Kansas Cyclist - Kansas Bicycle Guide and Reference

Joplin, Missouri is planning to expand the city’s trail system this summer, adding six miles of walking and biking trails to the existing 3.5 miles of the Frisco Greenway Trail.

The city has scheduled an open house to allow residents to view plans, offer comments and ask questions about the new trails, which are being built starting in July and August. 80 percent of the cost of the trails is being paid for with federal matching grant money, while the city is supplying 20% of the funds.

The new projects include trails that extend from downtown to the east and then northwest through Landreth Park across Main Street and along the Murphy Boulevard corridor. Other trails will extend from the Frisco Greenway Trail’s west trailhead and fork to provide trails to Ewert Park downtown, and Joe Becker Stadium. A trail in the southern portion of Joplin will connect to an existing trail of the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center and travel along the south banks of Shoal Creek.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation reports that “Joplin is becoming one of the most progressive cities in the state for having the vision to extend its trails plan to all parts of the city.”

Read more: Open house scheduled for Joplin’s trail plans from the Joplin Globe, and Joplin to build several trails throughout city from MoBikeFed

Columbia, Missouri is embarking on an ambitious plan to add 1000 new bicycle racks around the city over the next few years. Currently, there are just 113 spaces in the downtown district. As cycling gains in popularity in Columbia, more bicycle parking places will be needed. The lack of secure parking keeps many people from using their bikes for basic transportation.

An article in the Columbia Missourian (City hopes to add 1,000 bike racks) says:

The proposal calls for the city to purchase bicycle racks with federal money and loan them to businesses and property owners at no cost. In return, the businesses and property owners would be responsible for installation and maintenance of the racks and would be required to keep them open to the public.

Funding will come from the GetAboutColumbia project, which was established in 2006 when the city received $22 million after it was designated as one of four communities for the Federal Highway Administration’s nonmotorized transportation pilot program. The project is designed to encourage more bicycling and walking.

The program is modeled after one in Minneapolis, one of the four cities involved in the nonmotorized federal initiative. Donald Pflaum, bicycle coordinator for Minneapolis, said the program has been extremely successful.

See also: Downtown Bicycle Parking Plan (PDF) from GetAboutColumbia

The Missouri Bicycle Federation and Let’s Go KC are asking for your help in some upcoming bicycle advocacy efforts:

• Hwy 45 Bike/Ped Access: MoDOT is building a new highway through Parkville, Missouri (just north of Kansas City). Guess what? Their plans for accommodating bicycling and walking are inadequate, plus they forgot to include any funding for them. Send email to MoDOT.

• Paseo Bridge Bike/Ped Access: MoDOT is building a new quarter billion dollar bridge in the heart of Kansas City. It could provide the first safe bicycle/pedestrian crossing of the Missouri River near downtown Kansas City. Advocacy groups have been working on this for years and now it’s going to move or die forever in the next month or so. Send email to MoDOT or attend the groundbreaking ceremony and show your support for this vital link.

• Bicycling License Plate: Many other states have ‘Share the Road with Bicycles’ license plates. Why not Missouri, too? In 1 minute you can show your support. Express your interest in Missouri Bicycling License Plates.

Learn more from MoBikeFed: Hwy 45–Stop MoDOT from building another road without good bike/ped accommodations, Bicycle to the Paseo Bridge Groundbreaking April 18th

Learn more from Let’s Go KC: Paseo Bridge Groundbreaking, Take Action! - Paseo Bridge and Route 45

It looks like Missouri’s “Complete Streets” bill is dead.

Despite being passed by the Missouri House by a vote of 139-9, and being poised to pass the Senate Transportation Committee this week, the bill, which would have required the Department of Transportation “to provide full consideration for bicyclists, pedestrians, disabled persons, and transit users in its plans, programs, and projects”, stalled when MoDOT Director Pete Rahn voiced opposition to the measure.

Although MoDOT’s research group had returned a fiscal note indicating the impact of the bill on MoDOT’s budget would be $0, Rahn apparently became concerned that the bill would require MoDOT to pay more attention to the needs and safety of bicyclists and pedestrians than it wishes to. The agency could face real consequences for failure to safely accommodate for pedestrians, bicyclists, and people with disabilities, where now it faces none.

Rahn subsequently met with the bill’s sponsor, Representative Mike Sutherland, and personally promised that MoDOT would implement internal policy changes to make the Complete Streets bill unnecessary.

Sutherland then then stated that he will monitor the situation and can re-introduce the needed legislation if progress as promised does not materialize.

This is a discouraging development, especially after the original version of the bill had been watered down to appease MoDOT concerns.

For more detailed information read the Missouri Bicycle Federation’s coverage of the issue: MoDOT halts Complete Streets bill; promises to implement it via internal policy

Cliff Drive, the only urban Scenic Byway in the state of Missouri, twists and turns along the limestone cliffs high above the Missouri river in Kansas City. Originally built for Sunday rides in horse-and-buggy, Cliff Drive will now once again be free of motorized vehicles, at least on the weekends.

The Kansas City park board approved “Car Free Weekends” at the request of local citizens, closing Cliff Drive to motorized vehicles on weekends from May 16 to October 27 in an effort to promote family and group activities. The historic roadway will be reserved for pedestrians, bicyclists and skateboarders, and it is hoped that this will prove popular and lead to car-free days in other parks and boulevards in the city.

Cliff Drive is located in historic George E. Kessler Park and is approximately 4.25 miles in length, running from Indian Mound in the east to The Paseo and Independence Avenue in the west.

Learn more: Kansas City Star, Missouri Bicycle Federation, Let’s Go KC, BlogKC
(Image courtesy of Legends of America.)

In Paper Guy’s Katy Trail Adventure!, in the The Lawrence Journal-World, Joyce Stevens writes about a trip she and her husband took on Missouri’s Katy Trail.

After driving to Sedalia, they rode the Katy to St. Charles, enjoying overnight stays in bed-and-breakfasts in Rocheport, Hermann, and Defiance. At the end of their trip they took the Amtrak train from St. Louis back to Sedalia.

Accompanying them was a little friend called “paper guy”, created by their six-year-old son, which served as as the mascot for the trip. Paper guy was ferried along by the Stevens’ the entire length of the trail, surviving to tell a harrowing tale.

Harrowing? Yes, the little fellow survived, but not entirely intact. A rainstorm on the second day turned out to be a little more than he could handle. Joyce reports: “Paper Guy lost part of his left arm and his colors were a bit runny. He had to rest and have some chocolate when we arrived at the Yates House Bed and Breakfast.”

The next day brought further challenges, as a bike malfunction led to the trio shortening their ride and taking a shuttle from Jefferson City to Hermann. The following day the old bicycle was replaced with a new touring bike at Scenic Cycles in Marthasville. The rest of the trip went smoothly, and it was over all too soon.

All in all it was a fun trip and, even though he was a little worse for the wear, I think Paper Guy enjoyed his adventure as much as we did!

Thanks for sharing your charming story, Joyce, and please, if you (or Paper Guy) have any more cycling adventures, please let us know!

Peddlers Cycling and Fitness is putting on a bicycle show and swap meet on April 20th, 2008 at their shop at 139 East Lexington in Independence, Missouri (see map). There is no charge for buying and selling at the swap meet.

The classic bike show has a $5 entry fee, and will feature bikes in over a dozen categories, with trophies awarded for first place in each category, and ribbons for second and third places. Bring out all those Classics and Customs and let everyone see what you have!

The event opens at 8:00am and runs until it’s done. Call 816-254-6855 for details.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation is reporting that several new bicycle-related pieces of legislation are working their way through the Missouri house and senate:

• Missouri “Complete Streets” Bill advances - Missouri’s “Complete Streets” bill, HB 2206, passed the House Rules Committee and is now on the House Consent Calendar. That means it is awaiting a vote of the full House. The nationwide Complete Streets movement is based on the idea that state, regional, and local agencies should plan, design, and build our transportation network to meet the needs of all users.

• Dead Red for bicycles and Safe Passing of Bicycles provisions pass Missouri Senate - SB 761, a bill with two important provisions for bicyclists, was debated and passed the Missouri Senate. The “dead red” part of the bill allows motorcyclists or bicyclists who come to a traffic signal that will not change for them, to proceed through the signal, when safe, without any danger of receiving a traffic ticket. The “safe passing” part of the bill includes a provision that motorists may cross a solid yellow “no passing zone” line to pass bicyclists, when it is safe to do so. The idea is to encourage motorists to change lanes when passing, rather than trying to squeeze both a motor vehicle and a bicycle within a single lane of traffic. After passing the senate, the bill moves on to the House.

• Safe Streets Bill has hearing in Missouri House - HB2205, the “Safe Streets” bill with enhanced penalties for those whose careless driving injures or kills, had a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.

It takes a tremendous amount of time and hard work to get bills proposed, written, sponsored, and moving forward. Thank you MoBikeFed, for your dedication in supporting this important legislation.

The city council of Liberty, Missouri has approved construction of a mountain bike trail in the city’s Stocksdale Park and the neighboring Walnut Woods Conservation Area. The trails are being built with volunteer labor by the nonprofit Earth Riders Trails Association, and will be about three miles in length initially, with another 3+ miles planned for the near future.

The Stocksdale and Walnut Woods Trail blog contains current information on the project (including directions), and the Kansas City Star has an article discussing the trail (Mountain bike trail proposed for Walnut Woods Conservation Area, Stocksdale Park:

Under an agreement with Missouri Conservation, which owns Walnut Woods, the trail would cover two miles in the conservation area and about a mile in Stocksdale Park. Construction of the all-natural, 18-inch-wide trail could be completed soon after City Council votes on the plan, Liberty Parks Director Chris Deal said.

“To me, it’s a very clear opportunity for a group of volunteers to add an amenity to a park with little affect on the neighborhood or cost to us,” Councilman Greg Duncan said.

The trail group anticipates that the trail can be completed and open to the public very quickly — sometime during the month of April 2008, with additional mileage within 2 to 3 years.

See also: Volunteers blaze mountain bike trail through Walnut Woods area from the Liberty Tribune.

February 26th was Missouri Bicycle Day in Jefferson City, organized by the Missouri Bicycle Federation.

Dozens of Missouri bicyclists, walkers, runners, and trail users visited the capitol to talk with their legislators and express their support for legislation to make Missouri communities safer and more inviting for walking and bicycling. Citizens spoke in support of the Safe Streets bill (HB2205) and the Complete Streets bill (HB2206).

MoBikeFed also presented awards to Governor Matt Blunt, Lt. Governor Peter D. Kinder, Attorney General Jay Nixon, Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers, Speaker Rod Jetton, Representative Mike Sutherland, Representative Shannon Cooper, Representative J.C. Kuessner, Representative T.D. El Amin, Senator Charlie Shields, Senator Bill Stouffer, Senator Joan Bray, Senator Kevin Engler, and Senator Wayne Goode (retired).

Additional information: MoBikeFed’s summary (Missouri Bicycle Day at the Capitol a big success), Kansas City infoZine (Missouri Bicycle Federation Honors Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon), Jefferson City News Tribune (Bicycle Day at the Capitol), photo gallery.