Bridging the Gaps--how to double the amount of bicycling/walking in a decade

In Portland they were able to double the amount of bicycling and walking citywide 1992 and 2005.

In certain areas the increase was even more dramatic--more than double.

How did they do it?

They bridged major barriers for bicyclists and pedestrians, then concentrated on connecting the city's bike/ped transportation system to these key bridges. An article by Mia Birk of Alta Planning tells about the changes they made the results. [PDF file]

Meanwhile in Kansas City, MoDOT is planning a new quarter-billion dollar river bridge--the Paseo Bridge. Senator Bond has arranged a $50 million federal earmark for the project.

Kansas City currently has no safe way for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross the Missouri River anywhere in the metro area.

The bridge makes connections for pedestrians and bicyclists that no other river bridge in the area can or will.

Bicycle/pedestrian accommodations on the new bridge have been officially supported by the Kansas City Council, the Downtown Council, the Kansas City Star, area bicycle and pedestrian groups, the Kansas City Port Authority, and the Mid-American Regional Council. There is also support from the Kansas City region's new River Crossings Policy.

Despite this support, and thousands of letters of support from citizens, MoDOT is still dragging its feet. Senator Bond (who, you may remember, was key in defeating the national "routine accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians" policy in 2005) is officially neutral but has been quoted numerous times by influential people as been personally opposed to the idea.

MoDOT is planning to add bicycle/pedestrian accommodations to a nearby river bridge. There is unanimous support for this, but the groups listed above and the Missouri Bicycle Federation believe that adding facilities to the nearby bridge does not replace the need for bicycle/pedestrian facilities on the Paseo Bridge. Creating bicycle/pedestrian access along the Paseo Corridor, as recommended by the Mid-America Regional Council, helps bicyclists and pedestrians over several major barriers--including the freeway itself--and has the potential to create bicycle/pedestrian access to major destinations currently not accessible by walking or bicycling.

Please help us show citizen support for real, complete, connected bicycle and pedestrian access. It only takes two minutes here.

MoDOT is still considering the matter so the door is open.

It will take at least 1000 messages to have any effect on Senator Bond.

So far we have only 128.