Pedestrian death today underlines need for safe river crossings

A terrible event happened this morning in Kansas City, that underlines the need for SAFE bicycle and pedestrian river crossings--something MoBikeFed works for across the state, but in cooperation with local advocacy groups has specifically been working for in the KC area for the past couple of years.
There has never been a better time contact MoDOT and express your support for good, safe, appropriate accommodations for those who need to walk and bicycle across bridges.

You can do it in two minutes here.

A pedestrian was killed this morning, apparently crossing the Broadway Bridge near downtown Kansas City.

As anyone who has seen the Broadway Bridge can tell you, it is as hostile to pedestrian traffic as a bridge could possible be.

But because it serves destinations no other bridge serves, it has a steady stream of pedestrian traffic across it all day long.

A "debate" still going on among transportation "professionals" about whether our KC area river bridges need to safely accommodate bicycling and walking. They are weighing the "pros" and the "cons".

Folks, there are no pros or cons here. There are only people injured and killed due to short-sighted transportation decisions.

And common sense about what we need to do NOW to solve that problem.

So there never would be a better time to let District 4 Chief Engineer Elizabeth Wright and MoDOT Director Pete Rahn know how you feel about this issue:

http://mobikefed.org/KCRiverCrossings

Or just email Pete.Rahn@modot.mo.gov - elizabeth.wright@modot.mo.gov - brian.kidwell@modot.mo.gov

Between now & Nov 14th MoDOT will make the decision about whether bike/ped will be included on the Paseo Bridge, and whether the Heart of America will get its bike/ped retrofit NOW or wait until 2011 or 2012.

Now is the time to speak up, loud and clear, and say that the situation for those of us who walk and bicycle on the Kansas City river bridges is simply intolerable.

Letters to the editor would be welcome: letters@kcstar.com - feedback@pitch.com - or submit to your own local media outlet.

If you haven't seen bad the Broadway Bridge is for pedestrians, you can how it looks and how it is used by a steady trickle of pedestrians here (first 20 seconds of video).

KCStar story:

Pedestrian accident closes northbound lanes of Broadway Bridge

The northbound lanes of U.S. 169 over the Broadway Bridge were shut down this morning following an accident that killed a pedestrian.

The accident happened before 6 a.m.

Police shut down a long stretch of 169 from 5th Street and Broadway to Missouri 9 Highway. It was reopened about 7 a.m.

The wreck remains under investigation.