages StudyLink to the PEL Study
How can I get Involved?
Join the e-mail list to be notified of the online public open houses and key project developments. To join the list, email hwy9@downtownkc.org. or contact Jayne Siemens, Venice Communications, jsiemens@vencomm.com, with any questions.
Online public open houses will be held during the process to engage the general public to set plan goals, design plan concepts, and review drafts of the plan. These meetings will be announced on the home page and through the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and Downtown Council of Kansas City’s traditional public meeting notification channels.
