For your review:

PURPOSE & NEED DOCUMENT
May 19, 2017

At the beginning of a major study like Beyond The Loop, a "Purpose and Need" document is required to clearly identify the criteria by which any proposed alternatives will be judged. This is a "living" document and may be updated throughout the study as additional data, analysis, and public input is collected and completed.

In 2015, MARC formally adopted their metropolitan transportation plan for greater Kansas City - Transportation Outlook 2040. The updated transportation plan provides a policy framework for the investment of federal, state, and local funds based on anticipated needs and regional goals and objectives.

The regional transportation vision established in the plan and carried forward into this PEL study is:

A safe, balanced, multi-modal transportation system that is coordinated with land-use planning, supports equitable access to opportunities, and protects the environment.

From that transportation vision and in-line with the overarching transportation objectives of the region, the Beyond the Loop PEL study needs have been identified and include:

• Improve Physical Conditions - Ensure that existing and new transportation assets in the Study Area better serve the region and are maintained in a state of good repair.
• Optimize System Performance - Manage the operations of the existing transportation facilities to achieve reliable and efficient performance.
• Improve Safety & Security - Identify reasonable improvements to ensure the safety and security of the affected area.
• Improve Transportation Choices - Provide viable, accessible, multi-modal transportation options.
• Improve Economic Vitality and Placemaking - Improve transportation and land-use linkages in the Study Area.
• Improve Sustainability - Protect and enhance the region’s natural, cultural, and social resources. Explore ways to mitigate the adverse impacts of the existing system and proposed alternatives.