The KC region has been struggling for years to get access to levees along the Missouri and Kansas Rivers in order to build trails, something that is common in neighboring cities like St. Louis, Omaha, even Hannibal. The problem is a patchwork of secretive levee ownership districts controlled by just a few big businesses.

One example is the new Riverside-Quindaro Bend Levee in Platte County. A trail was built atop the new levee over a year ago, but it is sitting there unused while Platte County government continues to struggle with the levee district.

One encouraging fact is that the levees within the city limits of KCMO are owned by the city. Realizing this, 2nd District Councilmember Russ Johnson recently sponsored a resolution directing the City Manager to come up with a plan to open city-owned levees for trail use. There is still a lot of work to be done before levee trails become a reality in KC, but this is an important first step because it sends the message that the Mayor and City Council are behind the idea.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation has more…