Get out of the car and bike to work
http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1485704.html
If you’ve ever biked to work, or even just thought about biking to work someday, Thursday is your day.
That’s because on Thursday, it counts. Or, at least, may count. Kansas City is taking part in The National Documentation Project.
On Thursday and next Saturday, city workers and volunteers will be out on the streets, trying to figure out exactly how many people in this city use their feet for more than pushing the gas and brake pedals on their cars.
Thursday will be focused on biking and walking for work transportation. Saturday is more about biking for recreation. They’re both vitally important to the short- and long-term health of this community.
The point of this effort nationwide is to simply get baseline numbers. The counters want a normal number of bike riders.
But as Kansas City lacks any real biking infrastructure, more is needed here.
A decent number of bikers can help Kansas City join the rest of the world by adding more bike lanes and hiking/biking trails.
At the very least, higher numbers tell city officials there is a reason to stop ignoring this issue.
Today in Kansas City, the argument is that no one bikes or walks so there’s no need for more lanes or trails.
The counter argument: Biking in Kansas City right now isn’t safe, so people don’t ride.
It’s all nicely circular — and a great way to frustrate progress. But there’s no reason to believe Kansas Citians are significantly different than residents of other American cities.
Opponents of a biking infrastructure maintain Kansas City’s sprawl makes it too big and too difficult to bike or walk. It’s made for cars, or motorcycles.
Beyond the size, remember July? Too hot to be outdoors. Remember January? Too cold.
Consider Chicago, however, with 315 miles of bikeways, about 10 times what’s offered in Kansas City.
Or consider Minneapolis, where 2.4 percent of all commuters bike to work, according to the same 2007 U.S. Census Report that noted 0.0 percent of Kansas Citians bike to work. The national average was .4 percent.
Without a safe biking environment, even people who might prefer to commute or run errands by bike are afraid to risk it.
Especially in a time of green initiatives and health initiatives, Kansas City must do a better job backing alternative transportation. Help make that case Thursday: Get out of the car for a day and ride a bike.
The counting will take place at 10 locations, including bridges from the northland into downtown, along Southwest Boulevard and on trails and paths. Counters will be out next Saturday as well, to see how popular biking is for recreation.
If better bike and pedestrian access is important to you, Thursday and next Saturday are the days to convince this city it’s time to change.
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