Urban Planning Students Transportation Projects
Sustainable corridor planning was the object of last semester’s transportation planning implementation class. Transforming the abandoned Rock Island railroad right-of-way in the Kansas City metro area, into a bike, hike and transit way was the challenged by real world clients: the metropolitan planning organization for the Kansas City metro area and an advisory committee of communities along the corridor. Students completed The Rock Island Corridor Study, Consideration for Sustainable Trail, Transit and Land Use that would:
• Provide seven (7) major trailheads linked to community centers and numerous other access points
• Cost $5.5 - $9 million for trail material and amenities. $12-$35 K per year for maintenance.
• Serve an estimated 100,000 – 200,000 people annually
• Provide adjacent park facilities to 200,000 people within 2 miles of the corridor providing both active and passive recreation and natural amenities.
• Increase home values. (One of several studies reviewed found an average increase of $9,000 per home along a similar trails, R. Van Hole, Univ. Cincinnati, 2001)
• Promote local sales revenues. (The Heritage Rail Trail survey, Pennsylvania and Maryland found that average trail users spend up to $400 in trail use related expenditures).
• Provide resources to promote public health.
• Connect the Kansas City metro to the cross state Katy trail.

The students were Xue Chen, Cory Davis, Whitney Morgan, Haochen Qiu, Emilio Useche, Nathan Vander Broek, James Vanderloo, Chris Wichman, Yi Xiao.

Summary.

Complete Report.