We are excited to see the arrival of back-in angle parking in KCMO's Columbus Park neighborhood. A push for safer angle parking became quite a controversy back in 2009. Developers proposed adding angle to 5th Street, a future bike route, and opposed efforts use change city policy to require back-in angle parking instead of the traditional head-in parking.
Back-in angle parking is much safer for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. After several strong debates at City Hall, former Councilmember Beth Gottstei, City Engineer Greg Rokos, and Bike/Ped Coordinator Deb Ridgway brokered a compromise that led to the city's first demonstration project on McGee Street in the Crossroads. Despite a setback on Baltimore Avenue in the Crossroads, safer back-in angle parking has continued to gain converts and spread accress Kansas City.
A second implementation was added on Westport Road at Main Street, and now the Columbus Park development is finally moving forward as the third instance. Residents in the Hyde Park neighborhood are also discussing back-in angle parking with the Parks Department as part of a road diet for Armour Boulevard.
Many citizens wrote letters, made phone calls, and attended public meetings. BikeWalkKC says thank you to everyone who spoke up for safer parking policies. Your words and actions made a significant impact and resulted in real change on the streets of Kansas City.
Read more about angle parking and its history in Kansas City on our Angle Parking background page.
Bonus Speed Table
We were pleased to discover the project includes what may be KCMO's first use of a speed table, a super-wide speed hump that includes a crosswalk on top. It's a great traffic calming device that slows traffic and improves pedestrian safety. KCK has used them successfully on their 5th Street in the Strawberry Hill Neighborhood.
