Overland Park wants to make busy College-Metcalf area more walkable. Here’s how.

College and Metcalf — A group looking at how to make Overland Park's College-and-Metcalf corridor attractive to businesses says taming traffic will be key. Rendering credit Perkins+Will.

The Kansas Department of Transportation and the city of Overland Park plan to partner on mobility improvements in the busy College Boulevard and Metcalf Avenue corridor.

Last week, the Overland Park City Council Public Works Committee voted 5-0 to recommend accepting $1.35 million in federal funds from the Kansas Department of Transportation for the project, which aims to make it easier for pedestrians and bicyclists to travel in the area.

During the committee meeting, Councilmember Drew Mitrisin, who vice chairs the committee, recused himself from the vote, but he did not specify a reason.

Overland Park to enhance mobility in College, Metcalf corridor

The funds from KDOT are expected to cover 80% of the project cost, according to city documents.
That will include the construction of a linear park on the southern side of College. Linear parks are usually long and skinny public spaces.
A path that links College to Summercrest Trail and 112th Street to 115th Street is planned as well.
The project will also improve intersections on Metcalf at College and 110th.
Additional upgrades are also included that would improve pedestrian and bicyclist access throughout the corridor.

Overland Park considering future of College, Metcalf

Overland Park has recently emphasized reinvestment possibilities in the corridor — dubbed OP Central — bounded by I-435 and 119th Street on the north and south and Nall and Metcalf avenues on the east and west.

This area of the city has historically been and continues to be defined as an employment hub, but city leaders have expressed interest in reimagining the College-Metcalf corridor as a mixed-use area with some employment opportunities as well as housing, dining and amenities.

Overland Park has been talking about walkability and bikeability in this corridor for years, more recently picking up the subject in 2021 with public meetings that helped fuel a study on the matter.

At one point, there was a proposal to build a pedestrian bridge over the busy intersection at College and Metcalf.

Next steps:

The funding agreement goes to the Overland Park City Council for consideration next.
Design for the College and Metcalf mobility improvements is scheduled to start this year.
Actual construction is expected to start in 2026.

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