As the region’s only metro-wide pedestrian/bicycle advocacy organization, BikeWalkKC works in city halls across the five-county region to speak up for improvements to the built environment for all who live, work, and visit our cities. North Kansas City is one such city that we believe has been a leader in planning and implementing projects that make it more liveable, safe, inviting, and prosperous.

Proposed plans to remove recent “complete street” improvements to Armour Road (less than one month after the improvements were completed) have compelled us to mobilize our Complete KC coalition, members, and advocates to add our voices to those of North Kansas City residents, business owners, and others who support leaving the improvements in place for further study, refinement, and benefits.

Here are three ways you can help:

Attend the special public meeting that will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at City Hall, 2010 Howell Street in North Kansas City, MO. There will be time for public comment: the mayor and city council need to hear why keeping Armour’s improvements in place is important to you.

Can’t attend the meeting, but want to provide your input? Use our campaign tool to send an email to the mayor and city council explaining why you believe Armour’s complete street elements benefit North Kansas City’s residents, businesses, and visitors.

Sign the petition: a group of North Kansas City residents have created an online petition that you can electronically sign here.

For more context, please see the letter we are providing to the mayor and each member of the city council, as well as letters of support from some of our partners, below:

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October 9, 2019

On behalf of the board and staff of BikeWalkKC, we are writing to respectfully request that the Complete Street improvements to Armour Road be left in place at this time. As the region’s nonprofit advocacy organization, we believe that North Kansas City is leading the Kansas City region in its efforts to reimagine its city as a thriving, livable community of choice. With improvements like those in the city’s Master Plan, the City of North Kansas City is competitively positioned for prosperity in a future where America’s businesses and its workforce are increasingly looking for walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented communities that support the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet.

The Armour Road Complete Streets project is the metro area’s best example so far of a street that is designed for everyone to move safely and comfortably. When it comes to complete streets, Armour Road is exemplary because:

Slowing down cars reduces traffic crashes and improves safety for everyone, including for people who choose to drive;

High visibility crosswalks and median islands make it safer for children and adults on foot to cross the street;

Improved bus stops give transit users a safer and more comfortable place to wait for the bus;

Parking-protected bike lanes give people on bikes a safe, comfortable place to ride, and separates bikes from cars and trucks; and

On-street parking helps businesses be accessible to customers no matter their mode of travel.

The project places the safety, health, and prosperity of local residents and businesses above the convenience of others who are speeding through without stopping to contribute to the local economy.

Why do those who may not live or own businesses in North Kansas City care about Armour Road? It is critical to understand that people outside of North Kansas City also care about this project because the community is a regional destination. Individuals travel from around the region and beyond to spend money and invest in activities at shops, restaurants, breweries, and other businesses because they seek out these offerings in a community that is welcoming to pedestrians, transit users, cyclists, and others. Being connected by the only designated and protected bike path via the Heart of America Bridge, downtown and midtown KCMO-area cyclists can easily travel to and invest their time and money at destinations in North Kansas City. Residents from municipalities across the region can enjoy all that North Kansas City has to offer in calm, safe, and inviting spaces like Armour Road.

Equally important, other municipalities are looking at the project in North Kansas City as they consider implementing their own Complete Street improvements. North Kansas City’s cycletrack on Diamond Parkway was the first in the region, and now other cities are considering replicating its success in their own planning. As you know, the planning study for Armour Road was one of the highest-scoring in MARC’s Planning Sustainable Projects funding round in 2017 specifically because it exceeded so many of the region’s transportation priorities, by expanding “affordable, accessible, multimodal transportation options in order to better connect residents and visitors to jobs and services.”

Together with our Complete KC Coalition partners, whose letters are also enclosed below, we urge the City Council to give this project a chance to succeed. Give city staff and stakeholders time to improve this project over the coming months based on the feedback of residents and local businesses. Give residents and visitors time to adjust to the new layout, and to fully understand and experience its benefits.

Respectfully,

Eric Rogers

BikeWalkKC Executive Director

Amanda Grimes

BikeWalkKC Board Co-Chair

Lesley Pories

BikeWalkKC Board Co-Chair

John Jespersen

BikeWalkKC Board Treasurer

Paul Martin

BikeWalkKC Board Secretary

Lawrence Andre

BikeWalkKC Board Director

Ruth Anne French-Hodson

BikeWalkKC Board Director

Ashley Hand

BikeWalkKC Board Director

Jake Jacobson

BikeWalkKC Board Director

Malenda Shahane

BikeWalkKC Board Director

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Letters of Support:

American Heart Association

Bridging the Gap

Children’s Mercy – Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition

Health Forward Foundation

KC Healthy Kids

MOCSA

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BikeWalkKC’s advocacy work is made possible with the generous support of our members. Join the growing coalition of individuals, businesses, and partners fighting for better biking, walking. and transit in the Kansas City region.

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