Report on Blue River Greenway meeting

The Corps of Engineers has been working on a $280 million flood control project on the lower Blue River in eastern Kansas City, MO. Now they are soliciting public input on a greenway plan for the river to accompany the flood control work. I attended the meeting tonight (one of three public meetings this week); here are a few notes:

Several bicycle supporters were there, mostly mountain bikers. We spent quite a bit of time talking about various cycling issues, multi-use trail possibilities, mountain biking trail possibilities, and the like.

They're planning a multi-use trail along the Blue River through the whole area under study (MO river to Bannister). John Rhoades (the person recently hired by MARC to oversee the MetroGreen program) mentioned that such projects can be funded 95% (!!!!) by federal Transportation Enhancements funds. More typical enhancements percentage is something like 80%, but since this is already a federal project (Corps of Engineers), the 95% thing kicks in.

They're very interested in considering connections between the Greenway and neighborhoods, streets, existing or planned trails, etc. Part of the idea of the meetings was to gather info about possible connections. The idea that this corridor could be a sort of "I-435" for bicycles is pretty interesting & exciting. The Blue River valley is currently a huge dividing line across eastern KC. With the greenway in place, it would be a nexus--a gathering & connecting link--instead.

Todd Posson talked about how making a whole corridor of mountain bike trails--the present BuRP, plus a series of trails in Swope Park, plus a few other trails south of Swope Park--all interconnected by the main greenway trails, could really make KC a mountain biking mecca. That sort of extensive network of trails, within an urban area, and all connected by off-road links--in addition to other area trails like Landahl, Lawrence, Smithville, etc.--could really make KC a mountain bike tourist destination.

I made my little impassioned speech about how public access to the river is essential for building public support for massive river-centered projects like the Blue River flood control project. And that when we have spent $300 million of public money on flood control, rebuilding the river channel, and building levees, it isn't putting it too strongly to say that we DEMAND and EXPECT access to the river.

The really big story here, though, is simply that Kansas City, Missouri, and the Corps of Engineers, are PLANNING a massive greenway project and ASKING for public input about it. They're NOT taking zillions of dollars of public funds and then locking the public out (like some--cough, cough--nearby levee districts). And WE are not begging THEM for a trail or greenway, or trying to petition them to do it. They are going to do it, and THEY are asking US for advice about the best way to go about it.

THAT is big news . . .

There is still one more meeting about the Blue River Greenway. They are spending $300 million (!!!!!!) of your money here (can I put enough exclamation points on $300 million? This is an AMAZING lot of YOUR DOUGH for a project that is hardly on the radar screen . . . ).

And there is the potential here to change an armpit of the KC area into a gem. Don't be shy about expressing your opinions!

They're interested in citizen input about everything from landscaping, wildlife, wetlands preservation, trails, and parks, to land use, roads, connections to neighborhoods, etc. etc. etc.


* Wednesday, September 24, 5 - 7 p.m. at Hillcrest Community
Center, 10401 Hillcrest Rd.

(From I-435, east on Bannister Rd., south on Hillcrest Rd.,
approximately 1 mile, Center is on the East side of the street.)

More info about the Blue River flood control project can be found on the Corps of Engineers web site.

Our Advocacy Alert has more details about the public meetings.