The city’s implementation of the BikeKC network is seeing slow but steady progress in both the north and south of the city…

The infamously short bike lanes on NW Barry Road in front of Zona Rosa will be extended by one mile to the west as the road is widened between North Congress and North Amity. Construction is underway with a planned completion in 2010.

Bike lanes are coming to North Brighton Avenue in the Carriage Hills and Foxwoods neighborhoods as the road is widened and flattened between Vivion Road and NE 58th Street.  This project is scheduled to go out for bids in August and be completed by the end of 2100.  The plan includes a future extension north to Pleasant Valley Road, when money is available.

87th Street received new bike lanes in 2007 as part of a road widening project last fall in the Bannister Mall area. Eventually these could extend east to connect with bike lanes on 87th Street in Raytown.

You can monitor the progress of the upcoming Northland projects via the Capital Improvements Management Office.

• NW Barry Road is project #89008124 and #89008078.
• North Brighton Avenue is project #89002675.

Coverage from The Star, KMBC-TV 9, and KSHB-TV 41.

Update: The Star reports that the boy’s name is Mason P. McBride.

www.kctv5.com/amandasbikeblog

“The overall grade for Missouri’s walking and bicycling environment for 2007 was a D,” says Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh. “We are quite frankly behind most other states in accommodating for safe walking and bicycling.

Fox 4 already has good a report with the local perspective.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser is going to announce that Kansas City, MO is setting the goal to become a certified as a Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly City by the League of American Bicyclists.  You did not just imagine reading that sentance, it’s actually going to happen. 2020 will be the goal.  Stay tuned for more details during Bike Week.

Some of the new events for this year include…

• Intro to mountain biking class and trail ride
• Commuter convoys - ride to work with experienced bike commuters
• Fixed gear workshop and track stand competition for all you fixies and curious
• Bike to see the Triplets of Belleville in the Central Library’s Film Vault
• Many, many more group rides for everyone from beginners to speed freaks
• New classes to help you choose the right bike, learn to ride in traffic, and get started as a bike commuter.

Of course the commuter challenge returns this year, as the Car-Free Challenge.  Sign up and see how many car trips you can replace with bicycling, walking, or transit. And last but not least, the question everyone is waiting to have answered - yes, Boulevard Brewery is hosting our big end of the week party again this year!

Dave Kaup | KCB

The current Business Journal profiles James Joerke of the Mid-America Regional Council.  James is in charge of the KC region’s air quality program, which includes the Ozone Alerts that warn us of bad pollution days. The article the mentions that fact that James is practicing what he preaches when it comes to air quality because he is a regular bicycle commuter.

Hearing about James Joerke brings a clear image to Cindy Kemper’s mind.

“I have a mental picture of James with his bicycle helmet on a rainy day — when everybody else would have gotten in their car — pedaling to work,” said Kemper, who has worked with Joerke for several years and directs the Johnson County Environmental Department. “I don’t think this is just a job to him — it’s really a lifestyle, a commitment.”

It’s a fitting image of man who’s central in getting the region’s air clean enough to meet federal standards. As the Mid-America Regional Council’s air-quality program manager, Joerke mediates between regulators and a spectrum of businesses to help come up with workable ways to cut pollutants.

That charge is anything but light as air. Kansas City violated standards in the summer, and the Environmental Protection Agency made the levels stricter in March. The EPA estimates that in 2020, implementing that new standard could cost the nation $7.6 billion to $8.5 billion annually.

But Joerke isn’t the type to let stress show. With his even-keeled demeanor and level inflection, he’s well-suited to playing mediator.

“I definitely have opinions, but I don’t wear them on my sleeve,” Joerke said. “It’s not always appropriate or useful to put them on the table. I have to develop trust, so I try to be direct with people.”

For Joerke, the job is a coveted role.

He grew up in a small Michigan town, where he spent summers fishing.

“Early in life I was drawn to the natural environment,” Joerke said.

But that attraction didn’t solidify as a job prospect until Joerke’s postgraduate work, when one of his specialties included environmental affairs, and he did an internship in water quality.

From 1995 to 1997, Joerke worked with the Peace Corps in east Russia.

“The economy was in shambles,” he said. “The people were deprived in many ways but incredibly generous.”

Attention to fundamental issues made the environment a low priority, and coal-powered home heaters and trains took a toll on the air and water.

“I don’t know if I think about that on a daily basis, but it certainly provides an example of what things might be like here if we weren’t attentive to those issues,” he said.

Marriage brought Joerke to the Kansas City area.

Although his backdrop no longer was international, Joerke’s altruistic inclinations were no less fervent.

He began researching local environmental consulting companies, an exercise that introduced him to the Mid-America Regional Council.

“I realized very quickly that the environmental work they were doing was something I wanted to do,” Joerke said.

So much so that he began working there as an unpaid volunteer.

Not long after, MARC got a grant for a tailpipe emissions testing program. The grant provided a segue into his full-time work in air quality.

“I could see then and I believe now that MARC does a lot of good work to make this region a better place to live,” Joerke said.

He considers providing straightforward explanations the most important part of his job, but the technicalities of regulations can make that a challenge, turning much of Joerke’s role into educating. Joerke also works to help businesses voluntarily teach workers ways to take action.

He walks a fine line.

“I’ve got an 8-year-old daughter, and I want a healthy place for her to grow up in — that’s certainly a motivation,” Joerke said. “But I try to remain pragmatic. … It’s not easy to be outwardly dispassionate, but to be effective in my job, I have to maintain a middle ground.”

That demeanor, along with Joerke’s solid grasp of the technical workings of clean air efforts, makes him effective, said Gina Bowman, vice president of government relations for CVR Energy Inc., an independent petroleum refiner and transportation fuels marketer with a Kansas City, Kan., office.

Joerke is skilled at laying out volunteer programs, and he understands the economics-environment balance, Bowman said.

“He … has a mild manner in a way that helps all the players want to come to the table and really want to roll up their sleeves and work for the betterment of the community,” she said.

But he’s got a long road to pedal.

As Joerke explains the challenges of the parties involved in complying with the new air-quality rules, his efforts at fairness and understanding become clear. He explains the frustration of businesses that have pollution point sources, such as industrial or power plants, which traditionally have borne the brunt of costs associated with regulations to improve air quality. He also explains state regulators’ frustration at the prospect of regulating smaller pollution sources because of the manpower — and budget — it would require.

Finding a workable middle ground is tough, but Joerke tries to let people know upfront the truth of a situation, said Jim Kavanaugh, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ air-pollution control program.

“I think people recognize that and appreciate it. No one likes to play games,” he said. “But his true feelings come out when he’s having discussions. People know where he stands, and in his heart he means what he says.”

Amid discussions of the many challenges, Joerke is always the first to remind people that the real reason to promote cleaner air is to improve public health, Kemper said.

“Air quality is a polarizing issue,” Joerke said. “People think either/or, the economy or the environment. What’s often lost in the discussion of costs are the things that are harder to quantify. We’re already paying the costs of unhealthy air through lost work, inhalers, kids’ asthma attacks — it’s borne by everybody, including businesses.”

Deb Ridgway, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Kansas City, Mo., will give an introduction to bike commuting, covering topics such as clothing, hygiene, parking, inclement weather, night riding, how to transport objects by bike, route planning and rules of the road. Ridgway has been commuting by bike for the last 12 years in three different cities. Come hear her stories and learn practical commuting tips.

Saturday, May 3, 8:00 a.m to 9:30 a.m.
Family Bicycles
7140 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64114
816-268-1757

Show on map

The phofo of the week is actually a bunch of moving phots.  Local cyclist Gabe has a bunch of videos of Critical Mass over the last year.  The KC Mass has blossomed into 150 or more riders every month.