Tour of Missouri points up the state's sorry state of bicycling

Steephill.tv has the following gem of a summary of a recent radio broadcast:

The state is determined to hold the event [the Tour of Missouri] for at least three years; the Branson stage is expected to be the hardest; Kansas City is one of the least bike friendly cities in the country.

Not a bad summary . . . of the whole bicycling situation here in Missouri.

The bad news is, Missouri is near the bottom in bicycle (and pedestrian) friendliness, in the amount of walking, bicycling, hiking, and other outdoor activities, and in our citizens' health and obesity rates.

The good news is--thanks to advocacy by a lot of groups across the state, renewed attention by elected officials across the state (some brought about by the Tour itself), we are now moving in the right direction in so many ways.

The Tour--garnering the attention of elected officials and city, county, and state staff across the state--is helping bring positive attention to bicycling in Missouri.

Holding one the premier bicycle racing events in the country while simultaneously one of the worst track records for accommodating bicycling on our streets and roads really is a contradiction.

But it doesn't need to remain that way . . .