City of Lawrence, Kansas - Municipal Government

09/04/2026

$50,000 for better bus stops along Massachusetts Street! 🚌🎉

The City of Lawrence has received a $50,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas through its Pathways to a Healthy Kansas program to support bus stop improvements as part of the Massachusetts Street Multimodal project.

And there’s a great community connection behind this one. 💛

As part of the project, City and Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization staff worked with local STEAM classrooms in fall 2025 to hear directly from student stakeholders about multimodal improvements along the corridor.

That input is helping inform improvements that make it easier and more comfortable for people to move along Massachusetts Street by transit and other modes.

We’re grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas for investing in healthier, more connected transportation options for Lawrence.

More information about the Massachusetts Street Multimodal project ➡️ lawrenceks.gov/mso/mass-street-14th-to-23rd/

09/04/2026

City offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, for Labor Day: lawrenceks.gov/2026/08/city-of-lawrence-announces-labor-day-holiday-closures-2

🗑 No change in trash, recycling, or yard waste collection.
🚗 Parking meters, lots and garages in Downtown Lawrence will be free on Sept. 7.
🚌 No Lawrence Transit service on Labor Day. For more details on bus schedules, visit: lawrencetransit.org/service-calendar.
⛳️ Eagle Bend Golf Course and the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center will be open on Labor Day. All other Lawrence Kansas Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed, including Prairie Park Nature Center, Sports Pavilion Lawrence, the Community Building, Holcom Park Recreation Center, and East Lawrence Recreation Center.

09/03/2026

Heads up, Lawrence 🚧 The Kansas Department of Transportation is rescheduling temporary closures on Wakarusa Drive in Lawrence due to utility relocation conflicts.

Check out the post below to learn more ⬇

🔶Wakarusa Drive closures being rescheduled on K-10/SLT project

The Kansas Department of Transportation is rescheduling the series of temporary closures on Wakarusa Drive in Lawrence due to utility relocation conflicts. The previously announced closures are part of the ongoing K-10/South Lawrence Trafficway (SLT) expansion project.

The first closure, between Clinton Parkway and the entrance to Miller Mart, started on Aug. 19 and was initially scheduled to be in place for 45 calendar days. The closure will now be extended by several additional weeks while adjustments are made to the design plans and construction work is completed in the closure area.

The second and third closures on Wakarusa Drive will be rescheduled to take place next year. Information will be provided in advance.

All project work and traffic changes are conditions permitting and subject to change.

More information about the SLT project is available at ksdot.gov/SLT.

KDOT urges motorists to stay alert, follow posted signs and refrain from hand-held mobile device use in all active work zones. For current road conditions, visit KanDrive.gov or call 511. For updates on highway projects in northeast Kansas, visit ksdot.gov/NortheastNews.

09/03/2026

🚒 Keeping public safety moving and earning some well-deserved recognition along the way. 🔧👏

Congratulations to Leon McCoy with the City of Lawrence Central Maintenance Garage, who was named Emergency Vehicle Technician of the Year at this year’s Heartland Emergency Apparatus Technician Association training event!

Leon was selected from a group of candidates recognized for their accomplishments and service in keeping emergency vehicles on the road and ready to support public safety.

Leon is a Master Emergency Vehicle Technician and also holds Master ASE certifications. He has quickly become an important part of our Central Maintenance team and the work they do every day to keep the City’s fleet moving.

Please join us in congratulating Leon and thanking the entire Central Maintenance team for the work they do behind the scenes to keep City services moving safely and reliably. 💛

09/01/2026

Our September newsletter has arrived! Catch up on the latest issues of The Flame and The Flame Online, packed with all our recent news and updates.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4bnnzNY

09/01/2026

Summer project season is in full swing! Before you toss those mystery cans or half-used supplies, check with the Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. 🎨🧰

🧪 Need to get rid of something?
Douglas County households can drop off accepted household hazardous waste like paint, stains, cleaners, automotive fluids, pesticides and more for free by appointment.

♻️ Need supplies for your next project? Check the Reuse Store first.
The Product Reuse Store gives usable products brought to the HHW Facility a second life, and Douglas County residents can pick them up free of charge by appointment. That means your next painting, cleaning or home improvement project might already have supplies waiting for you.

👉 Schedule your Product Reuse Store appointment today:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22207863&appointmentType=21070754

👉 Schedule your HHW drop-off appointment today:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22207863&calendarID=5190956

09/01/2026

What's the Transit Sales Tax question on your November ballot?

🚌 Lawrence voters will decide on public transit funding this November, whether to repeal the current 0.2% sales tax for Lawrence Transit and replace it with a 0.3% tax that would fund transit for the next 10 years.

🚌 Lawrence Transit operates a system that provides about 7,000 rides per day, connecting residents to jobs, education, and other essential services.

🚌 Transit funding goes toward purchasing and maintaining buses and other transit vehicles, constructing and maintaining transit facilities, and purchasing and maintaining equipment and other public transit needs.

Get the full picture, what's funded, what changes, and when: https://lawrencetransit.org/projects/transit-sales-tax

08/31/2026

9th Street is almost ready to reopen! 🎉🚧

Crews are working toward reopening 9th Street to traffic Thursday afternoon, Sept. 3, with the street expected to be open by Friday morning at the latest.

There are a few finishing touches to tackle first. This week, crews are completing pavement work, restoring concrete, finishing sidewalk improvements, preparing the new traffic signal at Mississippi Street and installing temporary pavement markings.

🚗 What will reopening look like?
9th Street will reopen with one lane of traffic in each direction and a center turn lane. Temporary striping will remain in place while additional work continues this fall.

🏗️ Construction isn’t finished yet.
After the Labor Day and KU football weekends, crews will begin additional asphalt work between Louisiana and Vermont streets. Final pavement markings, protected bicycle lanes, signal improvements and other restoration work will follow while 9th Street remains open.

There’s still work ahead, but reopening the street is a major milestone for the Jayhawk Watershed Project.

Thank you to the residents, businesses and everyone traveling through the area for your patience throughout construction. 💛

Learn more about what’s happening this week and what comes next ➡️ https://lawrenceks.gov/2026/08/9th-street-to-re…-into-next-phase/

08/28/2026

A ping pong table at East Lawrence Recreation Center now carries a piece of World Cup history.

When the Algerian National Soccer Team visited Lawrence, Lawrence Kansas Parks and Recreation loaned them a table for downtime between matches. Before leaving, the players signed it.

Now on display, it's a small but memorable reminder of how sports bring communities together. ⚽🏓

08/28/2026

Thanks for stopping by and making a splash with us. 🐕🐾💦