Prospect MAX meetings prepare community for construction

Community members received an update about Prospect MAX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) earlier this month during two public meetings. The $55.8 million project will bring enhanced transit service along Kansas City’s 10-mile Prospect Avenue from downtown to 75th Street.

The meetings were Oct. 9 at Blue Hills Community Services and Oct. 11 at Morningstar Youth and Family Life Center. Attendees had the opportunity to meet the construction management team and hear more about Prospect MAX route benefits and features, the construction schedule, safety and traffic controls, access to businesses during construction, and temporary bus stops.

See the materials from the Prospect MAX meetings. [PDF]

MEGA Industries has been selected as the contractor to complete the work along Prospect, which includes construction of MAX stations, streetscape and road improvements, level-boarding platforms, traffic signals, WiFi and security cameras. Tyler Wesselman and Brad Boyles will serve as project manager and project superintendent, respectively, for MEGA. The project management team for KCATA includes Project Manager Linda Clark and Construction Manager Chris Francisco.

“Don’t be afraid to call and ask questions,” Francisco told attendees. “We want to create a dialogue with the community. If there’s a problem and we don’t hear about it, we can’t fix it.”

During construction, which is scheduled to begin in November, sidewalk closure will last 4-6 weeks for each bus stop. Sidewalks at bus stops across the street from each other in the same block will not be closed at the same time. Signs showing safe walking paths will be clearly posted, and MEGA will coordinate with affected property owners. See the end of this blog post for contact information.

“We’re going to get in, get the bus stop built in 4-6 weeks and move on to the next one,” KCATA Chief Engineer Keith Sanders said. “We have a good contractor and a great team.”

KCATA will notify riders of temporary bus stop locations and any disruption to service during construction. Riders are encouraged to watch for information through passenger bulletins, rider alert signs and service bulletins on RideKC.org. Information also will be shared through RideKC social media, including the Prospect MAX Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/ProspectMAX.

During the public meetings, attendees also heard more about the Honor Plaque Program, which will honor community members who made significant contributions along Prospect. The public is being asked to narrow a list of 24 names to 10 through an online at surveymonkey.com/r/honorplaques available through Nov. 9. The 10 honorees chosen will be recognized with granite tile plaques, along with biographical information on an electronic kiosk, at select stations along Prospect. Blank plaques will be installed at 28 other stations and will become projects of the community to name.

“The survey not only will determine the 10 honorees but also provides an opportunity for the public to share personal stories about the honorees,” Clark said. “We’d love to hear more about how these individuals positively impacted the community.”

If you have questions or need additional information about the Prospect MAX construction schedule or the Honor Plaque Program, contact KCATA Communications Specialist Jenalea Myers at jmyers@kcata.org or 816.346.0805.

Community members were able to get answers to their questions about Prospect MAX. 

People who attended the meeting were treated to giveaway items.