Groundwork NRG Awarded $138,000 to Fund Northeast Heritage Trail

MARC NEWS RELEASE

Sept. 22, 2020

CONTACTS:

Beth Dawson, Senior Land Use Planner, bdawson@marc.org, 816-701-8325

Amy Strange, Public Affairs Coordinator, astrange@marc.org, 816-701-8321

$875,000 awarded to advance sustainable development

Fifth round of MARC Planning Sustainable Places grants will fund 14 area projects

This week, the Mid-America Regional Council Board of Directors and Total Transportation Policy Committee approved the allocation of $877,825 in grant funds to 14 local projects — eight in Kansas and six in Missouri — that advance sustainable development in the region. These projects were chosen through a competitive process from 30 total submissions.

The Planning Sustainable Places (PSP) program aims to further the creation of vibrant places that offer a mix of options for housing, jobs, services and recreation; connected places with a variety of transportation options; and green places that support healthy living and a healthy natural environment. These concepts are promoted in the region’s long-range transportation plan, Connected KC 2050, and in many city and county comprehensive plans. The PSP program was created in 2013 as part of the region’s Creating Sustainable Places initiative.

The 2021 PSP grant awards include:

• City of Basehor: Active Transportation Master Plan — Multimodal connections including sidewalk connections, greenway trails and intersection improvements, awarded $25,000.

• City of Grandview: Blue Ridge Boulevard Corridor Study — A pedestrian, streetscape and amenity corridor design guide and multimodal improvements, awarded $55,250.

• City of Kansas City, Missouri, and Westside Housing: West Pennway Street Redesign Plan — A plan to redesign West Pennway between 17th and 21st Streets to improve traffic flow, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and stormwater runoff through the area, awarded $38,000.

• City of Kansas City, Missouri:

  • Blue Parkway/Swope Parkway Pedestrian Facilities — Evaluate the feasibility of improving pedestrian crossings at all seven intersections across Swope Parkway and Blue Parkway, awarded $25,075.

  • Transportation Element of the KC Spirit Playbook — Develop transportation goals, policies and recommendations for the KC Spirit Playbook, awarded $94,500.

• City of Merriam: Downtown Merriam Corridor — Create a complete street solution to integrate multiple modes and nearby trails while supporting local redevelopment, awarded $59,500.

• City of North Kansas City: East-West Connectivity Study — A plan to overcome barriers for the North Kansas City bicycle network at Armour Road under I-35, awarded $30,000.

• City of Osawatomie: OZ Commons – Downtown Osawatomie Redevelopment — Create a conceptual bicycle and pedestrian framework connecting the Flint Hills Trail State Park, downtown Osawatomie and historic sites, awarded $42,500.

• City of Overland Park: College and Metcalf Walkability Study — Building on previous planning efforts, will identify bicycle and pedestrian improvements, public realm improvements and funding alternatives, awarded $50,000.

• City of Overland Park: Merriam Drive Gateways Corridor Study — Develop recommendations for complete street and green infrastructure solutions that encourage appropriate land uses, awarded $100,000.

• RideKC: Station Area Plan 35th and Prospect — Transit-oriented development planning and development of a transit-oriented development district, awarded $80,000.

• City of Westwood: 47th Place Complete Streets Planning — Creation of a complete street concept for 47th Place, a mixed commercial-residential corridor, awarded $35,000.

• Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas:

  • Countywide Mobility and Transit-Oriented Development Strategy — A plan to identify transportation needs and opportunities in the Unified Government, awarded $135,000.

  • Going Green with Groundwork + UG — Creation of a Northeast Kansas City, Kansas, Heritage Trail plan that integrates multimodal options, green infrastructure and land use, awarded $108,000.

The projects are classified in three categories: initial planning for a study area without previous planning, project development, and planning for project implementation. Of the currently funded projects, 11 fall into the initial planning category, which requires meaningful community engagement.

“This marks the fifth round of PSP funding, and brings the program’s total impact to $5,529,000, awarded to 83 projects.,” said Beth Dawson, a senior land-use planner at MARC. “It is exciting to see local governments focus on planning for and creating vibrant assets for their residents.”

Funding for these grants comes from the Federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program in cooperation with the Missouri and Kansas departments of transportation. Project sponsors are required to provide a local match of at least 20 percent.

Procurement for consulting services will begin in October 2020 with further details found on the MARC RFPs webpage.

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