MARCH 2019 Independence Avenue BRT Planning and Feasibility Study Prepared for: Kansas City Area Transportation Authority In partnership with: City of Kansas City, Missouri City of Independence, Missouri Mid America Regional Council Prepared by: WSP USA In partnership with: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................................7 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT .........................................................................................................................7 PREFERRED BRT ALIGNMENT ..............................................................................................................7 MAX STATION LOCATIONS ...................................................................................................................8 PROTECTED BICYCLE LANE INTEGRATION TO INDEPENDENCE AVENUE ............................................8 MAX STATION DESIGN CONCEPT .........................................................................................................9 CAPITAL & OPERATING COST ESTIMATION .......................................................................................11 CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS ........................................................................................................ 12 2.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 13 2.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND & CONTEXT .............................................................................................. 13 WHAT IS BRT? ................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2 PROJECT VISION AND GOALS ......................................................................................................... 14 2.3 PLANNING HISTORY SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 14 3.0 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE STUDY AREA OVERVIEW ........................................................................28 3.1 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY AREA ..........................................................................28 3.2 DEMOGRAPHICS AND SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS ......................................................................29 3.3 CRIME AND SAFETY ........................................................................................................................39 3.4 EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICE ............................................................................................................ 41 3.5 MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY EXISTING CONDITIONS ...................................................................46 4.0 INDEPENDENCE CORRIDOR TRANSIT IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES .............................................................54 4.1 MAX BUS RAPID TRANSIT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................54 4.2 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE TRANSIT OPERATIONS PLANNING .........................................................55 CITY OF INDEPENDENCE ...................................................................................................................55 DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY ...............................................................................................................58 PASEO / 11TH AND 12TH STREET ALTERNATIVE ..................................................................................59 ADMIRAL / GRAND BOULEVARD ALTERNATIVE .................................................................................. 61 4.3 SERVICE PLAN ..................................................................................................................................62 ALTERNATIVE 1 – BRT WITH LOCAL SERVICE TO CITY OF INDEPENDENCE .......................................64 ALTERNATIVE 2 – BRT WITH INDEPENDENCE CONNECTOR ROUTE ..................................................64 ALTERNATIVE 3 – BRT WITH LOCAL EXTENSION TO INDEPENDENCE ...............................................66 4.4 ANNUAL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COST ESTIMATION ......................................................68 4.5 ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED..............................................................69 TRUMAN ROAD CORRIDOR CONNECTION ........................................................................................69 MAINTAINING TRANSIT SERVICE TO COLUMBUS PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ........................................69 RIDEKC ROUTE ADJUSTMENTS FOR EASTERN MOBILITY HUB (INDEPENDENCE AVE /WINNER RD) ............70 9 – 9TH STREET ..................................................................................................................................70 21 – CLEVELAND / ANTIOCH .............................................................................................................. 72 23 – 23RD STREET ............................................................................................................................... 72 4.6 PREFERRED OPERATIONS PLAN ...................................................................................................... 73 5.0 INDEPENDENCE CAPITAL ELEMENTS ............................................................................................ 73 5.1 BRT STATION AREA PLANNING ......................................................................................................... 73 HIGHLAND TO BENTON (56’ CURB TO CURB) ..................................................................................... 74 BENTON TO HARDESTY (56’ CURB TO CURB, WITH PARKING) ........................................................... 75 HARDESTY TO BEACON (48’ CURB TO CURB, NO PARKING) .............................................................. 77 RAISED LEVEL BOARDING PLATFORM ..............................................................................................84 SHELTER .............................................................................................................................................84 INTEGRATED STATION MARKER WITH DIGITAL DISPLAY + INFORMATION PANEL (OPTION) .............86 SEATING ............................................................................................................................................. 87 LEAN RAILS .......................................................................................................................................88 HANDRAILS ........................................................................................................................................88 LITTER RECEPTACLE + RECYCLING ....................................................................................................88 SITE LIGHTING....................................................................................................................................88 OTHER ELEMENTS AND FEATURES ....................................................................................................88 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE BRT STATION VISUALIZATION ....................................................................89 5.2 VEHICLES ....................................................................................................................................... 90 5.3 MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS ............................................................................93 OTHER ON-STREET BICYCLE FACILITIES - RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................98 6.0 DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 100 6.1 DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................100 6.2 TARGETED AREAS FOR TOD ........................................................................................................... 102 7.0 CAPITAL AND OPERATIONS COST ESTIMATION ........................................................................... 102 7.1 CAPITAL COST ESTIMATION ........................................................................................................... 102 7.2 CONCEPTUAL ALTERNATIVE ANNUAL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COST ESTIMATION ....... 105 8.0 PROJECT FUNDING ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................. 106 8.1 SMALL STARTS ............................................................................................................................... 106 8.2 BETTER UTILIZING INVESTMENTS TO LEVERAGE DEVELOPMENT ................................................. 107 8.3 SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM ........................................................................................ 107 9.0 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT AND BENEFITS ................................................................................... 108 9.1 TRAFFIC IMPACTS .......................................................................................................................... 108 9.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN ................................................................................................................. 111 CULTURAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................... 112 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ..............................................................................................................