MoBikeFed instrumental in parrying threat to statewide bicycle and pedestrian accommodation

Recently, the importance of continued bicycle and pedestrian advocacy
efforts in Missouri became crystal clear.

The short version is:
A policy-writing group within MoDOT misunderstood how to appropriately include bicycle and pedestrian accommodation within the new MoDOT practical design policy book.

We were on alert to successfully counter this by providing timely information (including information about our recently passed Bicycle Safety law). The published version of the MoDOT bicycle/pedestrian policy is much friendlier than was offered originally, see the 2006 Practical Design Policy.
Read on for the details:

A few weeks ago several of us attended the first Kansas City River Crossings Task Force meeting. The purpose was to hammer out a definite policy on bicycle/pedestrian access on river bridges in the Kansas City area. (That plan, which has statewide ramifications, is moving forward quite well, by the way.)

At that meeting we learned, just by chance, of a proposed dramatic change in MoDOT bicycle/pedestrian policy that was to be published in the new MoDOT practical design policy book.

The good news is, the final proposal, which takes into account input from MoBikeFed and others on MoDOT's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, is quite good.

The new policy will take effect January 1st and I just received a copy of it today.

If no one had been there to stand up for bicyclist and pedestrian needs and rights--and ready to do it QUICKLY on the spur of the moment--imagine what could have happened.

* Original: Bicycle facilities are to be located off of MoDOT right-of-way when possible.
* Final: Keeps this statement--which does make sense for facilities like multi-use paths--but counterbalances it with a clear statement of MO law that allow bicyclists are allowed to operate on all roads and highway (except travel lanes of interstates or where specifically prohibited), explanations of how to simply & easily accommodate bicyclists on the roadway, and a statement that in the absence of special facilities, bicyclists will use the roadway and so design details should consider bicyclist needs.

* Original: A list of situations was given where bicycle accommodations where required. But through an oversight, no similar list was given for pedestrian accommodations.
* Final: A list of situations was added to the document, indicating when pedestrian facilities will be required.

Incidentally, this list (which is very similar for both bicycle and pedestrian acommodations) highlights the need for us to get out & ask MoDOT to provide for bicyclists & pedestrians. Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on improvement projects are necessary when:
  • Local bike/ped plan requires it
  • Public support for it
  • Local community supports it
  • Bike/ped traffic generators nearby (neighborhoods, schools, businesses, etc.)
  • Evidence of existing bike/ped traffic
  • Provides access across a barrier like a river, highway, freeway, railroad
* Original: No bicycle facilities within interstate right-of-ways.
* Final: No dedicated bicycle facilities on interstate roadways.

The original would have totally prohibited things like:
  • bicycle facilities on roads crossing interstates (?!)
  • multi-use trails using a bit of interstate right-of-way to connect to otherwise unconnectable segments
  • provision of a separated bike/ped path on an interstate bridge, like the Paseo Bridge.
The last is particularly problematic--one thing we are finding with the Paseo Bridge situation, is that including the bike/ped facilities in new bridge construction costs about half of retrofitting them to an existing bridge.

So if you are building a new bridge, whether interstate or not, it makes sense to *consider* putting the bicycle or pedestrian facilities there at a savings of some millions of dollars.

Overall--this incident shows how important it is to have knowledgeable people giving good advice to MoDOT. The whole process--having a bicycle/pedestrian coordinator and a Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee that involves citizen groups, engineers, planners, designers, and lawyers knowledgeable about bicycling--really works.

States that do not have this in place, and do not have strong, active bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups working for them are not moving forward as Missouri is, but are moving backward (Kansas, anyone?).

So for now, Missouri has a better policy. But it will take constant vigilance and the support of bicyclists and pedestrians from across the state to keep that policy and improve it.

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