KCStar editorial lauds the region's progress in creating bicycle facilities

A Kansas City Star editorial published today lauds the region's progress this year in creating bicycle facilities, but also strongly encourages cities around the region to do more:

 

It’s already very clear that 2010 will go down as the best year in decades for area bicyclists. There have been improvements throughout the metropolitan area, notably new bike lanes on two bridges over the Missouri River.

The first area “sharrows,” roads painted to note they are bike friendly, appeared in North Kansas City.

Jackson County completed the Longview Lake trail and expanded the Little Blue Trace trail. Lee’s Summit’s “Livable Streets” plan will take all modes of transportation into consideration for future construction.

And continued improvements in several communities in Johnson County enhanced its pace-setting biking and hiking network.

But perhaps the most impressive advances have come in what has traditionally been the hole in the area bicycling doughnut: Kansas City.

Earlier this year, The Star challenged Kansas City to shed its long-held mantle as the worst bicycling city in the United States. We asked for a very ambitious 100 miles of on-street bike lanes within a year. Kansas City will fall short of that goal.

The city began the year with only 13 miles of on-street bike lanes, which actually covered just 6.5 miles of street because bike lanes run down both sides, doubling the distance. But for the year, Kansas City will add another 42 miles of lanes.

Read the rest of the Star editorial here.