St. Joseph citizens support bike/ped friendly parkway standards

The Missouri Bicycle Federation has been cooperating with the St. Joseph Chapter of Quad State Trails and other local bicycle and pedestrian supporters to work for a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly standard for St. Joseph's parkways.

In response to emails and an advocacy alert put out last week by Wes Revels of Quad State Trails and the Missouri Bicycle Federation, a number of local supporters wrote to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Citizen support for bicycle and pedestrian access worked, as the commission has appointed a subcommittee to further investigate the matter and make recommendations.

Chris Dunn, a planner and former member of MOBikeFed's Board of Directors, is a key supporter of bicycling and walking on the city planning commission.

According to the St. Joseph News-Press:

"Parkway plans get reprieve"

Chris Dunn, local bicycle advocate and member of the St. Joseph City Planning Commission, believes in sidewalks, trails, shoulders--whatever it takes to give people a place to ride and walk.

So it should come as no surprise that his proposal Thursday to help St. Joseph ensure bike-ped options in future developments was to form a subcommittee to explore every city plan to make sure each consistently calls for sidewalks or trails or bike lanes.

The commission on Thursday was set to vote on very broad definitions of historic parkways and commercial boulevard parkways to help eliminate confusion for "parkway" plans on the east side of town. Cook, Riverside and Pickett roads all are designated as parkways in the city's Land Use Plan, although no developments on those roads have ever been included extra land for trails.

Several bicyclists on Thursday supported some type of extra accommodations. The Missouri Bicycle Federation and organizers of the Quad States Trails of St. Joseph, e-mailed the city, urging it to connect its trails, sidewalks and parkways for a variety of recreation, safety and health reasons.

The city for decades has struggled to properly plan money to correct past developments' shortcomings.

"Many people along Karnes Road can't take their dog for a walk without walking through their neighbor's yard," said Wesley Revels a leading bicycle proponent. . . . I hope you would include bikeways and sidewalks in any new development."

Wes Revels of Quad States Trail adds:

After much discussion a motion was carried to table the vote tonight and a subcommittee was appointed to make further recommendations regarding what will be defined as the standard code to define how commercial and historical
parkways will be constructed in the future to include bicycle lanes and sidewalks. That's very good news as those who can best represent we who currently use streets to cycle or walk or run will create the best plan to incorporate bike lanes and sidewalks within thoroughfares currently not accessible to us without literally putting our lives in danger.