What if…

Main Street were closed to cars

With cars constantly whizzing by in downtown KC, it can be quite intimidating to bike; but, what if there were a way to safely bike and walk without the fear of being run over? The first step in the right direction would be to simply reduce speed limits and make sure that sidewalks and bike lanes stay cleared. Can more be done though? Complete and Green Streets Planner Alex Rotenberry has an idea that might seem a little crazy at first.

Close Main Street to cars entirely. This would solve the longstanding problem of not having a bike-friendly passage between the Plaza and Downtown, and create a pedestrian mall that, along with the streetcar, could be a boon for businesses and the city—look to places like Iowa City and Charlottesville for inspiration.

“I think the east conversion of a major thoroughfare in downtown Kansas City could be Main Street,” Rotenberry says. “It already has public transportation in terms of the streetcar, leaving a shared middle lane for bicycles to travel unimpeded.” —Kathleen Wilcock