Missouri Bicycle News Article

A Sun-News of the Northland article this week talks about the results of the Ed Chasteen "No Bicycle Zone" case, in which Ed challenged the no bicycle zone in Lawson, Missouri:

Lawson won the bicycle battle, but lost the war for public opinion with the decision rendered last week by that community's municipal judge, Tom Fincham. . . .

The case of Lawson v. Chasteen had been slated to go to municipal court in December, but the city's prosecutor, Tom McGiffin, said he examined the city's poorly written anti-bicycle-pushing ordinance and decided prosecuting the offense made no sense legally.

"The ordinance seemed to apply to other individuals ... to hold parents responsible for their kids maybe riding their bikes or causing disturbances on the main street," McGiffin said.

Sun-News also had a separate news story about the issue.

The Kansas City Star had a news article about the situation.

Dirt Rag weighed in with this opinion:

The biggest Endo, no wait, a Double Endo goes to the town of Lawson, Missouri for actually enforcing their “No Bikes” law, and fining a man with MS, no less! Recently, the city fined Ed Chasteen for pushing his bicycle in a place he’s been riding for years. Chasteen has MS and has difficulty walking, but finds riding his bike a much easier mode of transportation. Instead of realizing that their policy was ridiculous, the city prosecuted Chasteen and fined him $75 plus court costs.

Let’s see, a town essentially tells its kids (that’s who the ban was aimed at in the first place) that they should be fat and lazy and reliant on their parents, and then fines a man who has no better way to get around. I’m boycotting Lawson.

More info about the Lawson situation background, trial, media coverage, and aftermath.

Related:

News: Shawnee, KS, becomes first KC metro-area city to receive the LAB's "Bicycle-Friendly City" award

News: Fallout from Lawson, MO, "no bicycle zone" conviction

News: National news picks up on Missouri "no bicycle zone" story

News: Access for people with disabilities

News: Cost of transportation high in Missouri due to lack of transportation options