GBA’s Award-Winning Kansas Avenue Streetscape Upgrade

Overview:

Located in downtown Olathe, Kansas, the Kansas Avenue Streetscape project encompassed roadway improvements from Santa Fe Street to Cedar Street. Just south of the busiest intersection in downtown Olathe, this stretch of Kansas Avenue provides access and on-street parking for multiple Olathe businesses and government buildings. With the volume of commerce in the area, the City of Olathe saw the need to improve safety and multimodal transportation through the corridor.

GBA served as the prime survey and design consultant and was responsible for implementing the concept of this streetscape project and engineering it into reality. The typical section of the roadway was completely transformed without the need to fully reconstruct the road.

A key component of this project was the cycle track. This was the first cycle track in the City of Olathe and likely the first protected two-way cycle track in the state of Kansas. As another step to Olathe creating a more environmentally conscious and healthy community, this was a creative solution to provide better safety and comfort for cyclists. With e-bike share and shared electric scooters becoming more prevalent, the cycle track also allows for safe travel of these micromobility modes, keeping them off sidewalks and out of the street.

Project Scope:

• 3.5-inch mill and overlay with fiberglass paving mat
• Two-way buffered cycle track
• Sidewalk and curb and gutter replacement
• Bump-outs designed for shorter pedestrian crossings
• Signal improvements
• Decorative lighting installation
• Landscape and hardscape aesthetics
• Storm sewer modifications
• Sanitary sewer improvements
• Irrigation design
• Roadway and cycle track pavement marking and signing
• ADA ramp installation
• Utility coordination

Project Awards:

1. ITE Transportation Achievement Award – Complete Streets
2. APWA KC Metro Public Works Project of the Year – Transportation under $5 Million
3. ACEC KS Engineering Excellence Award – Transportation
4. MOVITE Transportation Achievement Award – Complete Streets