By a 4-1 margin, the De Soto city council has voted to repeal the prohibition against non-motorized vehicles on 83rd Street east of the city, ending a painful and embarrassing episode in Kansas bicycling history.
Here is the text of the ordinance, as approved by the council on September 15th, 2011:
ORDINANCE NO. ___
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 14-209 OF CHAPTER XIV OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO, KANSAS TO REPEAL THE PROHIBITION AGAINST NON-MOTORIZED VEHICLES USING 83rd STREET FROM KILL CREEK ROAD TO THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE CITY
WHEREAS, the Governing Body finds and determines that, despite a previous Governing Body’s conclusion that use of the portion of 83rd Street from Kill Creek Road to the City’s eastern boundary is unsafe for non-motorized vehicle traflic, including bicycles, and passage of a prohibition against such use, there remain bicycle riders who desire to ride on such street. and do, in fact, ride on the street: and
WHEREAS, the Governing Body finds and determines that enforcement of the prohibition against non-motorized vehicles using 83rd Street from Kill Creek Road to the City’s eastern boundary has been difficult and does not appear to have been heeded by many bicycle riders; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Body believes it is appropriate to allow users of non-motorized vehicles, who desire to ride on 83rd Street from Kill Creek Road to the City’s eastern boundary, to make their own decision on whether to use said street.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY
OF DE SOTO, KANSAS:SECTION 1: Section 14-209 of Chapter XIV of the City Code is hereby repealed.
SECTION 2: Ordinance No. 1072, and any amendments thereto, are hereby
repealed.SECTION 3: This Ordinance shall become effective after its passage, approval and
publication once in the City’s official paper.
An alternate ordinance, which would have restricted bicycles to the right-most three feet of pavement, required that bicycles remain single-file, was not enacted.
City Council President Rick Walker, along with Council Members Randy Johnson, John Krudwig, and Lori Murdock voted to lift the ban. Council Member Ron McDaniel voted to retain the ban.
Members of the public, including Johnson County Bicycle Club former President Mark Scrivner, JCBC Advocacy Chair Doug Polson, KanBikeWalk president Dale Crawford, Randy Rasa of Kansas Cyclist, and former council member Mitra Templin, spoke in favor of the ordinance.
One former Council Member (sorry, didn’t catch his name), who was part of the council when the ban was originally enacted, spoke against the ordinance.
The council did not discuss the logistics of removing the “Non Motorized Vehicles Prohibited” signage, but presumably this will be carried out by the city’s public works department,
Not sure when the ordinance will be published, which is the final step to making it official…
Background on the issue here.
Congratulations and thanks to all who worked for so long (over 10 years!) to repeal the De Soto Bike Ban.
If you’re a local citizen, or appreciative of the council’s vote, a quick note of thanks to the council members would be appropriate. Their email addresses can be found at desotoks.us.
Post tags: De Soto Bike Ban
