The Playbook includes great ideas, but the approval process could water them down
In the coming weeks, the City Council will consider the final draft of the KC Spirit Playbook and vote on whether to approve it. BikeWalkKC needs your help to ensure that the mobility elements remain in the plan as they are now and are not watered down to exclude the needs of people who walk, roll, use public transit, or bike.
Use this link to email your councilmembers and ask for their support of the mobility portions of the KC Spirit Playbook. And stay tuned for more information about how to testify for the KC Spirit Playbook in person at City Hall!
Read on to learn more about the KC Spirit Playbook and why it’s such a big deal for Kansas City!
What is the KC Spirit Playbook?
The playbook is the city’s comprehensive plan; it is a document intended to guide decisions on development, investment, codes and standards, and much more over the next 20 years. Click here to learn more.
How is the KC Spirit Playbook structured?
While there are numerous elements of the playbook, the structure in general is made up of the following elements:
- Vision - the big ideas which define what KC wants to be
- Goals/Topics - what has to happen to make that big idea a reality
- Objectives - key concepts and strategies identified by the community to help us reach our goals
- Implementation - specific information on who, what, and how we work to complete those objectives
How is transportation included in the vision of the KC Spirit Playbook?
Among the 15 vision statements which encompass the playbook’s overall vision, multimodal transportation is explicitly mentioned in two of those statements:
Mobility Options: Our well connected and accessible neighborhoods and districts will be walkable and served by reliable, safe, and convenient mobility options.
Walkable, Clean, and Safe: Our community will promote the health of our residents and visitors through being walkable, clean, and safe.
How can people use the KC Spirit Playbook?
The plan is meant to be a guide for city decisions on a wide array of issues. There are several tools which can help to evaluate proposed projects and guide related elements. This includes:
Implementation Dashboard - This tool allows you to filter and search for specific recommendations and measures of success within the plan. Some of the key actions found under Mobility include:
- Creating a Complete Streets Design Guide
- Integrate land use planning and transportation investments
- Develop incentives to reduce Single-Occupancy Vehicle trips
Goal Supporting Criteria - These are questions to determine if a proposal is consistent with the comprehensive plan. For mobility, the following criteria should be considered for a proposal: Enhance or create new mobility options and foster a more connected city
- Promoting pedestrian scale blocks and streetscapes
- Creating “complete streets” and adhering to Transit Oriented Development policies
- Removing or mitigating physical and social barriers in communities
Global Design Guidelines - These are general elements which are desirable everywhere. They should be consulted in the design phase of proposed projects and are meant to ensure consistency with the comprehensive plan. Proposed projects should:
- Improve access to daily needs, particularly in equity priority areas, and help to create a “complete community”
- Make walking, biking, transit riding and scooter riding safe, convenient and inviting and accommodates safe and convenient access for all modes of travel
- Provide features expressly intended to enhance safety and inclusiveness for persons of all ages and abilities
Development Form guidelines - Perhaps the most technical portion of the plan, these guidelines detail how the built environment should look, feel, and function. Some of the mobility-related recommendations include:
- Design sidewalks to comfortably accommodate pedestrians, with landscaping, amenities, and other functions supportive of a complete street.
- Streets should be the minimum width practicable and should accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and automobiles.
- Ensure design that is accessible to all people including those with physical limitations.
How can people ensure that these elements remain in place? In the coming weeks, the City Council will consider and vote on the proposed final draft (Resolution #230257). BikeWalkKC needs your help to ensure that the mobility elements remain in the plan as they are now and are not watered down to exclude the needs of people who walk, roll, use public transit, or bike.
Use this link to email your councilmembers and ask for their support of the mobility portions of the KC Spirit Playbook. You can also join us at the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee at KCMO City Hall on Wednesday, March 22 at 1:30pm. If you have additional questions, feel free to email us at policy@bikewalkkc.org.