Missouri Bicycling Map moves forward; MoBikeFed to seek cyclist input

The Missouri Bicycle Federation, MoDOT's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and MoDOT Bike/Ped Coordinator Caryn Giarratano have been working to develop a bicycle map of Missouri. The map is designed to do two things:

• Show a grid of useful bike routes across the state and between major population centers and points of interest
  
• Show the relative bicycle suitability of all (rural) MoDOT-administered roads across the state

The Missouri bicycle mapping project is a huge undertaking. MoDOT administers 32,000 miles of roads across the state. Rating so many miles of roads for bicycle usage creates a large number of practical problems. Difficulty has been encountered in finding a set of bicycle suitability criteria that are appropriate for Missouri's rural highway system. And liability issues have prevented a number of states from publishing bicycle maps at all.

At times these difficulties have seemed insurmountable, but today Giarratano announced two major steps forward in creating a Missouri bicycle map:

• Approval has been given for the hiring of a consultant to develop a bicycle suitability index that will be appropriate for Missouri's rural highways. The consultant will then use MoDOT's computerized database of roadway data to apply the suitability index to all 32,000 miles of MoDOT roads. This will form the basis for the state-wide bicycle map.
  
• A proposed set of cross-state bicycle routes offered to BPAC by the Routes Subcommittee will be posted soon on the Missouri Bicycle Federation web site for consideration, comment, and suggestion by cyclists across the state. These routes are not MoDOT approved and will be posted for information, comment, and consideration only. [Update: Proposed Routes have now been posted, click here to visit the map page.]

Members of MoDOT's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee have developed this set of proposed bicycle routes. The proposed routes include 3 or 4 main cross-state routes ("bicycle freeways") in each direction (east/west, north/south) and a large number of alternative routes. The routes have been developed using traffic volume data and topography.


But most of the routes have not yet been "ground tested"--considering the amount of mileage in the routes, that would be not only difficult but actually impossible for any small group to do alone. That is where MoBikeFed members and other cyclists across the state come in--MoBikeFed will be soliciting your comments, suggestions, and input about the proposed routes.

Watch for the posting of a map of the proposed routes on the MoBikeFed web site within the next few days. [Update: Proposed Route Map posted 6/07/2003, click here to visit the map page.]

MoDOT has not always had bike/ped-friendly policies--in the early 1990s, MoDOT actually tried to exercise its discretion to refuse to spend federal dollars earmarked for bike/ped projects. But in the last several years some gradual changes in policy and culture have been evident. In the late 1990s MoDOT Director Henry Hungerbeeler announced a major change in policy, saying that MoDOT was fully behind the federal government's requirement, part of the federal TEA21 legislation, that "bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways shall be considered, where appropriate, in conjunction with all new construction and reconstruction, except where bicycle and pedestrian use are not permitted.".

But the fact that a major bicycle-related project like the Missouri Bicycle Map is starting to move forward under MoDOT's direction (and with an important dose of MoDOT funding) signals the dawn of a new day in MoDOT's bike-ped policy. Please understand that the Missouri Bicycle Map is far from reality and there are almost certainly significant obstacles that will have to be overcome before the map is finalized and published.

But even the fact that these preliminary steps are going forward is a very positive step forward in MoDOT's relationship with the bike/ped community. The Missouri Bicycle Federation is pleased to be able to work with MoDOT and with bicyclists across the state to help create this useful and much-needed resource for Missouri bicyclists.