Traffic and Parking
Traffic Issues
​
Many residents in Volker are concerned about the speed of traffic through our neighborhood and risky intersections. Traffic issues in various parts of the neighborhood were a common complaint on surveys filled out by residents at a neighborhood meeting in February 2016. Volker Neighborhood Association responded by applying to the City in August 2016 for a Public Improvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) grant to fund a traffic study.
On April 1st 2017 (William Volker's birthday!), the VNA was notified their PIAC request had been granted at $80,000.
The VNA again solicited resident feedback to determine the traffic hotspots and make the most of this opportunity. We are currently working with the Dept of Public Works to determine how to best address these problems areas, e.g. speed humps, bump-outs, traffic circles, or other options depending on what would be most effective. In some cases, we will implement solutions directly using our PIAC funds; in others, a traffic study will be conducted to suggest long term solutions. This process may take several years to complete, with additional PIAC requests required for full implementation.
​
In the meantime, you can submit traffic complaints online and request traffic enforcement for speeding and other traffic nuisance issues. The KCPD has explained the "squeaky wheel gets the oil" when it comes to enforcement, so make sure to report your complaints and encourage neighbors to do the same. You can also call 3-1-1 inside the city limits or 816-531-1313.
​
Parking Issues
Updates on Residential Permit Parking Initiatives in Volker
Current applications and petitions for establishing Residential Parking restrictions can be found here.
Applying for a Residential Parking Permit
Some areas of Volker limit on-street parking for non-residents. Residents of those streets may park freely with a Resident Parking Permit which is displayed in the rear windshield of their vehicle. PLEASE NOTE: These permits are no longer available from the City’s Public Works Department. The new process is to create an account with the City's permit application website Compass KC and apply for the parking permit there. More information about the permit application process is on our Residential Parking Permits page.
​
Converting your block/area to Residential Permit Parking
Some areas of Volker already restrict non-residents from parking beyond a specified length of time (e.g. 2 hours) during certain days/hours of the week (e.g. 8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday). This is an effective way to stop all-day parking by commuters working at KU Med Center and Hospital. The process to convert a block or area to Permit Parking requires a petition (link below) with signatures representing at least 50% of the homes in the area to be included and possibly a public hearing depending on level of support. In addition, city staff will monitor maximum parking density in the area and only if at least 60% of the parking space is occupied will the petition be allowed to proceed. There is a minimum requirement of 8 contiguous block faces (a block face is one side of a street block) to be considered for conversion for each petition. The 8 block faces do not need to be in a straight line, but must connect together, e.g. two parallel streets connected by at least one cross street.
​
Additional details and requirements are covered in the following documents:
​
Current Municipal Code describing Permit Parking in Certain Residential Areas
​
Application for Converting Block/Area to Permit Parking (to collect support signatures)
​
If you are interested in pursuing this designation for your block or area of Volker or if you have questions, please contact traffic@volkerna.org. Although the VNA is not leading this effort, we are currently working with residents in response to their concerns about increasing commuter parking. In many cases, residents have navigated the requirements to establish permit parking on their own.
​