KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rain or shine, win or lose, Ryan Michael has been to every Kansas City Current home game this season.
As a devoted season ticket holder, Michael has made the journey to the stadium a ritual, parking at Columbus Park and walking to the Berkley Riverfront.
"We've seen hundreds of people every game walking up and down this hill," Michael said.
Another fan, Bobby Burch, bikes to the games.
"Parking's a bit expensive, but also it is fun to kinda be a part of the pedestrian movement, and kind of with the city as they walk down," Burch said.
However, navigating the rapidly expanding riverfront comes with its challenges, primarily centered around safety concerns.
Michael Williams walks 20 minutes to the riverfront from the River Market.
"I think anything to make it safer," Williams said. "It’s a lot of blind corners, lot of tree cover, so you gotta kinda keep your head on a swivel a little bit."
Last year, Port KC initiated the Riverfront Connectivity Study to see what the community wants to see when it comes to accessibility.
Meredith Hoenes, director of communications at Port KC, revealed plans to construct a flyover over the railroad crossings, aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and enhancing safety.
"This will benefit not just fans attending games, but also the industrial community residing on the east side of 35/29," Hoenes said.
Despite the proposed improvements being a year and a half away, fans remain undeterred.
Their love for the stadium and the game fuels their perseverance.
"The quicker, the better, because they only want to expand more," said George Fischer, a KC resident and Current fan.
Hoenes said Port KC is working on accessibility points from other popular districts to the Berkley Riverfront.
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