Taking away car lanes on Main Street for KC Streetcar could really make traffic faster | Opinion

Could we see in the near future dedicated streetcar lanes on Main Street from Pershing Road to 51st Street? In a automobile-centric city like ours, say it isn’t so. We kid. Adding transit-only lanes along the expanded KC Streetcar route is a safe bet for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

On Thursday, the Kansas City Council unanimously voted on a resolution directing the city to develop a proposal that could alter the design of the extension project to create lanes dedicated to transit. City Manager Brian Platt will coordinate with the Kansas City Area Transit Authority and the Kansas City Streetcar Authority on the planned lanes, which run on Main from Union Station to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

We’re intrigued. And you should be as well.

Many design options exist according to Jason Waldron, transportation director for the Kansas City Public Works department. We found examples of transit-exclusive lanes in Seattle, Portland and other cities. Access to businesses on the Main Street corridor is an important point to think about, as are parking and other considerations for all modes of transportation, Waldron said during the City Council’s latest transportation committee meeting.

“We really have to think about, if we get there, how are we going to enforce these things?” he said.

Bingo. Whatever design is chosen, the city must follow its own policies for public engagement. Stakeholder input is important, as is educating city residents on the proper use of the new dedicated lanes.

In other municipalities, transit buses and bicyclists are allowed to use transit-only lanes. Kansas City should be no different. As with any public transportation plan, Platt must consider the needs of everyone who uses a public roadway.

Fourth District Councilmember Eric Bunch and Mayor Quinton Lucas sponsored the resolution. Platt has 90 days to present preliminary findings to the council. Reducing the number of lanes of car traffic — a road diet — along Main Street in both directions would improve roadway safety, traffic advocates said. Under the same resolution, the speed limit for cars along the route would be restricted to 30 mph or lower. We see little problem asking motorists to share the road with others at slower speeds.

Decreasing lanes for regular motorist traffic would seem to contribute to congestion. Not so, say city officials. Transit-exclusive lanes would help ease traffic slowdowns by organizing the flow of automobiles. Dedicated lanes would help improve on-time performance and transit efficiency, according to officials. For those who rely on public transportation, the streetcar running on schedule is crucial, officials said. We find it difficult to argue against that reasoning.

This city has invested heavily in its $352 million expanded streetcar plan. Reserving lanes for transit use would prove beneficial to every resident, traffic safety advocates contend. In some cases, residents rely upon the streetcar for their transportation needs. On a busy weekend, traffic congestion can often delay streetcar operations, supporters of the resolution said. Dedicated lanes would help alleviate those recurring disruptions.

Michael Kelley, policy director for traffic safety advocacy group BikeWalkKC, sent leaders a letter urging them to consider how the idea has the potential to improve transit options drastically here.

“Done correctly, we believe this could be a model for similar speed designs and adjustments across the city,” Kelley wrote.

Will Riley lives along the expanded streetcar route, and he is in favor of the road diet. In a letter to the council, he broached a subject many of us have already considered: On any given day, driving either direction on Main along the original 2-mile streetcar route from the River Market area to Union Station can be a pain. Ever been in a car stuck behind a streetcar, or driven over one of the rails? Yikes.

“Having a design that allows cars in the streetcar lanes makes the investment we have put into the streetcar less effective,” Riley wrote. “When the streetcar gets stuck in the same traffic as the cars it becomes inefficient and is harder for it to stay on schedule, as is seen at several points along the starter line.”

Heading into the weekend, work continued on the extension of the KC Streetcar. When the project is completed in 2025, transit-only lanes would offer a more efficient commute for us all.