What should Wichita do with streets downtown? This week’s events could help decide

Wichita city officials want a long-term plan for downtown streets, and this week the public is being asked what they want to see.

The consultants hired to develop the Downtown Streets Conceptual Plan are hosting “pop up” workshops Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. at the Riverfest Food Court. They’re asking members of the public to offer comment and rank a list of priorities, including whether the city should focus on making streets safer and more convenient or promote downtown neighborhoods to attract downtown development and young talent.

People who want to get an idea of what is going on with the plan, and take part in the survey, can participate in a series of open houses until Thursday afternoon at Candela at the Lux, 120 E. First St. On Thursday evening, the project team is scheduled to present conceptual plans developed throughout the week.

City officials and a group of consultants, led by the San Francisco-based firm Nelson Nygaard, have said the workshops will focus on how downtown Wichita streets are used and how they can be improved.

The project team has a reserved space at Candela at the Lux with maps of downtown streets and information about who lives and uses the area, safety in the area and data collected from a meeting earlier in the spring.

At that meeting, attendees were asked to rank seven goals for downtown streets by places two stickers on a board, a blue sticker for the first choice and a green sticker for second choice.

Attendees ranked their goals in the following order based on first-choice votes:

▪ Promote vibrant downtown neighborhoods (33 first-choice votes; 46 total)

▪ Manage infrastructure resources to maximize value (8 first-choice votes; 19 total)

▪ Prioritize active transportation options (6 first-choice votes; 33 total)

▪ Provide mobility choices for all residents, businesses and visitors (6 first-choice votes; 21 total)

▪ Foster economic investment (2 first-choice votes; 21 total)

▪ Embrace innovation and technology (2 first-choice votes; 18 total)

▪ Enhance safety and health (2 first-choice votes; 6 total)

These goals are supposed to help steer future decisions about Wichita’s downtown streets.

If you go

When: Open houses from 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday; presentation from 6-7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Candela at the Lux, 120 E. First St.

Who: Open to the public

This story was originally published June 5, 2019 at 10:07 AM.