flatlandkc | They started popping up in Kansas City neighborhoods in late April —
homemade barriers, some quite creative, informing motorists a block is
closed to traffic except for residents and deliveries.
Call it a pandemic experiment. As schools, workplaces and even some
public spaces like playgrounds closed, Kansas City rolled out a program
called Neighborhood Open Streets. With minimal hassle, residents can apply for a city permit to close their blocks to through traffic.
Depending on who you’re talking to, Neighborhood Open Streets is
either a) an inspired step toward a safer, happier community; or b) a
colossal nuisance.
In general, people who live on the closed blocks tend to favor the
safety and community argument. Motorists forced to detour around them
seethe over the inconvenience.
“I’m all for it,” said Diana Halverson, whose block on 70th Street off of Ward Parkway got a permit.
Halverson’s block has been seeing a lot of traffic in recent months
because of construction projects on Gregory Boulevard, two blocks to the
south. So when a neighbor proposed applying for a closure permit, she
heartily agreed.
“Got it in one day,” she said.
Unlike the process for a block party permit, which requires
signatures from a majority of residents to close the street for a few
hours, applicants for a Neighborhood Open Streets permit need only fill
out a form and submit evidence — like a text or email — that they
informed their neighbors of their intent.
“We had a strict social distancing order in place,” said Maggie
Green, information officer for Kansas City’s Public Works Department.
“The last thing we wanted to do was encourage people to knock on doors.”
So far, the department has issued permits for 37 blocks, Green said.
The majority are in the 4th and 6th City Council districts, and the
program is especially popular in the southwest corridor.
