There’s lots going on in the world of bicycling in and near Kansas, so here’s a quick recap of recent bicycling news from the region:
Kansas
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Police officers in Eastborough are parking their patrol cars to start pushing pedals with Eastborough’s New Bicycle Patrol Unit. The city purchased two bicycles. All weekdays one officer will be patrolling by car. The other, weather permitting, will be riding through areas not accessible by car like the city’s large park and along the secluded walking paths. Eastborough estimates they will save about $1400 a year in the cost of fuel.
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Eric Nordgren has bicycled 15,000 miles in the past year to raise cancer awareness. “Cancer is beatable but it’s beatable only if you’re armed with information and you get it as early as possible,” Nordgren said. “There are very few, if any families in the United States that are unaffected.”
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Bicyclists from across Kansas gathered in Leavenworth for a chance at a state title in the Doin’ Time in Leavenworth Criterium, organized by Santa Fe Trails Bicycles.
Iowa
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The Johnson County Council of Governments is looking for bicycle riders of all experience levels to come to its Bikeway Master Plan Workshops. The plan ias the latest step in Iowa City being named a bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Cyclists. “This was a way for us to improve our bicycle-friendly status,” Kristopher Ackerson, Assistant Transportation Planner for JCCOG, said.
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Make bicycle-friendly Dubuque a priority: “There are far too many drivers in and around Dubuque who look upon a bicyclist as nothing but a nuisance who deserves to be honked at, cut off and cursed. These drivers need to learn that bicyclists have just as much right to share the road as they do. Let’s pray that they don’t learn this after creating a tragedy.”
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A new 12.5-mile bike trail recently opened from Ankeny to Slater.
Missouri
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A Children’s Bicycle Ride on the Riverfront Heritage Trail at Berkeley Riverfront Park near downtown Kansas City, Missouri, on Oct 11th. The ride is in support of the need for safe river crossings in Kansas City for bicyclists and pedestrians.
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Kansas City will be doing its first annual set of bicycle/pedestrian counts this month. Getting better data on bicycling and walking, and usage counts, is an important aspect of making the case for the need for better walking and bicycling facilities and programs.
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Lee’s Summit Police Gear Up For Bike Patrols; Officers To Raise Awareness About Sharing Road With Bicyclists. The Lee’s Summit Police Department’s upgraded Bicycle Unit has purchased six fully-equipped Trek bicycles, helmets and uniforms through a $6,000 grant provided by Destination: Safe, a MoDOT-funded partnership with law enforcement, local governments and advocacy groups to reduce serious-injury and fatal accidents.
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Kansas City bicycle activist Laurie Chipman was named Best Outdoor Activist by the Pitch Weekly in its annual “Best of Kansas City” issue. Laurie serves as Advocacy Chair for the Kansas City Bicycle Club and is a founding member of Let’s Go KC.
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After just two years the Tour of Missouri has been promoted to international cycling’s big leagues.
The Tour of Missouri has been upgraded to the sport’s highest rating, 2HC, which awards premium international competition points to winners. “For the Tour of Missouri to become HC category means it has attained the highest ranking it can get in the U.S.,” said Andy Lee, a spokesman for the European-based Union Cycliste Internationale’ American affiliate USA Cycling. The Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia are the only other 2HC-rated races among 39 sanctioned events scheduled through 2009 in the Western Hemisphere.
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Overflowing Bike Racks at Truman State University in Kirksville.
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Columbia Police Department Implements Operation Share The Road: This campaign is based on the recognition that cyclists and motorists are equally responsible for road safety. The primary goals of Operation Share the Road will be to enforce city and state statutes regarding rights and duties of a bicycle or motor vehicle operator.
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GetAboutColumbia is loaning bikes to businesses to help with deliveries or other corporate errands. “In the city, a bike is usually faster because you don’t have to worry about parking, and that’s like such a huge deal especially when we deliver to campus because it’s really hard to find parking on campus.” The bikes will be loaned for 30 to 60 days at a time.
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The City Plan Commission in Kansas City unanimously approved the Trails KC Plan in September and their recommendation will move forward to the City Council and the Parks Board. Richard DeHart, Citywide Trails Coordinator, will present the plan, which calls for 230 miles of off-street shared use trails, 26 miles of on-street facilities and 41 miles of equestrian trails, at an open house on Tuesday, October 7, 7 PM at Discovery Center, 4750 Troost, In Kansas City.
Nebraska
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In Gothenburg, Council nixes hike-bike trail: City Council members chose not to approve a resolution authorizing the city to apply for transportation enhancement funds for the trail. If the city had received maximum funding from the state, it would have been $500,000 for the estimated $673,884 project.
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In McCook, Cost-conscious commuters swapping four wheels for three, two — or none: With gas prices tickling the $4 mark and speculations that it will rise to $7, many people are parking their cars and finding more economical ways of transportation for their every day routines. Trustworthy Bike and Pets in McCook has seen an increase in bike sales and repairs as well as parts such as tires and helmets.
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The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge Linking Omaha and Council Bluffs Opens. Despite the name, the bridge allows cyclist as well as pedestrians to cross the Missouri River free of motorized traffic.
