Both our bistate bicycle advocacy groups are in the midst of fundraising and membership drives, and need your help ASAP. Both groups have secured challenge grants will match your membership fee through the end of the year, effectively doubling your support without any additional cost.
The Missouri Bicycle Federation has a long history of fighting for bicyclists in Kansas City and across the state. One their most important activities lobbying the General Assembly in Jefferson City. MBF employs a very effective lobbyist who has helped pass several bicycle-friendly laws over the years, but lobbying ain’t cheap!
Meanwhile, KanBikeWalk is a brand new peer group in Kansas that is working hard to build a state-wide adovacy network in that state. And they also need your help to start working for rights of bicyclists in Kansas.
Support Olathe’s Bike Transportation Plan
1 Comment Published December 23rd, 2008 in Advocacy, suburbsOlathe, KS is developing a new bicycle plan that focuses on providing a real transportation system with a combination of on-street bike routes and off-street trails. It is a very progressive plan for providing transportation options in a suburban community. Tonight the Olathe City Council will hear a presentation on the plan, so a big show of support would be very helpful.
Tonight, Dec. 23, 7:00 p.m.
City Hall, 100 West Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS (135th Street west of I-35)
Continue reading ‘Support Olathe’s Bike Transportation Plan’
Calling all KCMO residents! The City of Kansas City is considering funding for four priority trail and bicycle projects, and public input is needed to let the city know that these projects are worthy of being funded.
- Update the Bike KC master plan
- Connect the Trolley Track and Indian Creek Trails
- Extend the Riverfront Heritage Trail along the Missouri River levee
- Build a new Shoal Creek Trail between KCMO and Gladstone
If you are a resident of the City of Kansas City, MO then please take a couple of minutes to send a letter to your representatives. Let’s Go KC has an easy online form to help you.
The Interwebs have lots of great photos from the recent Cyclocross Nationals held here in KC at Tiffany Springs Park….
The Broadway Cafe in Westport is very popular with cyclists. There are usually several bikes parked there. During a recent streetscaping project the old bike racks have been replaced with eight shiny new U-racks featuring a cool coffee mug design.
For the second year in a row the Cyclocross National Championships are in Kansas City. This year the event moves from KCK to KCMO, at Tiffany Springs Park near the airport. Tonight the big kick off event is the Mud and Blood Ball, which features the premiere of the Zero Traction documentary filmed here at the 2007 nationals.
Get all the details at www.kccrossnationals.com and mudbloodball.com.
Today the KC Star reported that Wilfredo Pujols has pled guilty to second degree murder of Truman High School student Chris Cooper. Pujols was fleeing police in November 2007 when he hit and killed Chris Cooper, who was bicycling across Noland Road. Pujols’ plea bargain stipulates that he will spend a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Winter can be a great time to spend some time indoors learning how fix and maintain your bike. Many local bike shops offer classes on the basics like fixing flats and adjusting gears, up to more advance topics for the aspiring bike mechanic. Many are free or low cost. Here are few coming up this winter.
The Wheel Cyclery on North Antioch offers the national Park Tool curriculum, including both novice and advanced classes. There is a fee for these, but they are high quality and include food and the Park Tool Big Blue Book.
Epic Bike and Sport on NW 64th offers free beginner and intermediate classes every Saturday in December.
Midwest Cyclery and Volker Bicycles in Midtown both participate in Communiversity, UMKC’s low-cost community education program. There is a Midwest class this Wednesday evening.
Family Bicycles in Waldo offers an introductory class once a month, with every third class reserved just for women.
Bike shop owners: if you have a class to list, just let me know.
Just in time for the holidays, get your special someone (or yourself) a custom Missouri Bicycle Federation messenger bag, backpack, or duffel bag. These are very high quality bags made right here in Missouri by Dogfish Apparel in St. Louis.
All profits from these bags go to MoBikeFed in support of its mission to make Missouri a better place to bicycle - things like educational programs, safety programs, and a lobbyist in Jefferson City.
Trails KC plan becomes law
1 Comment Published November 21st, 2008 in Advocacy, Crashes, planning, suburbs, trailsYesterday the City Council unanimously approved the Trails KC plan for a city-wide network of bicycling, walking, and equestrian trails serving both recreation and transportation purposes. For the first time the city has a comprehensive plan addressing routes, design standards, funding, and maintenance. Some of the details include
- 230 miles of multi-use trails
- 26 miles of on street connections
- 40 miles of equestrian trails for horse riders
- Regional connections to suburban trail systems
- 15 year implementation plan
Thanks to federal grants and local PIAC capital improvements funding, several miles of trails are already under construction or planned. Trails KC was a long time in coming. It started several years ago when Councilmember Russ Johnson grew frustrated with the city’s piece-meal approach to trail building and secured the funds to create a master plan and develop a strategy for the investment city resources into trail building.
The development of Trails KC included an exhaustive process of public input and participation. Many bicyclists spent a lot of time at public meetings poring over maps and providing suggestions of where and how to build trails. Shannon Jaax and Jade Liska in the City Planning department did a great job managing the project and working with the community to craft a strong plan. Bicyclists Brent Hugh, Todd Posson, and Kenneth Walker dedicated many hours to serving on the steering committe that supervised the planning process. And the entire City Council has been very supportive of taking Kansas City’s trail system to the next level and making a something for our citizens to be proud of.
Now with a great plan in place, the bike/ped community can begin working with the city to make sure it gets funded and the necessary resources are dedicated to constructing the trail system.
Learn more about Trails KC at www.kcmotrails.com, including maps of current and future trails.
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