Check out this favorable op-ed in the Kansas City Star on making Kansas City a more bicycle friendly region.http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1456365.html
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Toward a more bicycle-friendly region
The just-added — and long-awaited — mile of trail loop near the northern edge of Shawnee Mission Park could be a metaphor for biking efforts in the metro area.
The new addition offers riders a way to avoid a steep climb. And for years, those pushing to make this a bike-friendly city have been huffing and puffing their way uphill.
But now, with a bit of a shift in thinking, smoother gliding appears possible.
Some good news for Kansas City bicycle riders: A changing attitude about how to best move forward emerged this summer.
After three decades of dreaming about spider webbing the metro area with trails like the Gary L. Haller Trail, there seems to be a growing commitment for practical, cheaper ways to get bicycles moving safely around the region.
One of the problems with biking in Kansas City has always been the cost of trails.
In Johnson County, progress has been purchased with a dedicated tax for more than 20 years.
The county expects to pay about $100,000 for a mile of trail, if it doesn’t have any complicating issues. Bridges, culverts or shoring up soft land can greatly increase costs.
Now Kansas City has started trying to figure out how to make existing stretches of asphalt more bicycle friendly.
In a just-submitted stimulus grant application, area communities and the Mid-America Regional Council are asking for funds to begin adapting area streets to include bike lanes for this greenest of transportation options. And the Rosedale Development Association is advocating adding bike lanes to the edges of Merriam Drive and Lane to create a bike commuter route from Johnson County to downtown.
As Wendy Wilson, executive director of the Rosedale group, noted: “Maybe at some point in the future, we elevate the lanes, make them as fancy as they are in Europe. But for right now, we’ve just got to make it safe for the people who cycle.”
And that cause can be greatly aided with something as simple as paint for dedicated lanes.
Instead of waiting for money to roll in for trails, the new emphasis is to create a more bicycle-friendly region by painting bike lanes, changing sewer grates and adding signage.
It’s the sort of thinking that should lead to action, even without stimulus money. The costs of this practical approach are low enough that they demand follow through.
The big plans for a connected cycling system began to emerge in the mid-1980s, but got little traction.
The new, practical (much cheaper) thinking now on display is very welcome, and should lead to better cycling across the region.
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