Homeless Camp Under

63rd Street Abandoned

Sources from Raytown City Hall tell us the homeless camp located under the 63^rd Street Bridge has been abandoned.

Plans are moving forward to remove the debris left by the trespassers. Future plans are expected to include a fence or some sort of barricade to keep squatters from trying to gain a foothold on public property in the future.

BY GREG WALTERS

Bus Service on
Blue Ridge Blvd.
to be discontinued
The KCATA (Kansas City Area Transportation Authority) has announced the bus service line on Blue Ridge Cut-off along the west side of the city will be discontinued effective July 7, 2024. 

IRIS is a door to destination (and back) service developed by the ATA to provide public transportation to suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri. The program is being provided by Z-Trip.
 
Z-Trip is the company that manages and operates taxi cab services in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
 
The cost to Raytown users of the Z-Trip option is FREE within Raytown City limits.
 
Service to Kansas City, Liberty, Gladstone and Riverside, Missouri destinations can vary from $3.00 to $4.00 a trip. For connections to other cities within the Greater Kansas City area contact the ATA at 816-346-0300.

The City of Raytown is entering into a new contract with the ATA (Area Transportation Authority) to provide door to door transportation through a program known as IRIS.

BY PAUL LIVIUS

Paul’s Rant!
Every now and then we receive a question from a reader asking why . . . ?

This week’s question is not uncommon. A reader wrote asking why Raytown has become the delinquent automobile license tag capitol of the Kansas City area.

Last time we wrote about this subject, ALL cities north of the Missouri River had joined together to crack down on motorists driving without proper license tags.

So we did some more checking. Turns out most of the cities in the metropolitan area have increased or joined the effort to enforce a law that is ignored way too often in Raytown. Independence and Lee’s Summit have actively joined in the crackdown.

Why not Raytown?
It is a fair question. Next time you see one of your City Council members or the Mayor, for that matter, the Chief of Police and the City Administrator as well, ask them.

The City of Raytown is missing out on a lot of revenue on those who do not pay their Personal Property Tax, keep the licenses on their cars up to date, not to mention a common question. Are they insured?

Homeless in Raytown

Homeless Camp tucked under the road bed of the 63rd Street Bridge.

Last December, as work crews were hanging Christmas lights on the 63rd Street Bridge for the holidays, it was noted there were tents and all sorts of material wedged underneath the 63rd Street Bridge where it passes over the old Rock Island Rail Line.

The railroad is long gone. It has been replaced by one of the Kansas City area's premier recreational trails, The Rock Island Bicycle and Walking Trail. A view of what is going on under the 63rd Street Bridge can clearly be seen from the popular bicycle/walking trail. 

The Raytown Trafficway/63rd Street intersection is part of the West Gateway to Downtown Raytown. It is just a few city blocks from City Hall, and within easy walking distance to where the Mayor holds his summertime concerts. 

Campsite at the bottom of what used to be the Rock Island Rail Line.

The homeless camp is not limited to just under the deck of the bridge. Far below the bridge you can view the remnants of other camps used by the homeless community.

Legally speaking, the people who have set up the tents and stockpiled material under the bridge are trespassing. 

This much is known about the situation.

• The camp is located directly in front of the abutments that anchor the 63rd Street Bridge on the east side. The bridge is owned by the City of Raytown.

• One hundred feet below the bridge is the old railbed of the Rock Island Line. It is owned by Jackson County Parks and Recreation.

Enforcement of trespassing laws are the responsibility of those two governing bodies.

The Raytown Fire Protection District through its Community Paramedic Program has sounded the alarm over the safety aspects of what is actively being constructed directly under the road deck of the bridge.

A Fire Department spokesman reported, "The person(s) inhabiting the structure has begun construction using old wood pallets in building shelves and walls in the area. Wooden pallets are combustible and burn extremely hot. Such a fire could certainly damage the integrity of the bridge."

Anyone falling off the face of the encampment would fall at least 100 feet from the encampment to the old rail line floor. 

"It is doubtful anyone could survive a fall from that height," said a local paramedic.

Raytown is not the only city plagued with a homeless problem. Most notable is the Sterling Street Bridge just north of Raytown in Kansas City located under Interstate I-70.

Three governing bodies, Kansas City, Independence and MODOT (Missouri Department of Transportation) have worked out an agreement in which all three parties work together to keep the area free of squatters.

Hopefully Raytown City Hall can work out a solution similar to what was accomplished on Sterling Street. A collaborative effort between Raytown and Jackson County Parks would go a long way to remove this unsafe eyesore from Raytown's landscape.

Whatever the solution, it needs to be accomplished soon. To knowingly allow such a flagrant violation to continue is not acceptable.

“Keep Your Fingers Crossed!”
FOLLOW UP REPORT ON THE STATUS OF TWO STATE
GRANTS UNDER APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF RAYTOWN AND
THE RAYTOWN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

Raytown’s Representative on the Missouri State Legislature, Jerome Barnes, has provided a follow-up report on the status of two grants he has applied for on behalf of the City of Raytown and the Raytown Fire Protection District. 

We are pleased to report that both grant requests have been approved by the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate. The requests now move forward to Missouri Governor Mike Parsons for consideration. Governor Parsons has the final word on whether or not the grants will be awarded as requested. 

RAYTOWN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Raytown Fire Protection District has applied for a $100,000 Grant to fund the position of “Raytown Community Paramedic”. The Raytown Community Paramedic has been in operation for three years. This highly successful program targets the homeless and helps to provide guidance to resume a productive and healthy life style. The program also helps to find housing for the homeless so they can turn their lives around with a new start.

CITY OF RAYTOWN
The grant request for the City of Raytown is for $50,000.

State Representative Jerome Barnes has partnered with Raytown Alderman Greg Walters to request funding to appropriate $50,000 for implementation of Traffic Calming practices within the City of Raytown, Missouri.

The purpose of the proposal is to supplement traffic enforcement in the City of Raytown. Like many small suburban cities in Missouri, Raytown is having difficulty hiring enough police officers to properly enforce traffic laws.

The following two practices have proven successful in other communities in managing traffic enforcement and, in so doing, reducing the reliance on police personnel to remind motorists of the need to follow traffic laws.

Traffic Calming
RADAR TRAFFIC SIGNS / SPEED TABLES
Traffic Calming is the act of adjusting signage and street structures to encourage motorists to slow down and drive more responsibly. It is found to be most effective in residential neighborhoods and has proven to be a valuable aid to police in enforcement of traffic laws.

RADAR TRAFFIC SIGNS

Radar traffic signs look like regular speed limit signs. The signs are equipped with radar showing the speed of an oncoming vehicle. If the motorist does not slow down after seeing the speed limit sign flashing, then a bright light, similar to a photograph “flash”, is triggered. This “flash” usually causes the motorist to slow down. 

More advanced models track the time and date when speeders (who are often creatures of habit) speed through a neighborhood. The police can then be alerted as to when the illegal activity can be expected to best enforce traffic laws.

The signs are a gentle reminder to motorists they are driving in a residential area where children play, pet owners walk their dogs, and bicyclists use the safety of a neighborhood street to get their exercise.

SPEED TABLES AND SPEED HUMPS
Speed tables are longer than speed humps. They are flat-topped, with a height of 3” to 3.5” and a length capable of slowing traffic in residential areas.

Studies have shown the speed of a vehicle crossing a speed table or speed hump will reduce its speed by 10 to 15 miles per hour. Examples of effective speed tables and speed humps can be found in Lee’s Summit, MO and the Brookside neighborhood just south of the Country Club Plaza and at Starlight Theatre.

GRAPHIC OF A SPEED TABLE

. . . Rumble Strips at Starlight Theatre . . . 

Have proven successful in stopping side shows of reckless drivers.