News shorts: AASHTO Bike Guide; Bike/Ped on Hwy 40 Bridge; Springfield bike/ped funding vote; Bike share; Hwy 76; Bar Cycle

Nationwide: Long-awaited AASHTO bicycle design guide released. The Guide, which forms the basis of bicycle design guidance and manuals across the U.S., has been many years in the making.

AASHTO Bicycle Facilities Guide cover

St. Louis: Hwy 40 Boone Bridge over Missouri River, including bike/ped path, will be complete by 2014.  The bridge will create a new connection between the Katy Trail and the Monarch Levee Trail.  This represents the first time, to our knowledge the MoDOT has designed and built a bike/ped path as part of an interstate freeway bridge.  (After intense lobbying by bike/ped groups including MoBikeFed, the recent I-29/I-35 Bond Bridge in Kansas City included provision to add a bike/ped path in the future, but the path was not completed during initial bridge construction as it will be for the Boone Bridge.)

Springfield: Transportation tax renewal on ballot for August 7th includes bike/ped projects.  Springfield has been a statewide leader in building bike/ped projects and funding right into their regular transportation tax renewals.  The bike/ped projects have proven popular with voters and help the tax renewals pass by wide margins.

Aurora: Funds raised for trail in White Park

Columbia: MU launches free bike-sharing program for students

Springfield: Bike to Work Week winners

Kansas City: Missouri's first bike sharing program off to a fast start.

Columbia: PedNet's Robert Johnson on the health benefits of bicycling and walking

Branson: Making Hwy 76 friendlier for bicycling, walking a big part of proposed update of famous strip

St. Louis: Bar Cycle fights for right to remain on the road

Statewide: Gov Nixon signs law adding MoDOT emergency assistance workers to move over law.  Emergency workers are covered and construction workers, too, through a separate bill.  Is this starting to set a new standard and should bicyclists and pedestrians be next?