Today at 3:00 p.m. Kansas City, MO Mayor Mark Funkhouser and the City Council will proclaim May as Bike Safety Month and May 14-18 as Bike to Work Week. Deb Ridgway of Bridging the Gap’s Clean Commute program will accept the proclamation and challenge the council to bike, walk, or take the bus to City Hall at least one day next week.

If you can, come to City Hall with your bike helmet and go up to the City Council Chambers on the 26th Floor. Special thanks to 2nd District Councilmember Russ Johnson for sponsoring this resolution (full text of the proclamation).

Mayor Funkhouser Proclaims Safer Streets for Bicyclists
Zero cyclists killed and we want to keep it that way

Kansas City, Missouri - Today at 3:00 PM Mayor Funkhouser and members of City Council will adopt a resolution proclaiming May as Bike Safety Month and May 14 – 18, 2007 as Bike to Work Week in Kansas City.

Last year five bicyclists were killed in the region and countless others injured in collisions with motorists. After the third fatality last summer Deb Ridgway, with Bridging The Gap, formed the Share the Road Safety Task Force. The Share the Road Safety Task Force is a collaboration of agencies representing law enforcement, public health, elected officials, municipal staff, community organizations and advocates. In less than a year the Task Force has grown from 15 to over 40 member entities working to reduce the number of bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and crashes in the region. Today’s action by Mayor Funkhouser and the City Council is a significant step toward acknowledging the need to make the city of Kansas City more bicycle friendly.

Cyclists will fill City Hall, wearing helmets to signify their desire for safer city streets. Help the Share the Road Safety Task Force make Kansas City a safe place to ride a bicycle. Bike to Work Week events are scheduled in the Northland, Brookside, Crossroads, Cliff Drive and on the Trolley Track Trail. The Metro and the JO are offering a free ride on the bus on Friday, May 18^th if you bring your bike on board.

Register for the Commuter Challenge, www.kcbike.info, and qualify for great prizes while saving money, reducing green house gas emissions and having fun. For more information about Bike to Work Week events go to www.bridgingthegap.org.

For more information about the Share the Road Safety Task Force or Bike Safety Month, call Deb Ridgway at (816) 561-1061, ext. 114.