A long-awaited plan to remake downtown Merriam is moving forward but without any changes to a key two-block stretch of Merriam Drive. Mayor Bob Pape cast the tie-breaking vote last week on a motion to leave Merriam Drive between Hocker Drive and Johnson Drive untouched as part of a broader plan to make downtown more walkable and safer for bikers and pedestrians. The original concept called for decreasing lanes on the busy roadway from three down to two, but that idea garnered pushback from some downtown business owners who feared cutting lanes could create more congestion.
Source: Prairie Village Post
