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Answered: Does a parking garage belong on Berkley Riverfront?

A new proposal is forcing the city to confront its future as public transit-friendly or decidedly car-centric.

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There’s a showdown going on both in and outside the stadium. | Photo by Bella Rainey, 6AM

What once began on the water is looking toward the river once again. With a swath of new developments already transforming the Berkley Riverfront, and more to come — a proposal by The Parking Co. of America to build a ~1,500-space parking garage on CPKC’s south end has stirred controversy.

After sharing the news with our readers earlier this week, we posed the question to them: “Would you support a tax-subsidized parking garage on the riverfront?”

There was no landslide winner — ~36% of readers said they would prefer the city to prioritize more transit-friendly initiatives, while 31% would love to see more parking in the area.

What readers had to say

"[A parking garage] would be much more convenient to attend the games since I live in Johnson County, KS. Right now the situation means planning at least an extra hour on each end of the game to get into and out of the stadium. On the other hand if the streetcar can get me there that would be the BEST!” — Angie C.

“It seems like a lot of money for a relatively few events a year. A good public transit option from existing parking lots would make more sense.” — Joe D.

“More parking will lead to more cars being in the area which leads to less safe areas for pedestrians. Every other part of the city is already built for cars, let there be one that is built for people.” — Reid V.

“Those attending games are often susceptible to unpredictable weather elements. For this and other reasons, it may be necessary to evacuate the area quickly. That cannot be done when you have to rely on shuttles or other public transportation.” — Lisa C.

“The sports complex developers should be responsible for providing enough parking spaces, just like our other teams.” — Connie O.

“Parking near the river and city market area is impossible during weekends and especially during game days. As a city market vendor, our sales are highly affected.” — Ryan B.

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