My final project was called “Close the Loop”. The name has a double meaning, referring to the closure of the North Loop to car traffic as well as “closing the loop” on past injustices caused by the section of highway.
My goals were:
Conversion of North Loop to a busway, reusing existing bridges to reduce cost, and reconfiguring ramps where necessary
Pedestrianization of downtown core, and the addition of parking garages to accommodate removal of street parking and surface parking lots
Construction of a new transit center at Delaware and 6th St, above North Loop, with the lower level being a busway for express buses, the upper level on Delaware serving the streetcar and north-south local buses, and 6th Street serving east-west local buses
Bringing the Heart of America Bridge at grade at Independence Ave
Spurring development along 6th St and Independence Ave: the busway will accommodate delivery vehicles with loading zones
Spur infill development elsewhere throughout the site
Phasing
My development phasing was radial, starting from the transit center itself at 6th and Delaware, and expanding out from there. I figured that the area around the transit center would be the main catalyst of development, and infill would follow soon after. Additionally, I proposed some additional housing developments in the early stages to address immediate needs, especially towards the Columbus Park neighborhood.
Land Use
I focused commercial development near the busway and residential development in the more historically residential neighborhoods like Columbus Park and Quality Hill. Parking structures are located on the near the proposed pedestrianized areas of downtown.
Circulation
For pedestrian and private vehicle circulation, I focused on maintaining connections for cars (adding a couple ramps to maintain highway access, for instance) while enhancing the pedestrian experience (dedicating several blocks to pedestrians). I aimed to create a balanced circulation plan that preserves access to all modes where necessary while also prioritizing safety and economic development.
The addition of busways, along with the anticipated NorthRail expansion to the streetcar, creates a unique transit circulation system downtown. The blue lines indicate routes with dedicated transit right-of-way, while excluding most bus routes, since these often change for a variety of reasons and cannot be assumed static for purposes of a transit center. In addition, with my transit center proposal, many local bus routes may be rerouted, as the transit center enables local buses to stop on 6th and Delaware.
Delivery access was a major feature of my plan, detailed more in my previous blog post concerning development.
Precedent
I had inspiration from a number of cities, both within and outside of the US:
I used Barcelona’s concept of superblocks to pedestrianize downtown while preserving car circulation
Denver’s Union Station inspired the lower-level busway in my transit center proposal
Tremont Ave in New York City inspired me to allow truck access on the busway
Ontario’s busways inspired much of my design, providing a precedent for dedicated right-of-way busways
Infrastructure Reuse
My design was able to reuse many existing bridges and rights-of-way, which lowered the cost of the proposal.
Bi-State Corridor
The busway greatly benefits the Bi-State Corridor initiative, providing a quick route from KCK to Independence.
Cost/Implementation
Costs of similar projects were used to forecast costs of each element of the infrastructure project. Development costs were separate and not included in this estimate, since they would be primarily on the private side.
The primary issue the North Loop has faced over the past several decades has been depopulation, due in no small part to the effects of outdated highway infrastructure. We have seen massive losses in potential economic value through underused valuable land, not only with the highway footprint itself, but also adjacent blocks deprived of much of their value through the negative effects of the infrastructure.
It’s important to note that there are real economic benefits to any piece of infrastructure, and that must be taken into consideration – the removal of a highway, without careful thought, could end up helping some groups while hurting others. I will detail this point more in my next blog.
For future land use, I considered the effects of my proposed busway, and how commercial development might fit the downtown core and transportation-adjacent areas better, while areas such as Columbus Park might call for more residential infill. I also looked at past land use and aimed to match the character of both past and present.
The recent trend of increased development is continued exponentially with my plan, and catalyzed through “keystone” developments such as the transit center and massive housing developments towards Columbus Park.
A key factor in catalyzing development in the North Loop is the accommodation of commercial deliveries.
The largest piece of this is my proposed delivery corridor along the busway. This corridor would provide dedicated access to deliver goods to what would become a massive commercial corridor along the former highway. The unique topography of the corridor makes this work quite well, with the possibility of loading bays on the delivery route, which would align with the lower level of the commercial developments, one floor below the street-level first floors.
In addition, the pedestrianization of some downtown streets would prove beneficial for delivery vehicles, eliminating conflicts for parking spaces and providing easier access for vehicles permitted to enter the pedestrianized zone.
Within the North Loop, I was assigned to study the surrounding Trees and Landscape. Overall, the condition of trees was surprising, but still not as good as one would hope. When it came to the landscape condition along the highway… one can only guess that, yes, it was dangerous.
Trees:
Tree Cover Diagram of the North Loop
The Tree Cover Map above shows how much of the surrounding area is covered by trees. Within my research I have noticed that trees provide a number of benefits to the community (besides giving the planet AIR). Benefits Include:
Shade/Cooling (helps fight the Urban Heat Island Effect)
Places to sit or lay (especially when paired with street furniture)
Walls/Protection (against major roads or other dangerous areas)
Creates a sense of place (makes a place feel comforting)
Makes a Facade (blocks eyesores or inspires nicer development)
Illustration looking North onto City Market Park
When it comes to trees around the North Loop I found that places with trees are in places that aren’t very practical for pedestrians. City Market Park (shown above) is tucked away behind the city market and faces 3rd street. Personally, I never even knew that City Market Park was there when I was in person walking around. To get to it you either need to go behind all the stores, enter through 3rd street, which isn’t pedestrian activated as well as 5th street, or walk past a fenced off parking lot on 5th street. This makes this park unable to be densely populated.
River MarketSidewalk- West Side of Delaware St.
Places that were densely populated by pedestrians ended up being the least “green.” Within the River market there was no trees whatsoever and designed for cars to park even though the site has hundreds of pedestrians walking throughout the area. On the sidewalk closest to the Delaware Bridge had spots where trees were supposed to go, but then were removed. This empty pothole of sidewalk then becomes a hazard for walking pedestrians (I would know as I tripped into one).
6th and Charlotte- WestIndependence and Grand- Southwest
Tree Diagram of the Heart of America Bridge and Columbus Park
On the other hand places that are very close to the highway and are potentially dangerous to pedestrians are full of trees! The diagram above shows clusters of trees within major roads, which becomes inaccessible to pedestrians, but where there are people always playing and hanging around (Columbus Park) in the top right corner there are only sparse spread out trees that provides little shade.
South Columbus Park- New Tree Plantings
What we can do to improve the trees around the north loop is… you guessed it… PLANT MORE TREES! Especially in places that would benefit the community and the planet overall!
Landscape:
Interstate Highway facing West towards Wyandotte St. Bridge
The landscape around the highway is infamously nicknamed “the ditch” for a good reason. Bridges have 15+ feet between the top of the ditch to the bottom. This is a problem when considering visibility, pedestrian traffic, and speed. When cars are within the ditch it is hard to see other traffic merging on and is hard to merge off. Pedestrians when walking near the ditch have no protection against slipping and rolling down into the highway and because there is a tunnel-like straight shot, cars are more prone to speeding as this part is marked as a 55 zone, but in my experience cars are going more towards 65 to 70 miles per hour.
Section of “The Ditch” showing steepness
The above section shows just how steep the highway is. If we were to make the North Loop friendly for pedestrians we would have to input stairs. The ideal slope for stairs is 25 to 50 degrees and the site is a 30 to 35 degree slope which is well with the range. This also puts into perspective how dangerous it is for pedestrians walking on the top. If people get curious and try to look down or get close, then that poses the risk of slipping and falling down.
Tree Barrier Placement Map
Tree Barrier Illustration- Corner of Wyandotte and 6th Street
In the meantime, I propose we create a tree barrier on the outside of the ditch. This would help the tree conditions and landscape conditions within the North Loop. As mentioned previously, trees can provide a barrier and facade to prevent people from trying to cross into the dangerous landscape conditions and making a “out of sight out of mind” mindset making people less curious about trying to look or go into said landscape anyway. Now, I hear people saying “but wouldn’t it make people MORE curious about what’s on the other side?” Possibly, but then comes the barrier part, people wouldn’t want to cross far past the trees AND it would create more apparent openings to look from the safe bridges.
Overall:
When it comes to Trees and landscape the North Loop has great potential to create a unique and inviting experience for all modes of transportation. We will be able to help the community, the planet, and other elements of the public realm if we improve these fundamental elements.
“The public realm, which includes streetscapes and public spaces, is the setting for street life and community activities. Public realm elements, including pavement, street furnishings, and public art, should reflect the community identity, evoke civic pride, support daily activities, and foster civic life in the community.” (Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, et. al., 2018, Volume II, Chapter 5, 5A)
An element of the public realm is something that is foundational to place, and which can be translated to several other places. It can make or break the hospitality of that place. It can be implemented in a variety of different ways. Some examples of elements of the public realm include street furniture, lighting, paths and sidewalks, walls, or entrances.
One thing people may not think of as an element, however, is parking. However, it is necessary, especially in this day and age, to consider it and how it affects our ability to place-make. Accomplished urban designers and theorists have already written about the different types of parking and their implications. One among them, Christopher Alexander, developed a theory of auto parking which largely focuses on reigning in the runaway parking development that began in the 20th century and continues today.
Alexander’s criteria for parking mainly concern making parking lots small: “make parking lots small, serving no more than five to seven cars…”, reducing the percentage of parking in a given area: “do not allow more than nine per cent of the land in any given area to be used for parking…”, and shielding that parking from view: “put all large parking lots, or parking garages, behind some kind of natural wall, so that the cars and parking structures cannot be seen from outside.” (Alexander et al., 1977).
A small lot type at 3rd Street and Broadway Blvd.
These and more of Alexander’s theory went into my considerations for parking in the North Loop area of Kansas City, Missouri’s downtown. Developing my own theory, though, I developed six different core types of this element for study. They are:
Street parking
Angle parking
Parking garages
Parking lots
Micromobility parking
Guerilla/informal parking
Street parking is one of the older, more common, and more intuitive forms of parking. One simply drives to their destination, stops their vehicle on the edge of the street, and leaves it on foot. There are certain advantages to this form of parking. It is relatively unobtrusive to street design, at most requiring slightly more right of way width for the street. It allows for direct travel to a destination, but only if there is unoccupied parking space nearby. In a city or region where people heavily depend on cars for travel, this form of parking can run out quickly. It can have people circling blocks, adding to air pollution and increasing the likelihood of collisions.
Harrison Street & Missouri Avenue – looking west on Missouri.
The location I chose to demonstrate this type is in the Columbus Park neighborhood, at Harrison Street and Missouri Avenue – looking west on Missouri. This area is an historic development with a mix of single-family homes, small apartments, and neighborhood commercial. Parked cars are rarely a nuisance here and finding parking is usually not difficult.
Another form of street parking is angle parking, although this type can also be seen in surface lots. Historically, these have been “head-in” spaces where cars pull forward into the space. As design standards have changed, however, back-in angle parking has started to become more popular. The advantage to this specific type of parking is its relationship to safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Instead of backing into blindly into traffic and hitting cyclists (as in the case of head-in angle parking) drivers now have better visibility when leaving the space.
“Dozens of cities across the country have solved the problem simply reversing the angles. Cars now pull just past the parking space and then back into it. It is like parallel parking, but much easier. To pull out of the space, motorists look left for approaching traffic and then pull forward.” (BikeWalkKC).
The example of angle parking below, at 401 Deleware Street, looking south, shows just this. Cars proceed one way down Deleware Street, then back in to angle parking spaces. This is especially important for deleware, considering cars share that stretch of it with the streetcar. This design helps prevent collisions.
401 Delaware Street – looking south on Delaware.
Parking Garages seem to solve some of the issues of street parking too. They allow for denser concentration of parked cars, meaning people may be able to access their destination relatively close to where they park, while maintaining the urban environment. However, when not controlled, they can become more common in an area than actual buildings for humans. Not to mention too, they are costly to build, especially when building underground. Here are some estimates for reference:
A surface lot is $1,500-$10,000 per space (economical).
An above ground garage is $25,000-$35,000 per space (balanced).
An underground garage is $35,000-$50,000 per space (expensive from excavation).
(Dcparkinglot, 2024).
MARC Garage (left), former Hilton Inn Garage (bottom right), and State Street Bank and Trust Garage (top right) – 7th and Washington Streets (as viewed from 5th and Washington – looking south).
The parking garages in the pictures above consist of the MARC garage to the left, the former Hilton Inn garage on the bottom right, and the State Street Bank and Trust garage in the top right. These all cluster around 7th and Washington Streets. This area is relatively dead, even during large events downtown. Partly, this is due to vacancy (the Hilton Inn was closed and demolished in 2002 and the State Street Bank building has sat vacant for some time too). But I have to imagine that even when these were operational, the area was not much more invigorated. Parking does not directly precipitate human activity (except perhaps road rage over a stolen space). It must be carefully crafted to invite a means for people to get to their destination without destroying the place those same people want to arrive at. To quote Jeff Speck:
“the twin gods of Smooth Traffic and Ample Parking—have turned our downtowns into places that are easy to get to but not worth arriving at.” (Speck et al., 2022).
In my study of North Loop parking, I used Kansas City Parcel Viewer to get an estimate of how much of the area was surface lots. I paired this with a study of the highway surface area. The results were as follows:
The study area measured in at around 11.5 million feet2
Parking lots took up around 1.2 million feet2
The highway (or MODOT right of way) equaled approximately 4.3 million feet2
Converting these to percentages, surface parking lots alone took up about 10% of the land area, while highways took up about 30%. These numbers don’t account for parking garages, however, nor do they fully count the highway’s area, because they can’t capture landscaping on either side of the highway lanes. Accounting for these errors, we count intuit that between these twin gods (smooth traffic and ample parking) they account for nearly 50% of the study area.
Parking lots share some of the same issues as garages, but many of them are inverse. While cheaper to build, they can take up far more surface area than garages past a certain number of spaces.
The area chosen to showcase this type is depicted below and consists of four parking lots on all corners of 7th and Main Streets. The photo was taken from the top of the Flashcube Apartments facing north/northeast. The pattern of lots actually continues out in several directions from these, creating vast swaths of underutilized, inhospitable land. This paired with the freeway (the other twin god) makes for an ocean of disconnectivity between the CBD and the River Market neighborhood.
Parking lots on corners of 7th and Main Streets as viewed from the rooftop of Flashcube Apartments (looking north/northeast).
Micromobility parking, while perhaps not conventional, is still a form of parking, and can be a way to mitigate some of the issues with parking for automobiles. Micromobility refers to bicycles, scooters, and the like, and parking for them is much the same as parking for cars, only it takes up more less space.
5th and Delaware Streets – looking west on 5th.
As shown above, this area of 5th Street near the intersection with Deleware is reserved for parking scooters and bikes. Racks are included, along with flexible delineators and street paint. This mitigates the issue of scooters and bikeshares often being left strewn haphazardly on sidewalks and streets, while also helping to slow traffic by reducing the width of the right of way for part of the street. This issue of haphazard placement is part of another form of parking I’ve termed “Guerilla Parking”
Guerilla Parking (or informal parking) is what happens when there is nowhere (or nowhere convenient) to park legitimately. In the case of the scooter shown below at the corner of 6th and Washington Streets, there were likely no other better options for the individual who was riding it.
Corner of 6th and Washington Streets – looking north.
Guerilla parking can come in many different shapes an sizes, though. Below is a picture of the parking for the Chiefs’ victory parade in 2024 taken at the corner of 26th and Jefferson Streets, looking south. This is by far an extreme case, but it just goes to show that parking will never be able to accommodate everyone if everyone must drive a car to get where they need to go.
Chiefs Parade Parking, 2024. Photo taken from 26th and Jefferson Streets, looking South.
Other more common forms of Guerilla parking including parking payment delinquency or parking in fire lanes or other restricted areas. There are several strategies we might utilize to address these issues. One initial strategy might be to better enforce the rules we’ve created surrounding illegal or delinquent parking. We might make it more convenient to pay for parking with technology. And, from a more long-range perspective, we should be reducing our dependency on automobile transportation in favor of multi-modal accommodations like transit and micromobility. We should also be infilling our downtowns to make them more walkable, and, as we build out, doing so more incrementally and more densely.
Intervening in the study area, I chose to address the egregious surface lots near Flashcube Apartments at 7th and Main streets. Applying Alexander’s Small Lot theory, I simulated building massing on one of the lots, leaving a fraction of the lot for parking. This area of the lot, a row of spaces along the building edge of Flashcube, would allow for residents, workers, and visitors to still park if need be, but regular parking could be redirected elsewhere, such as underneath Flashcube where there exists an underground garage. Transit could also be fortified to reduce the need for parking. There is a streetcar stop just outside the building. Garden walls should be paired with trees and other plantings to mask the lot from view and soften the area.
Existing Context, 7th and Main Streets.
Plan View – Reprogramming of parking lot at 701 Main Street.
Axonometric – Reprogramming of parking lot at 701 Main Street.
There exist several other opportunities for reducing or changing parking in the North Loop. Parking is a necessary amenity, and can indirectly facilitate human interaction and economic growth in an area, but its implementation should be measured and planners should be firm in limiting its use.
Citations:
Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., & Silverstein, M. (2010). A pattern language: Towns, buildings, construction. Oxford Univ. Pr.
Dcparkinglot. (2024, August 20). Cost of building a parking garage. D & C Parking Lot Maintenance. https://dcplm.com/blog/cost-of-building-a-parking-garage/
This portion of the North Loop project focused on analyzing one particular element of the public realm. My element was lighting and specifically lighting fixtures. To narrow the scope of this project, I focused specifically on contrasting highway- and street-scale lighting.
My first board shows six examples of common lighting typologies across the North Loop corridor and surrounding local streets. The locations are shown on the context map in the bottom left corner. These six examples fall into one of two categories: highway lighting and street lighting. Features of each lighting type are highlighted, such as brightness, color, and range. In general, highway lighting is harsher, has a larger range, and is not fit for a local street.
My second board includes a cross-section of street- and highway-scale lighting, an intervention, and a lighting map of the North Loop. The cross-section shows the difference in scale between the lighting types, including a person, a car, and a semi for scale. The lighting map identifies the two types of lighting across a map of the North Loop corridor and surrounding local streets. Note the red outline around a section of 6th St, immediately south of the North Loop trench, that has highway-scale lighting.
My intervention, shown under the Proposed heading, is to replace the lighting on the side of the street with a sidewalk to smaller, street-scale lighting. I believe this, along with sidewalk improvements, would be an effective short-term intervention to improve the pedestrian experience near the North Loop.
A stretch of limited-access highway over three-quarters of a century in the making, the North Loop runs through downtown Kansas City, MO where I-35 and I-70 meet at the Lewis and Clark Viaduct on top of bluffs overlooking the West Bottoms to I-29’s southernmost point underneath Independence Ave between Troost and Forest in the east. Part of the city’s wider expressway system serving citizens from River Market and Columbus Park to those in far-flung Platte County, it is an arguable fulcrum in the balancing act of regional economic interests. The North Loop’s role as such was spelled out as early as 1951 in a report by the Plan Commission1 and continuous engineering improvements have been made in furtherance of this role.
Its role as other things to other interested parties has been reinforced over time, too. Residents living in the backyard of the Downtown Loop have every right to interact with their public investment as a commuter, but not everyone is a commuter. While it remains to be seen whether the problems charged to running urban freeways through existing walkable neighborhoods can be engineered out of existence, attempts to wield walkability as a asset for economic development in the corridor will only hasten the day this alleged conflict comes to blows. For now, the North Loop will continue in both its intended role of controlling car access onto it and in its unintended role of controlling non-car access through it–from Quality Hill on one side to River Market on the other, then to Columbus Park and back again to the East Village and Paseo West–the degree of pedestrian permeability between neighborhoods remains constant despite any improvements made within them.
A visit to the site approximately bound by 4th and Walnut in the northwest, I-35/70 at Walnut in the southwest, I-35/70 at Cherry in the southeast, and 4th and Cherry in the northeast corners lends to this between/within disparity. The barrier provided by the North Loop interchange with MO State Highway 9 is psychological as well as it is physical; if not located at near-hairpin corners where the opposite side of the street is a retaining wall, it would seem neither the 531 Grand Apartments and Bridgeworks Lofts developments located at Independence & Oak and Missouri & Locust, nor their angled tenant street parking, would have been possible. If not already inside a surviving legacy block morphology–that is to say a block not demolished following the highway earthworks, the development opportunities of parcels abutting the highway in the aforementioned site boundaries have so far presented themselves as (dog) park, parking, and empty lot.
View looking south from atop the grade of MO-9’s interchange with the North Loop near the Bridgeworks Lofts at Missouri Ave and Locust Ln. The partially obscured 531 Grand Apartments can be seen at the far right. Immediately to the left, the highway routing sign indicates the point at which the southbound MO-9 offramp, whose grading forms the hard eastern boundary between River Market and Columbus Park, forks into the North Loop’s westbound lanes to the right and the eastbound lanes to the left.
Looking south from the south side of the corner of Missouri Ave and Locust Ln near the northeast corner of the parcel on which KCFD Station 25 sits. The chainlink fence delineates the property line between the fire station and the public highway right of way. Beyond the fence is the wayfinding sign indicating the position of the same fork from the previous photo.
Looking east-southeast and down into the westbound lane of Exit 2F onto Independence and Grand from near the corner of Independence and Oak. This exit has maintained this alignment since its construction in the late 1950s.
East-northeast view of the North Loop with east & westbound traffic from the east side of the Grand Blvd bridge between Independence Ave & E 6th St. The flyover connecting southbound traffic exiting MO-9 feeds into westbound North Loop traffic under this bridge. Urban forests must be cut down to size to maintain lines of sight for highway ingress and egress.
Northwest view from E 6th St between Superior and Page Sts of I-70 including eastbound traffic and a car utilizing exit 2E to turn off onto the intersection with 6th and Page. The 531 Grand Apartments and Harry’s Country Club are in the background.
Northwest view of the 531 Grand apartments from where Exit 2E funnels eastbound traffic into the intersection at E 6th and Page Sts. The impermeable slab concrete island maintains the necessary clear line of sight between 6th itself and the merge onto 6th, pictured in the foreground. Behind this offramp is an urban forest where lines of sight can be reasonably sacrificed.
North-northwest view, on the south side of E 6th St between Page and Cherry Sts., looking toward the interchange between I-70 and MO-9. The southbound traffic of the latter leads into the foreground from the distance after having crossed the Heart of America Bridge to terminate at Admiral and Locust (not pictured), but not before consecutively passing over the interstate and then E 6th St. In the foreground, 6th passes under MO-9. Immediately due north, both the stacks of the Vicinity Energy plant and the “spire” of the Cold Storage Lofts can be seen rising in the background from obscurity behind the Bridgeworks Lofts and, for their height, may be used as informal points of reference for wayfinding.
View looking north where Cherry St meets Missouri Ave. The northbound approach toward the Heart of America Bridge encloses the viewshed up Cherry on the left but creates a hard border between Columbus Park to the east and River Market to the west.
View looking south from Cherry St and E Missouri Ave toward a northbound flyover ramp entrance to the Heart of America Bridge. This ramp commences where eastbound Exit 2E traffic merges with that on E 6th St to furnish access for both to MO-9.
1Kansas City Plan Commission. (1951). Expressways: greater Kansas City: an engineering report/prepared by City Plan Commission, Kansas City, Missouri; for the Missouri State Highway Department; and the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Public Roads. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112118728002 on April 3, 2025.
My boundaries within the North Loop study area was basically the beginning of the Heart of America Bridge.
1960 Figure Ground
1960 of the North Loop is very Interesting as it has sporadic development. This area was for those going to work in an industrial zone or going back home to their single family home. Due to the population the North loop was made with fewer lanes and more exits.
1990 Figure Ground
In 1990 you can see that the north part was realigned between 1960 and 1990 as well as widened for the sake of increasing traffic. You can also see the beginning development of Columbus Park just to the right as buildings were taken out in place of putting sidewalks. You can also notice more development on the South side of the loop as well.
2025 Figure Ground
By 2025 development around the North Loop has completed. Columbus Park has more sidewalks, more houses have been created, and if we were to build anymore it would be dangerously close to the Interstate. Due to the growing population and other interstate context around it, the North loop is now becoming a liability as this space should be connecting neighborhoods and supporting pedestrians.
For the Existing Conditions Report, I analyzed traffic and safety data. This included motor vehicle, pedestrian, and bike crashes in the Downtown Loop, but particularly the North side of the Loop. I also analyzed the local streets immediately adjacent to the North side of the Loop.
Safety
Motor vehicle crash density along the Downtown Loop and local streets adjacent to the North side of the Loop from 2018-2022. (MoDOT, MARC, OpenStreetMap contributors)
Starting with the motor vehicle crash data, it’s evident that the north side of the loop is fairly comparable to the south or east sides as far as overall crash density, however, from 2018-2022, the intersection at Broadway and I-70 is overrepresented. I’m curious if crash data for the next 5 years will show a reduction at that location since I-35 traffic can flow freely to and from the Buck O’Neil bridges.
Pedestrian- and bike-involved crashes along the North Loop from 2018-2022. (MoDOT, MARC, OpenStreetMap contributors)
Next, with the pedestrian- and bike-involved crash data, it’s clear to see that the majority are located on or next to the highway facility itself. With potential future pedestrianization or overall reductions in traffic volume, this data will likely decline along the north side of the loop.
AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) volumes
AADT along the Downtown Loop, 2023 adjusted to 2025 (adjusted for new Buck O’Neil bridges) (MoDOT, KDOT, MARC, OpenStreetMap Contributors)
AADT change along the Downtown Loop, 2019-present (MoDOT, KDOT, MARC, OpenStreetMap Contributors)
For AADT, it’s important to note that the East and South sides of the loop carry larger volumes of traffic than the North and West sides (see first image). Additionally, while the West side has been increasing in traffic, likely due to the Buck O’Neil bridge replacement, the North side has actually seen a reduction (see second image).
This reduction provides an initial justification for potential removal of the North Loop. While there would certainly be barriers such as highway rerouting, as well as obvious funding challenges, the removal is generally supported by the traffic patterns.
If removed, it is likely that the south side of the loop in particular would experience a large increase in traffic. This means that, in conjunction with a removal, the south leg would need to be redesigned, including potential ramp reconfigurations or closures in order to promote traffic flow, as well as potential widening or lane redesignations.
Takeaways
Overall, removal of the North Loop would likely come with safety benefits for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike, and seems relatively in line with current traffic volumes and growth patterns. However, in order to minimize potential disruptions and safety negatives, the south side of the loop would need to be reworked in conjunction with a removal of the North Loop.
My study area encapsulates the northwest corner of the Downtown Loop. Both historically and today, this area has been an important junction for various transportation routes. Due to the area’s challenging terrain, being on the edge of both Quality Hill and the floodplains of the Missouri and Kaw rivers, these facilities have not been simple. These connections have had to bridge and tunnel their way across the landscape. The most striking example is the Intercity Viaduct.
Intercity Viaduct, looking west from Quality Hill (northeastnews.net)
Lewis and Clark Viaduct, looking west from Quality Hill (wikipedia.org)
The Intercity Viaduct was a wide toll viaduct that carried pedestrian and horse-drawn traffic across the West Bottoms and the Kaw river, linking the downtowns of the two Kansas Cities. When I-70 was constructed, the alignment was generally followed, but reconstructed to Interstate standard.
6th Street Trafficway in 1949, looking west from Main St (MO Valley Special Collections)
6th Street Trafficway in 2023, looking west from Main St (Google)
To continue the interstate through Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, the interstate plowed its way through what was formerly 6th Street Trafficway. In the series of photos above, note the building in red for comparison.
Figure ground animation – 1925, 1960, 1993, 2025
In my series of figure grounds, there are a few things to note. First, the thinning out of buildings, and the partial rebound in recent years. Also take note of key transportation constructions, such as the original and replacement Buck O’Neil bridges and the Lewis and Clark Viaduct.
The 8th Street Tunnel entrance in 1887
One last transportation history element to mention is the 8th Street Tunnel. This tunnel served as a link from the West Bottoms up to Quality Hill, and replaced the steep and dangerous 9th Street Incline. In my figure grounds, this is visible as a widened section of street towards the center-right of the study area that later becomes converted to pedestrian space.
Our classes’ existing conditions report plays a crucial role in understanding the state of our study area and how we will be able interpret a deliverable for our final project. I was assigned to focus and study on the areas of Transportation, Workers, and Industry.
Transportation
The current transportation options that are readily available within our current study area will play a critical role for our eventual intervention methodology, so I chose to illustrate every line that is currently serviced by the KCATA. Within the regional context map I included also included counties with lack of service(Ray, Leavenworth, Cass) in order to point out the noticeable lack of service within those regions of our metro. I also chose to add in stops and stations for each transit line within the blowout map to exemplify the potential nodes or junctions of transit oriented or pedestrian activity that could potentially be utilized in our final transit hub deliverable.
Regional Context Map for KCATA Transit
Blowout Map of Transit Lines within North Loop study area
Occupation/Workers
I chose to use the OnTheMap resource to illustrate worker data for those employed within the North Loop. The Map below shows a shaded heat map of population data for those employed within our study area and is primarily meant to exemplify the potential commuter behavior we would expect to influence the perceived adequacy and value of the North Loop in its current state. As visualized in the map a great portion of those employed within loop commute north of the river.
Map showing where workers in the north loop live within the KC Metro
Industry
Graph showing Job counts for workers in the metro who work within the North Loop Study area
I chose to illustrate the industry of our Study Area with a bar graph presenting NAICS Industry Sector Data. As shown above the Professional, scientific, and Tech services make up the largest portion of the workforce within our study area
