A year ago a group of cyclists from the JCBC met with the Prairie Village police to work out issues that had arisen in that city. This resulted in a statement of share the road principles that were circulated at that time. They are set out below this e-mail.

The PV Police asked to meet again for an update, and we did so yesterday. The police emphasized again that they are trying to enforce the traffic laws in PV neutrally between motorists and cyclists. We confirmed that the statement of principles still stands. The Prairie Village police are responsible for both PV
and Mission Hills. The PV police have talked to other area police departments know about this list, and we think it may be unofficially followed by some other departments as well.

Three issues came up at our meeting that bear special mention.

One is the traffic light at 75th St. and Mission. It will not trip for cyclists, and there is no pedestrian button on the right side of the intersection. Some riders recently were ticketed for running this light at 5:30 AM, despite stopping first and then proceeding. The police chief, Wes Jordan, was not aware of this, and he promised to look into it. He is going to try to get the sensor changed so this light will trip. Failing that, he hopes to move the pedestrian button to the east side of the road for southbound drivers.

Unfortunately Kansas does not yet have the law that Missouri does, allowing cyclists to treat the light as a stop sign if it won’t trip for a cyclist.

The second issue is the condition of some of the streets in Prairie Village, most specifically Somerset between Roe and Nall. We told the police that the roadway is so pot-holed near the curb that cyclists have to ride farther out in the lane than normal. We don’t want to be ticketed for not “riding as far to the right as practicable”, which is what is required by Kansas law. Mr. Jordan
said that due to budget cuts, we might not see improvement in streets like Somerset this year, but he understands the need to ride farther from the curb on that stretch.

Third, the big evening group rides have slipped back into some riding conduct that could be ticketed if it continues. I am referring to the tendency for some riders to ride three or four abreast, to weave in and out as if the ride was a race, and to run lights in order to avoid being dropped. That is the type of conduct that caused negative public feedback to the police about those rides
last year. It is also conduct that caused a major accident with injuries to at least two cyclists on Tomahawk Creek Parkway in Leawood this past Tuesday evening.

On the other hand, there are other riders in the evening group rides who ride along slowly, two or three abreast, which causes other safety concerns.

To address these things, the PV Police soon plan to speak to the larger riding groups who ride through Prairie Village on their regular routes. They will meet with the riders before they set out on those rides. They will talk to the 75th Street Brewery riders, the Brookside riders, and the Blue Moose riders.

Ken Cobb
President
Johnson County Bicycle Club

Sharing the Road Principles
Stop Signs
• Make complete stops.
• Riders can proceed as one group after stopping together.
• Each group must be small enough to get through without impeding cross traffic.
• Don’t swarm or creep past stopped cars, either side (same for stop lights)

Stop Lights
• Individual riders can enter the intersection on yellow, but not on red.
• Trailing riders in a group may be ticketed if they enter on red.
• It’s okay to consolidate at a red light in order to clear the intersection faster.

Riding Single and Double File
• Never more than double file except when passing.
• Merge to single file on two-lane streets when cars are back.
• Ride single file on busy two-lane streets.
• Ride as far right as practicable, whether in single or double file.

Passing
• Complete the pass promptly.
• Do not impede trailing cars.
• Pass all the way to the next break in the group.

www.midnightbikeride.org if this interests you…

Fortunately the City of Fountains Bicycle Tour aspires to become a proper night ride over the next few years.  Until then, we highly recommend a weekend trip to St. Louis for the Moonlight Ramble on August 21-22.

Livable Streets Lee’s Summit is a new city/community partnership working to make sure the rapid growth in this southeast suburb keeps the city livable for people by incorporating all roadway users into the growing transportation system

The group is already tackling a couple of very big initiatives – Complete Streets and the Bicycle Friendly Community designation.  Complete Streets is a public policy movement to make sure all new and rebuilt streets are inclusive of all users – motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, the disabled, children, elderly, etc.  Bicycle Friendly Community is the League of American Bicyclist’s program to recognize bike friendly cities.  Shawnee, KS is the first and only metro city to have a BFC designation so far.

Livable Streets Lee’s Summit has also begun some education and encouragement activities with their WIBIs – Walk In  Bike In events.  The next one is on June 31st when anyone arrives at Sheridan’s by bike or foot gets a discount.

Lee’s Summit is quickly emerging as a metro area leader in the livability movement.  The city already has a dense, mixed-use Downtown served by Amtrak and someday commuter rail.  Plus, Lee’s Summit’s extensive recreational trail systems serves as a great starting point for a more transportation-focused bikeway network.  If you live in or near the city, be sure to check out Livable Streets Lee’s Summit at www.livablestreetsls.com and on Facebook.

Kansas Cyclist has more details and RSVP info.

Wednesday: Yet another sexual assault on a suburban trail (KCTV-5).

Thursday: Child with minor injuries from car/bike collision in Blue Springs (Examiner).

Friday: 9 year-old cyclist critically hurt in Overland Park collision (KC Star).

Friday: Pedestrian hit at 31st and Prospect (KMBC-TV 9).

Thursday, June 3rd, 4:00-7:00 PM
Lenexa Community Center
13420 Oak Street, Lenexa, KS 66215 (map/directions)

KanBikeWalk Vice-President Dale Crawford has more background and some talking points:

See announcement below for an invaluable opportunity to provide comment at the beginning, when its needed the most, for a new Lone Elm Road & K-10 Interchange.  Some of you may be saying “Where? I don’t ride across K-10 there.”  Your right, Lone Elm does not cross K-10 today, but this interchange could be the first safe bicycle and pedestrian connection between Olathe and Lenexa.

This is a rare opportunity to make a statement to Lenexa officials about the importance of on-road bicycle accommodation.  Haven’t you noticed how Lenexa totally ignores on-road bicycling?  Well, here’s an opportunity to speak up where they can not ignore you.

So what do we ask for?

1.  Bike lanes through the length of the project on Lone Elm Road.  Lenexa doesn’t build them (but should) and Olathe has not built them on Lone Elm Road south of the K-10, but should.  Why?  Any interchange is a bottleneck for all traffic, which results in the greatest conflict between users.  Thus interchanges in particular should be design to the highest level possible for the most vulnerable users – bicyclists and pedestrians.  The highest level includes sidewalks on both sides and bike lane on the road.  These two elements, when properly combined, can reduce the conflict tremendously, making safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike.

2.  Olathe School District has a major education and activity campus just south of the the proposed interchange at College Boulevard, including Olathe NW High School, Prairie Trail Middle (Junior High) School, Meadowlane Elementary School and the College Boulevard Activity Complex where approximately 1/2 of all Olathe School District league games for football, baseball, soccer and softball are played.  The student population is currently +/-2,600 at these three schools.  The schools themselves have a student capacity of +/-3,500.  Much of the attendance boundaries for these schools includes southern Lenexa.  A properly designed interchange could at least provide the opportunity for older students to safely walk or bike to school instead of having to bus or drive.

3.  The K-State – Olathe Innovation Campus and KSU Biosciences Center is a regionally significant high-tech development immediately south of of the interchange area.  Bicycle commuters from north of K-10 would be able to safely access the campus and center if the Lone Elm Road/K-10 Interchange were designed to accommodate on-road bicyclists.  Bike lanes provide the highest level of commuter support in an area with the growth patterns of NW Olathe and SW Lenexa.

4.  Lenexa has major commercial and employment centers planned in the vicinity of the interchange and are hoping the interchange will spur this development.  Employment centers means jobs.  Jobs means traffic.  Commercial development means shopper.  SHoppers mean traffic.  Bicyclists are commuters, shoppers and traffic and must be considered in any major long-term infrastructure project.

Dale Crawford, RLA, ASLA
KanBikeWalk Vice-President

Photo by Randay Rasa, kansascyclist.com

Randy Rasa at Kansas Cyclist has great coverage of the bike/ped facilities that are part of the new Lone Elm Road interchange on I-35 in southwest Olathe. The new facilities are quite extensive, with bike lanes, a trail, signage, etc.  Unfortunately the infrastructure is a little inconsistent, and even includes some drainage grates that are not quite bike-friendly. Fortunately those things are all correctable. Kudos to Dale Crawford and the Johnson County Bicycle Club for a great advocacy on this project.  These new facilities are a direct result of their hard work lobbying elected officials and transportation planners.

• Kansas Cyclist: New Bike Lanes in Olathe.
• Map of Lone Elm Road at I-35.

John Bacon said he hadn’t seen anyone in Olathe riding to work on a bicycle.

“I’m just not there, yet,” … “This is not like India or something.”

Really, Councilman Bacon?  Really?? Olathe is actually the #2 city in the annual Car Free Challenge, going on right now.  The 2009 Challenge saw 80 people traveling car-free to or from Olathe, including bicycling, walking, and transit.  Olathe’s car-free travel was second only to KCMO, with a 16% share of the Challenge for a city with only 6% of the metro area’s population.

Kansas Cyclist has more of the story. It sounds like Councilman Bacon needs to hear from Olatheans who do indeed bicycle for transportation, whether to work or to errands like school, shopping, etc.

John Bacon, Councilman At-Large
jbacon@olatheks.org
913-269-6305
City Hall
100 East Santa Fe
Olathe, KS 66061