Tour of Blue River Parkway scheduled for Friday

A guided tour of key sites along Blue River Road is scheduled for Friday, June 27, beginning at 10 a.m.

The tour is part of Jackson County Parks+Rec’s  Blue River Parkway Masterplan initiative which seeks input from county residents.  In addition to showcasing the County’s future vision, the tour will also highlight the County’s–and City’s– lack of vision.

The tour is hosted by County Legislator Manny Abarca.

 Abarca says he hopes the tour will dispel confusion regarding the County’s responsibilities for Blue River Parkway, which involves over 27,000 acres of parkland, versus Blue River Road, owned by the City.

“The goal is to share….who is in control and responsible for Blue River Road’s closure and how the City and County can partner to further invest in the street and adjacent parks,” he wrote in a statement to the Telegraph. The tour will also showcase the county’s lack of investment.

“When I rode the bus to Martin City 20 years ago, there were multiple county assets that were not only active but vibrant. Now the County seems to have disinvested in these assets,” he says.

Sites of interest on the tour include:

•      Southern end of Blue River Road (before I-435)
•      122nd Street and Blue Ridge Soccer Complex
•      Vacant softball diamond (just south of 139th & Holmes)
•      Blue River Athletic Fields (via Holmes Road)
•      Bannister Road Baseball Fields (9600 Blue River Rd)
•      Northern end of Blue River Road
•      Hickman/Watkins intersection

“Our goal is exposure with a means to get more investment asap,” says Abarca.

The tour will begin at the Alex George Wetland Center (10831 Blue River Road) with a 45-minute walking segment, led by Jackson County Parks + Rec, before transitioning to a bus tour of key locations along the Blue River corridor. The tour was originally scheduled earlier this month.

A bus has been secured for those who register register here in advance.

Please note: Portions of the tour will include short walks, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes.

Transportation Details:

• Bus loading begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Downtown Courthouse front steps (415 E 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64106).
• The same bus will then make a second stop for South KC attendees’ at 9:45 a.m. at QuikTrip (13100 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO 64145).
• Participants will unload at Alex George Wetland Center at 10:00 a.m. for the discussion then reboard the same bus to continue the guided tour.
• After the tour, participants will be dropped off at QuikTrip before the bus returns downtown.