Bonner Springs Connectivity & Walkability Plan
Bonner Springs, KS
2026
Turning a Gap Map into a Plan for Action
Bonner Springs is a connected city in potential. Parks, schools, a downtown commercial core, established neighborhoods, and regional recreation destinations at Wyandotte County Park and the Kansas River all exist within its 6,400 acres. The problem was that the infrastructure linking them was incomplete — sidewalks missing or deteriorated, trails ending without connection, roadway crossings difficult or unsafe, transit links absent. Residents who needed to move through the city without a car often couldn't do it safely.
Client
City of Bonner Springs
Size
6,400 Ac.
Acknowledgement
Work Completed by the Kanopi Gap team while Employed at LJC Design & Engineering
Previous planning efforts had identified individual initiatives worth pursuing. What the city lacked was a single framework: a document that combined all of them, evaluated which gaps mattered most, and told the city where limited resources would create the greatest benefit.
The planning process started with a full inventory. The team documented sidewalk presence, condition, and continuity across the city, assigning each segment a Sidewalk Condition Score from 0 to 5. Segments scoring 0 to 2 were classified as Sidewalk Deficiency Corridors. Those corridors were then evaluated against proximity to the places people actually need to reach — residential neighborhoods, schools, commercial areas, parks, religious and civic facilities — using a multi-factor scoring system that sorted deficiencies into five priority categories from Critical to Future Priority.
Trail connections received the same treatment. The team evaluated potential routes across the city, assessing trail typologies, right-of-way conditions, property constraints, and crossing locations. Five key connections emerged as the network's foundation: North Park to Lions Park, the School District connection along Pratt Avenue, Kump Avenue to Front Street, Lake of the Forest, and Wyandotte County Park via Kansas Avenue.
Community input ran alongside the technical analysis throughout. A steering committee of city representatives, business owners, and residents provided consistent feedback at three meetings. Stakeholder sessions engaged people most directly affected by the gaps. A public survey and community events reached a broader cross-section. The feedback confirmed what the data showed: residents wanted continuous sidewalks, safer crossings, lighting, shade, and stronger connections between their neighborhoods and daily destinations. That input shaped both the priorities and the plan's language.
