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posted by Brent Hugh at 5/26/2006 12:01:00 PM
Columbia Missourian reported on further progress in Columbia's federally funded Nonmotorized Pilot Program:
When asked what he thought of the projects, Brigham said, “It’s hard to say. It’s great to live in Columbia. We get to be part of a great experiment, and we hope it’s very successful. I want to see more healthy Missourians, and walking and bicycling could be a big part of that.” Now that the projects have gained the favor of the Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization, they will go to the Missouri Department of Transportation for final approval, said Timothy Teddy, city Planning and Development Director.MoBikeFed board member Fred Schmidt is on the citizen's committee: “You’ve got to get MoDOT and the city and sometimes the county to ... agree on what’s going to get done,” Schmidt said after the hearing. “MoDOT actually feels that they have a responsibility to the motorist, and it’s taken some time for them to appreciate that everyone who uses the road — that’s our view — that everyone who uses the road has a right to a good level of facilities and service.”
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/25/2006 11:35:00 PM
A
 resolution proposed by Councilman John Fairfield, in support of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on the proposed new Paseo Bridge leading from downtown Kansas City, Missouri, to North Kansas City, passed unanimously today.The resolution is a very important indication of high level support of bicycle and pedestrian access across the Missouri River in the Kansas City region. Currently no Missouri River bridge in the area provides safe bicycle and pedestrian access. Incidentally, Fairfield is running for Kansas City mayor. The impact of this vote is as significant for the Kansas City metro area as the vote four years ago for KCMO to support the BikeKC plan. The Paseo resolution moved forward much faster than BikeKC did because of Councilman Fairfield's strong and effective support from within the city council. As a bonus, as part of this process the BikeKC plan itself was brought back to life after a near-death experience. About half of the BikeKC funding (about $1.4 million total) has already been spent, on important but lower visibility projects like planning and replacing drain grates. The remainder--over $780,000--will be spent on higher visibility projects like "share the road" signs, bike route signs, and lane re-striping. A few of these BikeKC projects may be started within the next couple of weeks. 
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/25/2006 07:46:00 AM
St. Louis area bicyclists Martin Pion, a League Cycling Instructor, and Steve Sleet, program manager at TrailNet, were on radio station KWMU yesterday discussing bicycling as transportation.
Tune into the show online at KWMU's web site.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/25/2006 07:39:00 AM
The first round of projects has been proposed for Columbia's new $22 million nonmotorized pilot project:
The first round of proposed projects would cost about $2.6 million. They include improvements to 12 major intersections, signs and striping for bicycle lanes, the replacement of paratransit software and the hiring of a project manager to oversee the grant program. . . .Read more in the Columbia Missourian.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/24/2006 09:13:00 PM
Today's Kansas City Star's editorial weighed in on the debate about the bicycle/pedestrian river crossing proposed as part of the Paseo Bridge project--the first safe bike/ped crossing in the Kansas City area:
Missouri officials need to encourage pedestrians and bicycle riders on a new Paseo Bridge rather than look for ways to deny access.Today KCMO Councilman Fairfield's resolution in favor of bicycle, pedestrian, and transit on the proposed Paseo Bridge passed unanimously out of committee. About 25 supporters showed up and they--plus the emails and calls made by many supporters--were a key factor in convincing one wavering committee member to support the resolution. Thanks to the unanimous support of the committee the resolution will have a much easier time in the full Kansas City council, where it will come for a vote tomorrow (Thursday, May 24, 2006, 3PM, 26th floor, KCMO city hall). Having the Kansas City council endorse bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on the Paseo Bridge is the single most powerful endorsement the project could have had and will carry a great deal of weight.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/23/2006 09:53:00 PM
The Boonville Daily News reports:
The MKT Railroad Bridge has retained its status as one of Missouri's most endangered historic places, as announced by Missouri Preservation on Saturday. . . .
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/23/2006 01:13:00 AM
Bicycle and pedestrian advocates in the Kansas City area have been proposing to include a separated bicycle/pedestrian path as part of the new Paseo Bridge.
 Some have objected that such facilities are rare, difficult, or dangerous. In fact, as the following list shows, such facilities are increasingly common in the United States. Interstate freeway bridges in the United States with bicycle/pedestrian crossings Note: This is only a partial list.
 The I-395 and I-66 bike/ped facilities have existed for more than two decades without any safety problems related to their immediate proximity to the roadway. Expressway type facilities, similar to interstates, with bike/ped on bridges
Interstate bridges that allow bicycle traffic on shoulders Bicycle traffic on these bridges is on shoulders that are not physically separated from the freeway traffic
Interstates that have paths adjacent to them These are non-bridge sections of interstate that have paths nearby or immediately adjacent for one reason or another.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/22/2006 05:06:00 PM
Oklahoma Governor Henry signed the state's new bicycle law on Friday. The law:
1. Re-defines 'bicycle' for the purposes of our vehicle code, eliminating restricting wheel sizes and configurationsIt looks like we have some catching up to do in Missouri now!
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/21/2006 02:17:00 PM
According to a recent Columbia Missourian article, improvements Columbia's Range Line Street are finally moving forward with needed bicycle and pedestrian improvements:
After years of discussion, public hearings and frustration with slow progress, the Columbia City Council will vote Monday on a $29.8 million plan to widen a 2.8-mile stretch of Missouri 763, also known as Range Line Street, from Big Bear Boulevard north to U.S. 63. . . .
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/20/2006 07:14:00 PM
The Kansas City Star had a major article on the danger of police chases:
The researchers reviewed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatal vehicle crashes from 1982 to 2004. The data showed that 7,430 deaths resulted from police pursuits. Occupants of the vehicles being chased accounted for most of those deaths, but nearly 2,000 uninvolved motorists and bystanders also died. Eighty-one police officers were killed.The death of bicyclist Toni Sena in 2004 during a police chase galvanized several bicycle advocates to play a lead role in revising the Kansas City, Missouri, police chase policy. But other cities in the region have not followed KCMO's lead and after some high recent visibility chases, KCMO has come under fire for not following its own policy strictly enough.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/20/2006 07:10:00 PM
The Springfield News-Leader carried this major story during bike to work week:
Fed up with sitting in traffic and paying more than $50 to fill his tank, Scott Morrison ditched his gas-guzzling pickup and started biking to work.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/17/2006 10:43:00 AM
The Kansas legislature recently passed a law that harms the trail building effort in Kansas.
The bill was conceived as a law to remove liability from property owners adjoining trails. This is a good thing, because it removes one serious objection adjoining land owners have to the creation of trails. Missouri passed similar legislation two years ago. However, at the last minute legislators added a "poison pill" to this legislation. A second provision gives adjoining property owners the right to sue the trail owner with little or no basis. The result is bound to be numerous frivolous lawsuits against trail organizations--many of which are small, community based organizations. Trail and bicycling advocates in Kansas asked the governor to veto this bill. However, she signed it and issued this statement: "I have signed House Bill 2432 because it will protect citizens whose land is adjacent to recreational trails from unexpected and undeserved liability to trespassers. I am concerned, however, that allowing these same nearby landowners to sue the keepers of recreational trails could result in needless, expensive litigation. Therefore, I intend to monitor this issue closely over the next year, and will propose revisions to this new law if it interferes with the upkeep of these trails."In less than two minutes you can send Governor Sebelius a message in support of trails. It's too late for this bill, but messages you send now still help in showing support for future efforts. According to reports from the governor's office, the governor received more messages in support of this bill than from trail supporters. This shows the need for more effective statewide bicycle and trail advocacy in Kansas.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/17/2006 10:07:00 AM
Bike to Work week in St. Louis is well underway:
With gas prices on the rise, one local organization is suggesting another way to get to work.Read the rest of the story in the West End Word.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/14/2006 02:42:00 PM
The 2006 Missouri legislative session concluded Friday, May 12th.
A couple of significant steps forward were taken this session. Unfortunately a couple of completely uncontroversial but important measures were lost at the last minute due to political infighting completely unrelated to our issues. GOOD - Clutch's Law passes: Clutch's Law, which provides for much stronger penalties for those drivers who run stop signs or traffic lights or recklessly speed, when that causes a accident leading to injury or death. The American Motorcycle Association has been promoting this law for years and MoBikeFed has supported the legislation. It will be effective when a motorist runs a stop sign or traffic light and injures a bicyclist or pedestrian as well and should also apply at least in some cases if a motorist fails to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. GOOD - Kansas City Transit Initiative passes: A bill sponsored by Senator Chris Koster of Harrisonville will allow the creation of a special district consisting of several counties in the Kansas City area to fund a regional transit system. Originally the bill required bi-state cooperation but after the Kansas-side bill died an early death in the Kansas legislature, the Missouri legislation was amended to allow Missouri counties to move forward alone if Kansas does not join in. The original bill also included provision for funding MetroGreen Trails and a traffic signal management system. These two initiatives were removed after opposition from Kansas cities, but it is unclear now whether trails funding could possibly be included as a secondary part of a regional transit initiative. GOOD - No passing on solid yellow fails: Rep. Neil St. Onge sponsored a bill to forbid crossing the yellow stripe when passing. Some changes from the original bill would have allowed crossing the yellow line to avoid debris or when passing a slow-moving vehicle, which was an improvement over the original. However the definition of 'vehicle' excluded bicycles, meaning that automobiles would have been required to pass bicyclists without crossing the solid yellow line when that line is present. For that reason MoBikeFed opposed this legislation. However we feel we can work with Mr. St. Onge to make this legislation acceptable to and safe for bicyclists when it is introduced again next year. With just one simple change this will turn from very bad to very good legislation for bicyclists and pedestrians. BAD - Trails in Missouri Parks fails: Rep. Mike Sutherlands' bill to allow and encourage nonprofit organizations like EarthRiders, GORC, and IMBA to build trails in state parks was perfectly positioned to pass. It passed the House as a consent bill, was well positioned in the Senate, and had no opposition. Despite the efforts of our lobbyist Jim Farrell--who was up until 2:30AM Friday morning working to move this bill and the Safe Routes Resolution (below) forward--political infighting during the last two days of the session killed this bill and many other, similar noncontroversial pieces of legislation. BAD - Safe Routes to School Resolution fails: Rep. Mike Sutherland sponsored a resolution supporting Missouri's new Safe Routes to School program and Walk/Bike to School Month in Missouri. Like the Trails in Parks bill, the resolution passed the House and was well positioned to move in the Senate but became mired in the political infighting that killed many noncontroversial pieces of legislation in the last two days. Altogether, though we won some and lost some, the value of remaining in engaged in the political process is very clear. Though the Safe Routes to School Resolution ultimately failed, the fact that we were able to introduce it and move it forward in the House and Senate clearly helped to give us respect within MoDOT. The result is that although the resolution did not move, we have been able to help improve MoDOT's Safe Routes program significantly. Rep. Sutherland will certainly be back with the Trails in Parks bill next year--it is a very good, simple, effective piece of legislation and MOBikeFed will support it again. Our strategy of working with lobbyist Jim Farrell to make continuous, small improvements every year is really paying off. The type of improvement that could not ever be accomplished in one mighty feat can be done in 5 or 10 years of continuous, small improvements. The MoBikeFed board will be plotting our long-term legislative strategy during our August board retreat, August 12-13 in West Plains. If you have ideas for legislation--especially simple, non-controversial, effective ideas like the Trails in Parks bill--or if you would like to join the board for all or part of the August Board Meeting, please email director [at] mobikefed.org.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/14/2006 01:30:00 PM
According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article:
The Great Rivers Greenway will have public meetings on May 17 and 18 to discuss the Centennial Greenway, a system of parks and trails that would run from Forest Park in St. Louis to the Katy Trail in St. Charles County.Connecting St. Louis, Washington, Hermann, Jefferson City, Springfield, Kansas City, and other Missouri cities to the Katy Trail is part of MoBikeFed's "Complete the Katy Trail" initiative.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/14/2006 01:27:00 PM
A
 recent Kansas City Star article about the upcoming rebuilding of the Paseo bridge over the Missouri River devoted a significant section to the issue of bicycle and pedestrian access:As part of the design, advocates for cyclists and pedestrians want separate lanes on the bridge. So far, the state has been reluctant to recommend them.The Missouri Bicycle Federation supports bicycle and pedestrian access on both the Paseo and the Heart of American bridges. The two bridges are quite far apart. They each will serve to connect substantially different areas and for different types of users (the Paseo is likely to make a better connection with MetroGreen trails while the Heart of America will better connect downtown KCMO and North Kansas City streets). MoDOT is accepting comments about the river crossing, potentially the first to give real, safe bicycle and pedestrian access across the river in the entire Kansas City area. You can leave comments through May 22nd and using MoBikeFed's online comments system you can do it in two minutes flat.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/14/2006 01:18:00 PM
According to a Wall Street Journal article:
 Construction could begin this fall on the 200-foot-tall twin spires to suspend the long-delayed pedestrian bridge over the Missouri River.A related article in the Daily Nonpareil here. This map shows how Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska trail systems could one day interlink: 
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/09/2006 07:14:00 AM
According to an article in the Park Hills Daily Journal:
The cities of Desloge, Farmington and Park Hills have proclaimed May 13-20 as Bicycle Safety Week. Safety presentations will be made at area schools and the week will pay tribute to Stanley Overall, an avid cyclist who was killed as he rode his bike in 2003.Activities, planned for most every day during the week, are listed in the article. The Farmington Ride of Silence May 17th will be held in honor of Stanley Overall. For more info, see the Parkland Cyclists Bicycle Club web site.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/02/2006 06:12:00 PM
Ozark Greenways has announced the activities for Springfield's Bike, Bus, and Walk Week, May 15-19, 2006:
Don't miss this chance to leave your car behind for a day or a week or even longer! Ozark Greenways hosts this annual alternative transportation challenge in order to get more people to try biking, bussing, walking or any combination to get to work or school. We partner with City Utilities, Ozarks Regional YMCAs, Panera Bread Company, Springbike and Hearts in Parks.For more details visit the Ozark Greenways website. Statewide events during Bike Month 2006 are listed on MoBikeFed's online calendar. The League of American Bicyclists maintains a list of Bike Month and Bike-To-Work-Week events in Missouri.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/02/2006 06:08:00 PM
Deb Ridgway of Bridging the Gap has announced Kansas City's Bike to Work Week events for 2006:
 Designated nationally by the League of American Bicyclists, May 15 to 19, 2006 is Bike to Work Week across the country and here in Kansas City. This year Clean Commute, a program of Bridging The Gap, has taken the lead in organizing Bike to Work Week with a variety of events promoting biking to work as well as for errands, recreation and fitness.Kansas City's Bike to Work Week kicks off May 13th with the Mayor's Tour of Raytown (which is, coincidentally, a MoBikeFed Advocacy Event--it donates a small portion of each entry fee to support MoBikeFed's advocacy work in Missouri). Statewide events during Bike Month 2006 are listed on MoBikeFed's online calendar. The League of American Bicyclists maintains a list of Bike Month and Bike-To-Work-Week events in Missouri.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/02/2006 06:01:00 PM
 An article in the Columbia Tribune outlines the events of Columbia's Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week:Fortunately for Columbia, we’ve got a number of folks dedicated to making it easier to bike, walk and wheel our way to better health. And starting May 6, you can join the rest of the community in celebrating an active lifestyle during the fifth annual Mayor’s Challenge: Bike, Walk and Wheel Week. Along with dozens of sponsors, the week’s events are made possible by PedNet, a local coalition made up of individuals, businesses and not-for-profit organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life in ColumbiaDetails about the Columbia events, which stretch from May 6-13, 2006, are available on the PedNET web site. Statewide events during Bike Month 2006 are listed on MoBikeFed's online calendar. The League of American Bicyclists maintains a list of Bike Month and Bike-To-Work-Week events in Missouri.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/02/2006 05:54:00 PM
According to an article in the Columbia Tribune, the decision in favor of the Department of Natural Resources, which wants to turn over the MKT railroad bridge at Boonville to the Union Pacific, has now been appealed:
Attorney General Jay Nixon has appealed a judge’s decision that found the state has no property right to an old railroad bridge.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/02/2006 05:51:00 PM
According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, local residents are opposed to a bill introduced by Sen. Jim Talent that would create the Confluence National Heritage Corridor:
Machens and most of the 570 residents of West Alton, many of them farmers, are up in arms over a proposal made by U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., to include all 28 square miles of the city in what would become the Confluence National Heritage Corridor.The corridor would promote tourism and fund bicycle trails in the area, among other things.
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/02/2006 03:25:00 AM
An editorial in Saturday's Kansas City Star supports the idea of connecting the Katy Trail to Kansas City along the former Rock Island railroad line:
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has an intriguing suggestion for connecting the Katy Trail to the Kansas City area, a longtime goal of hikers and bicyclists.Almost 500 supporters have emailed Ameren and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources asking them to move this proposal forward. We would like to have 1000 citizens write in support. You can do it in two minutes here. Recent Posts in Missouri Bicycle News
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