The cities of Overland Park, Merriam, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, and the Mid-America Regional Council will hold an in-person open house for the public to view project concepts for the Merriam Corridor next week.
The Merriam Connected Corridor Plan is a joint effort between these organizations to envision the future of the Merriam Corridor, a four-mile stretch of Merriam Drive/Lane from W. 55th Street to S. 10th Street.
Over the last several months the project team and after a public open house last fall, city staff members and members of the community met to discuss and evaluate the Merriam Corridor.
Plan recommendations
The draft Merriam Connected Corridor Plan conceptualizes a revitalized, multimodal roadway that integrates into each community’s existing transportation network, with a special focus on the Turkey Creek Trail. Key elements of the draft plan include:
- Vehicular safety and traffic flow improvements,
- Multimodal connectivity along the corridor,
- Development and redevelopment opportunities,
- Branding and streetscape enhancements,
- Turkey Creek Trail enhancements and integration, and
- Environmental sustainability.
“We’re very excited to be a part of this plan and add a connected corridor plan to Overland Park, Merriam, and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas that provides safe and effective transportation options in coordination with redevelopment of land uses,” said Shawn Strate with the Olsson Studio. “We are pleased with the coordination between the cities to make this a reality,” Strate continued.
The project team held an open house on July 28, 2021. The new draft plan incorporates the city staff members’, stakeholders’, and public feedback from that meeting. As a result of that feedback, the team developed a plan framework and series of corridor improvement recommendations.
Event details
Next week’s open house is open to the public and will take place Tuesday, April 12, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Merriam Community Center, 6040 Slater Street, Merriam, Kan. 66202.
No formal presentation will be made. City staff members and members of the project team will be present to share progress to date, gather feedback on plan recommendations, and answer questions.
Following the second public open house, the final plan will be presented to each city’s elected officials for consideration in May 2022.