UPDATE: The latest incarnation of this idea is to close the Drive at 3pm on Thursday. Unfortunately this is an exceedingly divisive proposal. A movement is afoot in Northeast to close the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway to vehicular traffic Wednesday through Sunday permanently. Rarely does Hyper editorialize in this space (just happy pictures mostly) but this has my dander up. It's a bad idea and disrespects the efforts of those who created the Drive beginning in the 1890s.http://web.me.com/dremley/Keep_Cliff_Drive_Open/Welcome.html
This restricts use of the Drive to the young and able-bodied and goes against 112 years of allowing use of the Drive by all.
Cliff Drive, part of Kessler Park, is a public space and should be open all the time to all the citizens who help pay for it's upkeep. It doesn't make sense for the State of Missouri to promote the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway if it's closed to traffic.
This restricts use of the Drive to the young and able-bodied and goes against 112 years of allowing use of the Drive by all.
Cliff Drive, part of Kessler Park, is a public space and should be open all the time to all the citizens who help pay for it's upkeep. It doesn't make sense for the State of Missouri to promote the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway if it's closed to traffic.
Those of us opposed to this have created a website listing our names. If you agree, please use the email link and give us permission to list you too. Your email address will not be kept.http://web.me.com/dremley/Keep_Cliff_Drive_Open/Welcome.html
Everyone should be able to see the views above, a Missouri State Scenic Byway, at the time of their choosing....
Everyone should be able to see the views above, a Missouri State Scenic Byway, at the time of their choosing.... 
I appreciate the folks who love Kansas City for what she is and for her history. I can understand it, because I lived in Harlem, probably one of the most wretched sections of KC in the 50's, and I have only good memories of my time there. I'll support this effort.
ReplyDeleteTo my knowledge there are no problems with the the current arragement. No one to date has explained the thought process behind closeing Cliff Drive to vehicular traffic. Maybe instead of discouraging the appreciation of our natural resources and attractions these same individuals should be working to improve and restore this neighborhood to its once grand and beautiful glory. How about making Independence Avenue more attractive to the eye and to businesses other than bars, crappy flea-ridden hotels, car dealerships and obnixious cell phone companies? How about encouraging the KU School of medicine to build housing for their students where now there are run-down, crime infested apartments. How about making the Paseo a grand and special entry way into Kansas City?
ReplyDeleteI think this would be a better use of their time and energy. Thanks, for your activism David,
Damian
Kansas City seems to be dismantling George Kessler's vision of the park system that made the city beautiful back in the day. Look at what they've done to Penn Valley Park and other large parks in the city. They don't look anything like what they did even 10 years ago. A little tree trimming and clean up, a little more attention by the neighborhood groups to promote the drive...and things could be so different!
ReplyDeleteJamie, I tend to agree with much of what you're saying. I did want to make the point again that the Parks Department is not behind this idea, and, while I don't want to speak for them, support for this there I believe is slim to none.
ReplyDeleteSupport for the idea is pretty strong in the bicycling community as it's nice to have a place to ride without traffic. I think you have a good point that this does limit who can experience the park. Maybe weekdays should still be open for cars?
ReplyDeleteThe model is the Ciclovia program in Bogota, Columbia, where about 40 miles of public roads are closed each Sunday and this builds community and local health. Another reason to close the area to cars at least on weekends is that there is a rampant problem with people dumping trash off the cliffs in that park. Not too many bicyclists bring trailers, so this cuts dumping tremendously. Arlo's Guthrie's "Alices Restaurant" song about dumping was pretty funny, picking it up in real life, not so much.
The Drive would still be close on weekends. And certainly can be closed for any special events like the Tour of Kansas City, etc. When I was giving a tour over there last week there were three sets of "pro like" bikers who went by, several cars, a man pulling a wheeled passenger seat with a toddler in it, walkers and hikers. Everyone got along just fine. Cliff Drive was designed for vehicular traffic, thus no sidewalks, but there is no reason we can't "Share the Road." I bike it all summer and head up through Pendleton Heights.... beautiful ride.
ReplyDeleteI think one angle to the closure is that at night, it becomes a haven for drug activities and such. A curfew could fix that.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, as a cyclist myself, I appreciate the car-free nature of the byway. So long as it is open to cars some (if not most) days, what is the problem?
Maybe they are trying to transform the area into a park-like area (noted somebody said Parks and Rec is not involved)
Your comment that it favors the young and able-bodied is only half correct. While the two do tend to go hand-in-hand, it is mostly because of lifestyle choices we all make vs. how old we are.
The Drive now is open to vehicle 4 1/2 days a week and closed to them the rest. Since it is Cliff Drive and received State Scenic Byway status based on it's historical nature, that balance seems reasonable. People share-the-road just fine there the bulk of the time. The entire Drive is surrounded by a park like area called Kessler Park. A 10pm curfew is working its way through the City Council now... although I don't know how the overtaxed police department will be able to enforce it. The Drive is closed Fri, Sat, Sun nights. I keep hearing about all this crime down there... unfortunately or fortunately, as one who visits Cliff Drive several times a week day and night... I've just never seen it. We are fine with the use balance the Drive has now.
ReplyDeleteI think it's ridiculous to suggest that the bicyclists deserve to have this area cordoned off to only them. There are so many better uses for this area, including its intended purpose: driving.
ReplyDeleteI wish a compromise could be made. It needs to be open 4 days a week at least. It is a National Byway and should be accessible a majority of the week to vehicles. Sounds like the neighborhood associations support the new proposal of 5 days closed. Both sides have valid points, but you may not have the support needed to stop this. Take away one of their days (at least) in the spirit of a compromise.
ReplyDeleteClosing the drive to motor vehicle traffic opens it up to all the other types of traffic -- walkers, runners, bicyclists, wheelchair users, skaters. It becomes a truly public space, rather than just some place to pass through at speed, on the way to somewhere else. Closing the drive to motor vehicles was the right thing to do, and I hope the city keeps the policy. It is a wonderful place to experience first-hand, outside a glass and metal box.
ReplyDeleteRandy, all those other types of traffic use it now....daily ...
ReplyDelete