Kansas Trail News for October 3, 2011 from Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy:
Trails For Good Health
Obesity is soaring among children which is causing a variety of health problems early in life. Trails promote good health because they entice children to exercise for health. Traveling on a trail becomes an adventure for children because they don’t know what they will encounter around the next bend. This gives them a sense of adventure and exploration. Meanwhile, they get plenty of exercise outside in the great outdoors. The new slogan is: “No Child Left Behind”.
Motel Provides Bikes For Guests
The Holiday Inn Express in south Lawrence provides bicycles for guests to ride on the adjacent SLT Hike and Bike Path. The path goes west to Clinton Lake where there are mt. biking and hiking trails.
KC Rally Calls For More Bike Trails
From the KC Star (9-24-11):
Kansas City rally calls for more bike trails and sidewalks
By KAREN DILLON
The Kansas City StarPromoters of sidewalks, bike lanes and clean air carried their message on foot and bicycle from Union Station to City Hall on Saturday.
At the end of their jaunt, more than 40 people gathered on the steps of City Hall to petition the government to increase the number of bicycle trails and sidewalks as part of the Get Moving Kansas City rally.
They were greeted by four council members — Jan Marcason, Jim Glover, Scott Taylor and Scott Wagner — plus Jackson County Legislator Scott Burnett and a representative of U.S. House member Emanuel Cleaver.
“Kansas City is one of the most sprawled out cities in the country,” grassroots activist John Kurmann told the crowd, and that means more driving time per person and more pollution.
Get Moving Kansas City was part of climate rallies around the globe Saturday, with thousands of people calling for climate change solutions.
In July 2008, the City Council passed a resolution to implement Kansas City’s climate change plan, Kurmann said. That plan included fixing sidewalks and building bike trails. But the plan was mostly shelved after the market crash later that year.
“We need to be proactive now instead of waiting for a major crisis,” Kurmann said. “We need to move beyond fossil fuels.”
The group’s proposal includes:
- Dedicating 1 percent for biking and 2 percent for walking in the transportation infrastructure budget.
- Building at least 25 miles of new bike lanes per year. In addition, the BikeKC Plan should be fully developed, and proposed routes should be published on the Internet for public comment.
- Implementing the city’s “Livable Streets” policy in the next five years in important pedestrian areas such as the River Market, downtown, Westport and the Plaza.
“Our heart is with you,” Marcason said. “It makes triple bottom-line sense.”
The council members agreed that the proposals are worthy and said sidewalks are essential because many people in the inner city, especially on the East Side, don’t have cars.
Taylor said another reason to build new sidewalks and trails is to attract families.
“We are in competition with other communities that do have trails and sidewalks,” Taylor said. “These goals are a way to start the process.”
Editor’s Note: The MetroGreen Plan which calls for building a network of interconnected trails was announced with great fanfare 20 years ago. Much has been done, but much still has to be accomplished to fulfill the vision.
Sunflower To Hold Annual Meeting Oct. 29
Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy will hold its Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 29, in beautiful downtown Cottonwood Falls, located in the heart of the scenic Flint Hills. The meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the historic Grand Central Hotel. Participants will order lunch at 12:00 noon. A key topic will be the status of the six railbanking initiatives. The meeting will end at 2:00 p.m., followed by a field trip to the trails at the nearby Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. All trails enthusiasts are invited to attend. Come join in the fun!
Kanza To Hold Annual Meeting
Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy will be holding its Annual Meeting on Saturday, November 5 in the Osage County Senior Center in Osage City (604 Market Street). All trails enthusiasts are invited to attend. A reception will begin at 11:00 a.m. with a light lunch buffet at 11:30. The meeting will follow the lunch.
Falun Classic & Marquette Mini Bicycle Rides Oct. 9
The Falun Classic and Marquette Mini Bicycle Rides will be held October 9 in Lindsborg. The rides begin at 1:30 pm at Swensson Park in Lindsborg. They will end with a cookout in Swensson Park. The Falun Classic is a fun, 32-mile ride on blacktop. The Marquette Mini is a relaxed, 25-mile ride on blacktop with a sag stop in downtown Marquette. For more information: cybdir@lindsborgcity.org or Falunclassic@gmail.com
Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc., P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.Post tags: Kansas Trail News
