In 2017 The City of Kansas City, received funding from the Mid-America Regional Council’s Planning and Sustainable Places fund to study Truman Road in relation to its traffic flow, useability, and overall functionality for multiple transportation types. This form of study, commonly known as a “Complete Streets Plan” is a means to identify high traffic corridors and the impact they have on businesses, transportation, and pedestrians.

Through the development and implementation of Complete Streets plans cities across the United States have been able to create more vibrant and accessible roads, while also helping to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities in the identified areas. Ultimately, Truman Road was selected not only for its vast east /west expanse and its commercial industry, but also because of its high volume of bicycle and pedestrian accidents recorded over the last decade.

As an information courier to our members, the CID has taken a particular interest in the process of implementation of our new bike lanes, the avenues of communication we can make available to our membership, and the overall lasting impact this will have on businesses in our corridor.

Bike Lanes

Here is what you need to know:

  • The implementation of bike lanes on Truman Road is the result of a long and intensive multi-year study of traffic patterns, accident reports, and geographical restrictions.
  • The City of Kansas City is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the lanes on Truman Road and data will continuously be studied to determine both the positive and negative impacts on the corridor.
  • The Steering Committee for this plan included business owners along Truman Road and the plan was made available for public comment by the City in 2018.
  • What you currently see on the roads is not the final product, this is a work in progress and better detail as to its complete form can be found using the links and supporting materials attached.
  • If your business is experiencing an issue such as freight access restrictions to your property for loading / unloading or access to your parking lot is blocked by a bollard you can contact Bobby Evans with the City of Kansas City at Bobby.Evans@kcmo.org for assistance with resolving the issue.
Bike Lanes

References

Additional Details about the Truman Road CID Meeting

“This presentation was created to help explain and justify the new roadway design on Truman Rd. Put simply, Truman Rd has undergone a road diet and added protected bike lanes. A road diet means that the number of travel lanes on Truman Rd has been reduced – from six (three in each direction) to four (two in each direction) – which will make the road safer.

The traffic volume on Truman Rd does not warrant six lanes and the excessive number of lanes was a contributing factor to the poor traffic safety record along this roadway. Truman Rd is a top priority on the City’s High-Injury Network and city staff will be monitoring this new roadway configuration to analyze the safety benefits from the new design.

A protected bike lane has also been added at the curb. The protected bike lane was installed based on the recommendations of a planning study completed in 2018. Public Works followed the results of this planning study, which included a significant community engagement effort and was well received. Parking on Truman Rd has, by and large, remained the same as before. Parking is permitted in the outside lane but is restricted during the peak hour. The change here is that the outside lane is now next to the bike lane instead of the curb. Virtually no parking was restricted or removed as a result of the new roadway design.

One aspect of the new roadway configuration which might be confusing is the delayed installation of plastic delineators and concrete curb stops. These roadway elements protect the new bike lane but also provide a useful visual cue to all roadway users. The delay is a result of supply chain issues that are unfortunately common at the moment. City staff are doing their best to get these elements installed and are confident that the new roadway configuration on Truman Rd will create a safer, calmer, more accessible travel experience for everyone.”