At last, a compromise in the works to cut down on illegal dumping at Cliff Drive
The committee that oversees Cliff Drive earlier this year launched an online petition soliciting support for closing off vehicle traffic along the scenic byway in Northeast Kansas City.
The idea emerged out of no small amount of frustration by members of the Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee, who regularly watch the work of volunteers, who try to clean up the roadway, go to waste when illegal dumpers toss their trash along Cliff Drive. Cliff Drive and nearby Kessler Park are two of the strongest illegal-dumping magnets in Kansas City, owing in large part to their relative isolation from the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Pitch profiled this effort back in September.
The Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee seemed to catch the Kansas City Parks & Recreation Department off guard; similar proposals in the past were jettisoned due to lack of support among surrounding neighborhoods and the unclear prospect of the city’s losing state and federal funding tied to Cliff Drive’s scenic-byway designation.
But the petition worked in a somewhat different way; while it didn’t accomplish its goal of closing off Cliff Drive to vehicles, it got the neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation and others to work out a solution.
On Tuesday, that compromise was made known. The Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee says various interests have agreed to divide the two-lane road at Cliff Drive, sending vehicles one way through the eastbound lane while the westbound lane becomes a pedestrian- and bike-only lane.
The proposal recommends closing two of the four vehicle access points into Cliff Drive so that the only remaining ones are the far-east and the far-west gates. It also suggests that the remaining gates be closed every weekend and during winter months, among other recommendations, which you can read here.
The proposal represents some middle ground between those who clean up trash on Cliff Drive (only to watch it return on a weekly basis) and those who believe that excluding vehicle traffic from the byway restricts the number of people who can enjoy it.
