Neighborhood support wins remake of Armour Boulevard in Midtown with road diet, protected bike lanes, and new crosswalks.
Photo: Jonathon Maus
Last weekend KCMO Public Works unveiled plans for the city’s first protected bike lanes on Armour Boulevard in Midtown. The new design coming in 2017 will create one-way protected bike lanes or cycletracks on each side of the street, using parked cars to as a physical barrier between people on bikes and automobile traffic. Protected bike lanes are gaining popularity across the country as evidence-based research is beginning to show that they lead to increases in bicycling.
Learn more about the City’s plan for Armour.
Rendering: NACTO
The Armour Boulevard project is the result of close to a year of conversation in the three neighborhoods along the corridor: Hyde Park, Squire Park, and Old Hyde Park. BikeWalkKC supported the neighborhood leaders in their work with the Public Works and Parks Departments. 4th District Councilmember Jolie Justus was a strong champion throughout the process. We are excited to soon see what will be one of the best examples of Complete Streets in Kansas City, and appreciate the efforts of neighborhood residents, businesses, City staff, and elected officials.
Diagram: SFMTA
The protected bike lanes on Armour will improve safety for everyone, not just people on bikes. The narrower street will slow down motorists and reduce crossing distances for pedestrians and transit users. Crosswalks will get a makeover to be more visible and comprehensive. Finally, the new design for Armour could also provide more on-street parking spaces along a corridor where parking is in high demand.