Kansas Cyclist - Kansas Bicycle Guide and Reference

Here’s an update on the Race Across America Cyclist Struck By Car in Kansas from the Oz Bicycle Club:

Well it is time to keep everyone informed with what is going on with Diego Ballesteros, the Spanish “Race Across America” rider. He was moved to a regular room at Wesley Medical Center yesterday afternoon. He still does not have any feeling from his waist or so down. He has a very positive outlook but says it is very hard under the circumstances. His doctors have told him that they feel the paralysis is due to severe inflammation. He did have 4 broken vertebrae but the spinal cord was intact. He also has 4 broken ribs and road rash galore, from face to toe!

His girlfriend, Ana, arrived Saturday eve following 24hrs of travel. Two from his support crew, Mattias and Chavi, remain to help him through the red tape involved with this kind of situation. What insurance covers and which insurance covers what, has been a real headache.

Their goal is to find a medical airplane to airlift him back home to Spain. The cost is prohibitive and whether or not insurance will cover is still in question. His girlfriend only has 10 vacation days and so she is hopeful all will work out. Another option is a rehab hospital in Colorado until he can board a regular flight. A local couple have opened their house (2 blocks from WMC) to these 3 to keep their cost of stay at a minimum. They are surprised at Kansan’s generosity and concern. (I’m not.)

Diego rode as close to Marco Polo’s route from Spain to Peking, China 2 years ago in 100 days or so, all by himself, just shy of 13,000 km. He would stock up on water whenever he could as he had some pretty isolated areas. He has written a book on his trip which will be released in the fall. This year alone he had over 7000 miles logged on his bike. His physical condition was extraordinary and that will be in his favor.

Earlier, Diego had issued a public statement expressing thanks for his care:

Diego Ballesteros Cucurull, the bicyclist from Spain badly injured during the Race Across America when he was hit by a car on K-254 earlier this week, issued a statement of gratitude on Friday.

Ballesteros, 36, is in serious condition at Wesley Medical Center. He was injured at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday when a car drifted off K-254 about a quarter-mile west of the Butler County line and slammed into his bike.

He is in good spirits, hospital officials said, but is declining interviews. He issued this statement:

“Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I feel support and love from people all around the world.

“I especially want to thank the people who are caring for me at Wesley, the law enforcement community and everyone who is sending me good wishes. It means so much to me.” [read more]

No word yet on any charges against the driver, Keith J. Swoverland, age 22, of Wichita. The Kansas Highway Patrol plans to present evidence in the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, which will determine whether criminal charges are warranted.

Yesterday morning, just before 7am, a cyclist was struck by a car near the Sedgwick/Butler County line just east of Wichita. The cyclist was riding on the shoulder of the road when a car drifted out of the traffic lane and struck him from behind.

The cyclist was later identified as 36-year-old Diego Ballesteros Cucurull of Spain, who was participating in the Race Across America (RAAM) as part of the 4-person COANFI Desafio ASPANOA relay team.

Diego was life-flighted to Wesley Medical Center in “extremely critical condition”. Deigo was later upgraded to “serious condition” and remains at Wesley. RAAM reports that Diego underwent surgery at Wesley, and “his prospects for a full recovery are good”.

The COANFI team has withdrawn from the race.

The Race Across America started in California six days ago and will end in Annapolis, Maryland. The route through Kansas included time stations in Ulysses, Montezuma, Greensburg, Pratt, Maize, El Dorado, Yates Center, and Fort Scott. The race has been run since 1982, and riders compete in several classifications, including solo men and solo women, as well as 2-person, 4-person, and 8-person relay teams. Racers ride around the clock, sleeping when they can. Even for the riders on relay teams, RAAM is an incredible athletic challenge.

Here is a well-done video from KAKE TV in Wichita:

According to the reporter, RAAM rules require a chase car to follow behind cyclists at night, to shield them from traffic, but a chase car is optional during daylight hours. In this case, Diego’s car had driven a few miles ahead in anticipation of switching riders on the relay team.

As you can see from the video, the road here, Highway K-254, is a four-lane divided highway with wide shoulders.

Although rumble strips can be troublesome on roads with narrow shoulders, this is one situation where they might have made a difference.

The KHP crash report lists the driver as Keith J. Swoverland, age 22, of Wichita. There is no word yet on charges. According to RAAM: “Our understanding is that in cases like this the driver is not cited. The Kansas Highway Patrol turns the information over to the DA. The DA then decides what action should be taken. We’re confident action will be taken. Owing to the seriousness of the case, it’s not a simple speeding ticket.”

According to preliminary comments from the Kansas Highway Patrol, “By all indications, texting was not a contributing factor. The driver looked away from the road and veered onto the shoulder, striking the cyclist.” The speed limit on that stretch of K-254 is 70 mph, though patrol officials said they do not know for sure how fast the car was traveling when it struck Ballesteros.

Additional coverage:

• KAKE: Cross Country Bicyclist Struck By Car Critically Hurt
• KWCH: Race Across America Cyclist Critically Injured On Kansas Highway
• KSN: Bicyclist from Spain injured after being hit by car on K-254
• Wichita Eagle: Racing Across America bicyclist critically injured when struck by car

This morning the Wichita City Council approved changes to the city’s bicycle ordinances to bring them into line with state bicycling laws.

The changes were proposed by the Wichita Police Department, with input from the general public as well as the Oz Bicycle Club and the Wichita Bike-Walk Alliance. The changes were proposed because the existing ordinances were not bicycle friendly and were difficult to comply with and enforce.

The updated ordinance (#48-754) eliminated the following from the city code:

• Bicycle licensing requirements.
• Requiring the use of a bike rack if parking within a city block of a rack in core area.
• Requiring that police impound unsafe bicycles (and the associated $2 impound fee).
• Requiring bicyclists to operate within five feet of the right hand of the curb or edge of the
  street.

Kansas State Statute KSA 8-1590 requires that bicyclists “ride as near to the right side of the street…as practicable” and “Wherever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.” The new City Ordinance changes incorporate this language to be consistent and in compliance with State Statute.

Here’s a copy of the proposed ordinance marked with changes, plus a copy of the approved ordinance, and the agenda item report.

According to the Wichita Eagle:

Bicyclists can ride on the street and won’t have to be within 5 feet of the curb anymore, unless there is a “usable” bike path next to the street.

That’s the primary impact of an overhaul of bicycle laws city council members approved unanimously this morning. The changes also eliminate the need to license bicycles with the city and the need to use a bike rack if one is available within a city block.

Bicyclists praised the changes and the city’s outreach to riders in crafting the law. But they questioned what the definition of a “usable” path is and how it will be enforced. City officials said it comes down to what a reasonable person would consider a “usable” path.

City Council member Jim Skelton said he believes riders should decide what is “usable.” “I don’t want to see a judge deciding what is usable,” he said. [ read more ]

It’s good to see Wichita synchronizing their ordinances with state statutes. Laws that vary from place to place only lead to confusion.

This has been building for awhile, but it sounds like bicycling in Wichita is starting to gain momentum. The Wichita Eagle just published an editorial called Turn Wichita into bike town:

This is Bike to Work Day, Bike to Work Week and Bike Month in Wichita. The “I Bike Douglas” movement will kick off Saturday. Now, if only Wichita could become a bike town.

As the bicyclists at a community meeting Tuesday night described it, Wichita currently is a “car town” full of drivers with bad attitudes toward bikes.

Turning Wichita into a bike town would require more bike-friendly planning, including more bike lanes, paths and racks.

The proposed city ordinance updating bike rules will help, by junking the unused bicycle licensing system and, like state law, requiring bicyclists to “ride as near to the right side of the street … as practicable” (rather than, as now, within 5 feet of the right hand of the curb or edge of the street).

Wichita also might want to imitate Hutchinson’s new Public Bike Project, which will put specially painted bicycles around downtown for the sharing (or the taking, human nature being what it is).

Bicyclist solidarity will be served by Saturday’s “I Bike Douglas” kickoff, with events including maintenance and safety clinics, a vintage bike display and three guided hour-long tours focusing on architecture, art and photography-friendly sites.

Of course, no ordinance or advocacy may help with the “bicycle haters,” as Wichita City Council member Janet Miller called them, who either don’t know or don’t care that cars and bikes alike have legal rights to the roadways and the responsibility to share them with caution.

But bicyclists are simultaneously getting exercise and acting to curb air pollution and the nation’s oil addiction. When they are on Wichita streets, they deserve respect, imitation and a wide berth. They do not deserve to be honked and hollered at as if they are somewhere they don’t belong.

Huzzah!

Wichita already has a lot of the elements of a bike-friendly community: a great groups of bike shops, enthusiastic clubs (Oz Bicycle Club, Coasters Bicycle Club, Kansas Singletrack Society), bike blogs (River City Cyclist, ICT Cycle Chic, Cycling in Wichita), an organization to promote bicycle commuting (Bike Wichita), a very good bike path system, cycling-friendly topography, and usually-reasonable weather.

So how does Wichita take the next step, from a place where cycling could be great, to a place where cycling is great?

It’s simple: Ride bikes.

The more people riding bikes, the more bike-friendly a community becomes. It can be tough to take that first pedal-stroke, but after that, momentum will come.

Get out and ride, Wichita!

More recent Wichita bicycling news: Make Wichita better for bicycles, Bicyclists bemoan ‘car town’ attitude at meeting, Wichita City Council to vote on bike laws, Wichita Council Defers Vote on Changes to the Bicycle Ordinance

The Oz Bicycle Club of Wichita, Kansas recently launched a new version of their web site, featuring a wider and more open layout, an expanded and more-easily-accessed event calendar, plus (finally!) an RSS feed.

Although the new design appears to be a work in progress (many links aren’t working yet or consist only of boilerplate text), it’s a great start, and long overdue for “one of the oldest and largest cycling clubs in the midwest”.

Also of note is a new email newsletter and a new Facebook page for the club. The site also advertises a Twitter feed, though that doesn’t appear to be active yet.

Nicely done!

You can check out the new web site at http://www.ozbikeclub.com/.

Received the following message from a reader about a recent car/bike collision near Wichita:

Hey, all you drivers, please remember that there are others on the road who are on two wheels, whether it is a motorcycle or a bicycle… Please look out for us. A buddy of mine was struck by a car Saturday. It happened out in the country so no reason for not having seen the guy … he just turned left and T-Boned my friend Dave Wills.

Here’s what Dave had to say for himself:

For those who have not heard I was hit by a car yesterday. I was heading east on 21st, and the car was turning left onto Colwich Rd. He t-boned me, sent me sailing, and my flip should get me a 9.5 at the Olympics (deductions for not getting the landing right). I have a dislocated shoulder, compression fracture of the 3rd lumbar, cracked rib(s), and good ole’ road rash. The bike is toast obviously.

On Twitter, Dave (@dew68) said: “The Oklahoma race was a no go. Instead I decided to see what it is like to be hit by a car. I do not recommend it. It hurts way too much.”

As far as I know, the collision did not make the papers, and I have no information on any citations or charges against the driver…

Dave Wills races for the Specs Racing Cycling Team. You can learn more about Dave on his Hookit page. The photo of Dave is from the Overland Park Grand Prix Criterium, part of the annual Tour of Kansas City.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Dave!

Here’s a story from Wichita, Kansas about how a bicycle helmet might have saved a lot of heartache:

Steven Darrow was a promising young graphic artist who had worked on high-profile projects and held successful art shows at Final Friday.

He was “just on the cusp of a fabulous career,” said Michele Benefiel Guiol, his mother.

That all changed one night last summer.

Darrow, 23, was “messing around” on his bicycle with a group of friends next to the old Cox Building on Douglas next to the railroad overpass, she said.

Darrow couldn’t afford a car, so he rode his bicycle everywhere.

He and his friends were swerving in and out of pillars after sunset on July 25 when Darrow slammed into one. He fell backward, breaking his right clavicle and fracturing his skull in several places.

He wasn’t wearing a helmet.

“He was an avid bicyclist, but he wasn’t a safe bicyclist,” Benefiel Guiol said. “He never wore a helmet.”

Read more from The Wichita Eagle: Wichita family advocates bike helmets after man’s accident

We can debate the merits of that last statement (there’s far more involved in safety than just helmet use), and there’s no guarantee that the outcome would have been any different if he’d been wearing a helmet, but it’s pretty clear that this type of accident — the low-speed impact of a fragile head against an immovable object — is exactly the type of incident in which a helmet can be most useful.

According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, “A very high percentage of cyclists’ brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated by different studies at anywhere from 45 to 88 per cent.”

And incidentally, you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money to adequate protection. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute found that Cheap helmets and expensive helmets perform equally in impacts: “When you pay more for a helmet you may get an easier fit, more vents and snazzier graphics. But the basic impact protection of the cheap helmets tested equaled the expensive ones.”

In Wichita, Steven Darrow is now back home with his family, but he’ll never be the same. Part of the frontal lobe of his brain had to be removed to save his life. He’s “had to learn to do everything all over again: walk, eat, handle basic tasks. He now lives with his parents, able to answer questions but unable to carry on a conversation.”

His mother hopes to use Darrow’s accident to increase awareness about the value of bicycle helmets, and hopes eventurally to start a company that manufactures bicycle helmets with Darrow’s artwork on them. “We’re trying to find something good from this,” she said.

For adults, use of bicycle helmets is a personal choice. For myself, I see very few reasons not to wear a helmet.

What about you?

See also: Injury-Control Recommendations: Bicycle Helmets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Demonstrating Bicycle Helmet Effectiveness: A How-to Guide (PDF) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Bicycle/Pedestrian stakeholders are invited to attend a meeting with the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) Project Team regarding the Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2035 (MTP 2035). MTP 2035 is a long-range transportation plan for the region that will cover all modes of transportation for goods and people. MTP 2035 will define policies, programs, and projects to be accomplished over the next 25 years.

The purpose of the meeting with the stakeholders will be to discuss work on the Plan completed to date; potential projects to be listed in the Plan; and to get additional input, feedback, and other pertinent information or concerns regarding MTP 2035.

January 12, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Director’s Conference Room – WAMPO Offices
10th Floor, Wichita City Hall
455 N. Main Street
Wichita, KS 67202

Please RSVP to Mary Malone at Wilbur Smith Associates: mmalone@wilbursmith.com to let them know if you plan to attend.

Here’s your chance to let your voice be heard for better bike/ped facilities in Wichita — speak up!

Albert Pete, who was struck and injured as he was riding his bicycle in Wichita in early September, has succumbed to his injuries. He passed away Wednesday in a Wichita hospital.

The 54-year-old man was riding his bicycle when an SUV crashed into him and then drove off without stopping. Pete suffered severe head trauma as a result of the collision. A nearby surveillance camera captured the collision, but yielded few clues, according to police.

The hit and run has been the subject of a Wichita Police Department Crime Stoppers investigation. Anyone who may have information regarding the hit and run can call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 267-2111. As always, the caller may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.

Learn more from: KAKE, KWCH, Wichita Eagle, Wichita Police Ask For Help Identifying Vehicle

This photo shows a group of men posed with their high-wheel bicycles, circa 1885, in Wichita, Kansas.

Presumably, the men were members of the Wichita Bicycle Club, which was organized in the 1880s, to be succeeded by the Wichita Wheelmen in 1896. Articles from the Wichita newspapers of the time note that the bicycle club organized regular excursions, such as this one from 1888: “Eighteen or twenty members of the Bicycle club left this morning on their wheels for Hutchinson, a run of about 50 miles.”

Courtesy of the Wichita Photo Archives. There’s a more detailed version of this image on Flickr. Newspaper quote from Coasters Bicycle Club.