The Kansas City region has conducted several planning initiatives to address the need for trails and to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, but the City of Kansas City, Missouri does not have an adopted, comprehensive trails plan to guide trails planning and development.  The KCMO Citywide Trails Plan will build upon previous regional and city planning initiatives to develop a much-needed comprehensive citywide trails plan.

Previous Planning Initiatives

  • 1991/2002 - MetroGreen, local planners created and recently updated this plan which defined a series of stream corridors and overland connections to link regional historical, cultural and environmental resources through trails
  • 1996 - the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) prepared its first bicycle transportation plan for the Missouri portion of the metro area
  • 2000 - Clay and Platte Counties adopted the Northland Vision Trails Plan
  • 2002 – KCMO amended its Major Street Plan to include a bike route network consisting primarily of on-road routes but including some trails
  • 2003 - KCMO adopted the Kansas City Walkability Plan as a policy guide for increasing transportation choice through improved pedestrian facilities and options.

 

 


The KCMO Citywide Trails Plan, administered by the city’s Planning and Development Department, will guide the development and maintenance of a citywide trails system for pedestrian, bicyclist and equestrian use.  The plan will define major corridors that will provide basic north/south, east/west connections within the city and to a larger, regional system.  The system will not only serve as a recreation resource to residents and visitors, but also as an alternative transportation corridor. 

The Plan will also include the following key components to ensure effective trails development:

  • Design standards and criteria for use of on-street and off-street facilities;
  • Funding and maintenance options to ensure a sustainable system;
  • Policy recommendations to facilitate plan implementation; and
  • Priority projects to enable coordinated, phased implementation.