Bicycling news from Kansas and surrounding states:
Kansas:
- Federal funds may help start rail service – If Kansas decides to restore passenger rail service across much of the state, the federal government could pick up 80 percent of the startup costs, according to a grassroots organization pushing the plan. The group hopes to restore passenger service along a 606-mile corridor between Kansas City and Fort Worth. No word on whether or how the train service would support bicycles.
- In Pittsburg, Cyclists took part in ‘The Nature Reach Ride’ a 10-mile “fun ride” to raise awareness and funding for Pittsburg State University’s Nature Reach program.
- Hawk Bloc thinks that motorists yelling at cyclists is a remarkably sophomoric act of cowardice.
- Cookie Wiebe, health and wellness coordinator for the Harvey County Health Department in Newton, has begun to see cross-country bicyclists on the Trans-America trail.
- Leavenworth: Cyclist rides for Road 2 Recovery – Maj. Jason Bryan will join hundreds of other cyclists in a ride to promote a program that uses cycling activities to rehabilitate combat injured service members. The focus of the ride is to get spinning and outdoor cycling programs going at VA medical centers and eventually at Warrior Transition Units around the country. “Road 2 Recovery is giving back to the Soldiers who have sacrificed so much,” Bryan said.
- Warren reports that the Indian Creek Trail at Antioch is now open!
- Sara at Pittsburg State University rides her bike everywhere, has been harassed by motorists, and she doesn’t appreciate it one bit.
- Larry McGee is looking to buy a bike, but having trouble finding one he likes.
- Salina mayor John Vanier wants complete streets: “I think every street, any redoing of any street in this town, we need to look at that and add bike lanes,” he said.
Arkansas:
- The Joe Martin Stage Race took place in northwest Arkansas, with nearly 700 cyclists from 17 countries and more than 40 U. S. states. Coverage: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4.
- In Benton County, a judge declined to accept a plea arrangement for a Siloam Springs woman who struck a 9-year-old girl on a bicycle in September 2006, then left the scene. After hitting the child, and watching the girl and bike fly over the roof of the car and land on the roadway, the woman didn’t slow or stop and drove home. After police tracked her down, she admitted hitting the child and said she was “too nervous to stop”.
- The Fossil Flats Trail at Devil’s Den State Park is still impassable due to damage from April flooding.
Colorado:
- Cyclists in Fort Collins are seeking a velodrome, which supporters contend “could make this a premier cycling destination in the country and maybe the world.”
- The Community Classic Bike Tour took place on Sunday, May 18th in Loveland.
- The Ride for the Pass rolled on May 17th in Independence Pass, east of Aspen. The route is is free of motorized traffic, as the event takes place on the Saturday before the pass opens to vehicles after its winter closure.
- The opening of the Rio Grande Trail in Carbondale is expected to boost cycling-related businesses in the are when it opens in June.
- The 10th annual Buena Vista Bike Fest was held Saturday, May 17th: Bike fest coming to Colorado Springs.
- Nick Nunns is excited because it’s his anniversary: I have not driven my car to work for exactly one year. His next step: get a carectomy.
Iowa:
- From the Sioux City Journal: Biking season is (finally) here. (Note to Journal: Every season is bicycle season!)
- In Think Outside The Car, members of the Quad City community write about their efforts to use bicycles for commute and errands.
- Keep pedaling across Iowa – “There’s much for bikers and walkers to look forward to in the coming years” with the “frenetic pace of trail building in Iowa.”
- Ways explored for making Iowa City safer for bicyclists – “To make the city more bike friendly, Iowa City should implement a comprehensive bike plan, increase the number of main routes with wide shoulders or bike lanes and educate people about bicycling.”
- Clive police trade cars for bikes more often as fuel prices soar.
Missouri:
- The Newburg Hellbender Road Race came to Rolla May 18th. Over 300 cyclists were expected to compete for the 2008 Missouri State Road Race Championship. The Hellbender course may be the most challenging in Missouri and is without a doubt the most scenic, according to organizers.
- Bicyclist Struck By Car In Critical Condition in St. Louis, and a woman, suspected of driving while intoxicated, was arrested for leaving the scene of the accident.
- In Cape Girardeau, a Section of Route K now designated as bike route through efforts of the Velo Girardeau bicycle club.
- In St. Louis, Dave Luecking urges cyclists to use caution when riding in the new bike lanes, which “can offer a false sense of security for cyclists and motorists.”
- Seventh- and eighth-grade members of the Compton-Drew Middle School Bike Club rode the Katy Trail from Sedalia to Jefferson City, covering about 76 miles over two days. The St. Louis schoolchildren took the train to Sedalia, then on their ride they encountered nature an historical sites along the trail and once in Jefferson City they toured the State Capitol, observed the Missouri House, and met with Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder before returning by train to St. Louis.
- Big-time BMX racing came to Blue Springs with the American Bicycle Association Mid-America Nationals, with more than 650 racers competng at the Blue Springs BMX track at Pink Hill Park.
- Kansas City’s Ride of Silence honored those who’ve been hurt or killed while riding their bikes.
- Race reports from St. Joseph’s Robidoux Roundup mountain bike race: Cameron Chambers, Joe Fox.
Nebraska:
- Omaha’s Biking community continues to grow.
- Man charged after hitting 5-year-old riding his bicycle in North Platte. The driver was charged with driving under the influence in an accident that involved serious bodily injury, a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Oklahoma:
- Bicyclist hit by car in Enid, and the motorist was cited for “failure to devote attention to driving”. This follows the recent death of David Lee Harrison in Enid, who was hit when a motorist looked down to adjust his air conditioning controls. What’s with the drivers in Enid? Are they all that incompetent?
