Shawnee’s pared-back plan to improve Midland Road is moving forward, and the project could still receive previously promised federal funds despite recent changes.
On Monday, the Shawnee City Council voted unanimously to accept the full amount of $4 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation Block Grant program.
The council also authorized city staff to move to the next phase of the project, the design period. Mayor Michelle Distler and councilmember Tammy Thomas were absent from the vote Monday.
The project, as currently envisioned, brings long-awaited improvements to Midland Drive between Shawnee Mission Parkway and I-435.
The approved Midland Drive improvement plan:
- The plan now is to have two, 11-foot-wide lanes for traffic, a five-foot sidewalk on the north side of the road and four-foot bike lanes on both sides.
- Curbs and gutters will be added as well, in place of ditches on either side of the road currently.
- Lawrence Road, which is nearby, will also be vacated, or removed, from the current traffic system. That will require the reconfiguration of the parking set up at Johnson County’s Streamway Park, which will be affected by the loss of the road.
The council found previous plans ‘objectionable’
An earlier plan for Midland would have used the same 11-foot traffic lanes but would have added four-foot bike lanes on either side of the street. It also called for a single 10-foot paved shared-use path, plus six feet of green space dividing the path from the road.
Neighbors in the area and multiple councilmembers believed those proposed improvements were a step too far, impacting private properties along Midland too much.
In March and April, city staff warned that diverging from the original plan too much might result in the loss of promised federal funds for the project, as it was within the scope Kansas Surface Transportation Program committee had agreed to.
According to city documents, in May, that committee ultimately decided to approve the scaled-down version of the project.
Council president Eric Jenkins said the first plan was “objectionable” and referred to the new designs — which are widely supported by residents who spoke at the meeting Monday — a success. Other councilmembers agreed.
“I want you all to know that we are fully in support of what’s been presented tonight and are willing to work with the city,” Courtney Nelson, owner of Twin Mill Farm on Midland Drive said.
Still, some speakers voiced concerns that nothing was being done to address the speed of traffic on the road.
Councilmembers Tony Gillette and Kurt Knappen indicated an interest in continuing conversations about possible speed deterrents — such as speed tables — on Midland and in other areas of the city.
Midland Drive improvements to cost $8.5M
- Of that, $4 million will come from the federal government through the Mid-America Regional Council, pending a few procedural steps in the next few weeks, Deputy Public Works Director Kevin Manning said.
- Another $2 million is expected to come from the Johnson County Assistance Road System, or CARS, program, which assists cities in major road projects.
- That leaves the city’s share of the cost at roughly $2.5 million, significantly less than the $6.5 million it had initially anticipated to be spending.
Cost of project could still increase
- Manning said things like traffic signals and other possible traffic calming measures, like a roundabout, aren’t included in this new project plan.
- The current plan also lacks street lighting upgrades, something Manning said could be added as a possible addition to the project if it comes in under its expected budget in the bidding process.
- Councilmember Jill Chalfie said she’d like to see the street lights added if there is extra money because of the safety implications.
The history: Shawnee likely to scale back much-discussed Midland Drive improvements
