Thanks to your support, BikeWalkKC and our community partners successfully advocated for a $150 million sidewalk program that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2017. City Hall is moving forward to implement the program, and there are several opportunities for you to learn more and get involved.
Public Meetings
Learn about the GO KC Sidewalk Program and get your questions answered at three upcoming public meetings put on by KC Public Works.
All meetings are open 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, with presentations at 6:00 pm.
Brush Creek Community Center 3801 Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64130
Summer Inspections in Midtown and on the East Side
This summer, the City started its first detailed sidewalk inspection program to inventory conditions and begin prioritizing repairs. The current focus is what they call Zone 2, the area between 20th Street and 48th Street.
Prioritizing which sidewalks to repair first
While $150 million is a lot of money, it’s only a drop in the bucked towards the $1 billion backlog for repairing all sidewalks and adding sidewalks where they don’t exist. BikeWalkKC and several community partners successfully advocated for a prioritization system that takes into issues like income inequality, transit access, Safe Routes to School, and access to services like libraries and grocery stores.
In 2016-2017, BikeWalkKC partnered with The Whole Person, NEAT Northeast Alliance Together, and other stakeholders to form the Sidewalks KC partnership. We analyzed the current situation, made policy recommendations, and advocated for the implementation that City Hall is now doing through the GO KC Sidewalks program.
✅ 1. Develop a Sidewalk Action Plan in order to systematically address the highest priority walkability needs
✅ 2. Reduce the financial burden on property owners for maintaining adjacent sidewalks
Explore all potential funding mechanisms for sidewalks and adopt priorities into the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan
Update the Walkability Plan
Develop street design standards that represent best practice for walkability.