photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

The sign at the corner of North Second and Locust streets in North Lawrence is pictured on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.

In the North Lawrence Comprehensive Corridor Study, big questions are taking shape about safety, identity and connections to the rest of the city, and the study’s task force will soon think more about what to do next.

At its meeting on Tuesday, the task force will hear about recent public feedback efforts to inform the study, including a survey, workshops and listening sessions. Then, they’re expected to discuss what the study’s mission, goals and next steps should be.

The study has been underway since last fall, and the city of Lawrence is paying Kansas City-based consulting firm HNTB Corporation just under $400,000 for it. It will analyze land use, economic development, infrastructure and transportation in North Lawrence.

So far, the study has mostly involved reaching out to the public and hearing what they’d like to see in North Lawrence. That included listening sessions and other in-person events, as well as a survey that ran from Dec. 9 through Jan. 9. The survey received nearly 600 responses, although roughly 230 of them were from people who said they didn’t live in North Lawrence.

According to a presentation included in the task force’s meeting agenda, there was much interest in improving North Lawrence’s connections to the Kansas River and the rest of the city. But respondents also wanted any improvements to “strengthen North Lawrence’s unique identity.”

Both the survey and the in-person events had a lot to say about the area around the river. Some people at the events had discussed adding extra river crossings, and the presentation for the task force says the survey showed “strong community interest in improving public access to the Kansas River for recreation.”

The survey also showed support for better pedestrian infrastructure, including at railroad crossings; more signage to help people find their way to “neighborhood destinations”; and a “desire for gateway-style improvements” at entry points to North Lawrence, including the Kansas River Bridge.

Economic concerns also showed up in the public feedback. The presentation says there was a “desire for basic services” in the area, such as a grocery store, a hardware store and a pharmacy. And survey respondents also expressed interest in more mixed-use developments and in putting vacant commercial and industrial areas in North Lawrence to new use. One idea that had broad support was redeveloping the I-70 Business Center directly off of the turnpike.

And public safety was important, too. The presentation notes that “stormwater, drainage, & flooding are high concern,” and that residents want better access for emergency responders.

The task force’s meeting to discuss the next steps will be at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., and is open to the public.