Mobilize, Parkville
Since Luminary readers have learned the Kansas Department of Transportation is planning to close down another major artery connecting the Northland with the rest of the Kansas City region, the top question received at our downtown headquarters this week has been “what can we do to stop this?”
The short answer in my estimate: nothing.
For those who missed the story last week, the Luminary broke the news that KDOT plans to shut off the northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 635 this summer. KDOT has the money spent and the contracts signed, and the fact that the Paseo Bridge will be closed really doesn’t matter to the powers that be at the agency. County officials say they are powerless to stop the plan, and barring some sort of unprecedented political maneuver (or at least one I’m not familiar with), the fact of the matter is that 48,000 people are going to have to find another road to travel until the upcoming fall.
The question that Parkville needs to ask now is “what are we going to do about this?”
Using our super powers of common sense, let’s analyze the situation.
Travelers and visitors from the northern parts of Platte County and beyond will not be affected by the change. These visitors use the Highway 45 exit of Interstate 29 when visiting Parkville. Visitors from Johnson and Wyandotte counties, however, will be forced to either use the Broadway Bridge or take an alternate route through the Fairfax industrial district in order to get back onto Highway 9.
I took the alternate route through Fairfax the other day. It adds about five to 10 minutes to your commute, and on the day I did it, there was absolutely no traffic on the roads at all. Some observations: the two-lane, steel-girder bridge over the river is a charming window into the region’s industrial powerhouse glory days. Along the way, drivers will pass the Sunshine Biscuit plant, and if they’re like me, they’ll think, “Hey, that’s where they make Sunshine Biscuits.” Then they’ll think, “What the heck is a Sunshine Biscuit?” This riddle will help while away the time as you take the alternative route.
If one takes the Broadway Bridge, he probably can expect a lot of traffic over the summer. I suggest using the time waiting in traffic to contemplate a mass transit system for the city that would 1.) actually move people around to places they want to go; 2.) be safe, clean and 3.) be profitable, as to take the load off of taxpayers. With the sprawl we’re experiencing in the Kansas City region, it is only a question of when, not if, we experience the type of traffic that cities such as Atlanta cope with every day.
More importantly, this is a time for Parkville’s leadership to shine.
Most affected by this detour will be Parkville’s historic downtown area. I imagine the 45 corridor will feel some effects, but because The Parkville Commons’ businesses cater more to the local population, the effects there should be minimal. The downtown businesses — with their reliance on tourism — need to realize they stand to lose significant amounts of business. And for some of the businesses downtown, many of which are barely in business after a lackluster winter and spring, this could be a death knell.
Parkville’s aldermen and city manager need to concoct a strategy that helps move traffic from the city’s entrance at 45 to the city’s downtown. We need signage — legible, professional signage — and we need a temporary relaxation of any city code that prevents this from happening.
The incredibly fragmented Parkville business community, with its pastiche of associations needs to set aside personal differences and develop a regional strategy to address the situation. This is not a time to score political points, it is a time to let prospective visitors know the town is still open for business, and we need to provide them with clear directions to the town.