Over a year ago a group of bike advocates frustrated with the slow pace of the Bike KC network went to City Manager Wayne Cauthen and voiced their concerns.  Shortly after that he hired the city’s first Bike/Ped Coordinator and tasked her with getting Bike KC going.

Today comes the official news that the project is finally moving foward. Hazard mitigation has started on the first 40 miles of bike routes, which includes fixing dangerous drain grates and sewer inlets.  Once that work is done in a few months, the city will start putting up bike route and share the road signs along those same 40 miles of streets. These won’t bike lanes at first, but they will help identify streets best suited for getting from Point A to Point B within the city.

Meanwhile, bike lanes do continue to be gradually integrated into new road projects like 87th Street, Longview Road, NW Barry Road, North Brighton Avenue, etc. Kudos to Deb Ridgway, Patty Hildebrand, and many other City Hall employees for moving mountains of red tape to finally get this important project moving forward.

News from City Hall
City Communications Office
City of Kansas City, Mo.
www.kcmo.org
CONTACT: Mary Charles, city communications officer, (816) 513-1356
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 15, 2008

Next phase of bike roadway improvements underway

The City of Kansas City, Mo., Public Works Department has started the second phase of the KC Bicycle Transportation Initiative, which will remove obstacles that impede the smooth operation of bicycles by replacing, adjusting or retrofitting existing drainage grates, drop inlets, curb inlets, and utility lids on about 40 miles of roadway.

“Once the on-road obstacles have been resolved, work will begin to install bike route and share the road signs on the same 40 miles of roadway,” said Deb Ridgway, the City’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. “This is just one of many steps along the road to making Kansas City a more bike-friendly community.”

Blue Nile Engineering is performing the work, which is funded by a grant from the federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program.

Media inquiries about the City’s bicycle and pedestrian initiatives should be directed to Dennis Gagnon, public information officer for the City’s Public Works Department, (816) 513-2659.