Headlines

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

A new Buck O’Neil Bridge that would provide a direct connection between U.S. 169 and Interstate 35, and include a 10-foot path for bicycles and pedestrians is the preferred choice of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

A public hearing has been scheduled by MoDOT for March 10 at the Mid-America Regional Council office at 600 Broadway from 4- to 6 p.m. to discuss what’s being called the “Central Alternative” for the replacement bridge.

Link: 

MoDOT Recommends New O’Neil Bridge Option, Direct Access to I-35 and Bike/Pedestrian Provision – CitySceneKC

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

What public health and well-being policies can help alleviate some of the extraordinary stressors that urbanites are feeling across the nation right now? Part of the answer is baked into every city in the country. It is our public green spaces, our parks, botanical gardens and arboreta right outside our doors or down the street.

Regrettably, though, many public green spaces across the country have been closed. Yes, in most cases, there have been good reasons for the specific closures...

But closing parks and public gardens should be a temporary, last resort measure for disease control....

Maintaining the benefits of public green spaces is critical as we also make our best efforts to restrict transmission of COVID-19. Public parks (though not playgrounds or sports facilities, which are much harder for maintaining social distancing while using), botanical gardens and arboreta are essential to the public health and well-being of the more than 80% of Americans who live in urban areas.

The science could not be clearer: The benefits of getting outside vastly outweigh the risk of getting infected in a park.

Link: 

Keep parks open. The benefits of fresh air outweigh the risks of infection. | tulsaworld.com

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

As the daily coronavirus death toll slowly falls in Italy and cities in the country make plans for reopening, Milan is beginning to transform 22 miles of local streets, adding temporary bike lanes and wider sidewalks, and lowering the speed limit. In Berlin, some parking spots have also become pop-up bike lanes. Paris is fast-tracking long-distance bike lanes that connect suburbs to the city center. And in Brussels, on May 4, the city center will become a priority zone for people on bikes and on foot.

Cities are responding to an immediate need for transportation to change—as more people begin to go back to work, if subways and buses can’t be as full as usual while allowing passengers to maintain social distancing, biking and walking will need to fill the gap. But it’s also a way to accelerate plans to cut car use that were already underway to fight climate change and make urban air safer to breathe.

“If we all need to be healthy and move in a healthy way, there’s no better way to do that than to walk and bike, and providing the infrastructure to do that is absolutely key,” says Mike Lydon, principal at the urban planning and design firm Street Plans. “Traffic volumes will go back up. But it’s at this point where we get to decide in our cities how much of it we let back in, and to what degree it’s a guest.”

Link: 

How cities are reshaping streets to prepare for life after lockdown, by making communities better, safer places to walk and bicycle - FastCompany

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

KCMO Public Works is working alongside KC Parks and Recreation, the Mayor’s office and the Health Department to create more space for people to get outside, get exercise and maintain social distance during the Stay at Home order through the emergency Open Streets KC program.

Why Open Streets KC?

Parks, trails, and sidewalks are overcrowded in some KCMO neighborhoods, playgrounds are closed, and there is less traffic on our streets. In order to promote social distancing and also provide safe space for residents to get outside and get exercise, KCMO is creating more space for people on our roadways and in our parks.

“I am excited for KCMO to join the list of other cities providing safe space for people during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Eric Bunch, fourth district councilperson and co-sponsor of the Open Streets resolution. “Exercise and getting outdoors go a long way in decreasing stress and promoting healthy living. The emergency Open Streets program accomplishes the goal of maintaining social distancing while also giving our residents safe space to get outside and be physically active.”

There are several efforts underway to promote getting outdoors, being physically active and still maintaining social distance around KCMO.

What does Open Streets KC do?

Neighborhood Open Streets Permit: allows block-level closures on neighborhood streets. Similar to the Block Party permit, but without the party, this permit is streamlined to be easy and accessible for neighborhoods or residents to apply at no cost and without signature requirements.

Link: 

Open Streets KC--an easy way for citizens to close streets to create safe places to walk, bicycle, and enjoy other outdoor recreation while maintaining social distancing - a great model for other cities across Missouri | City News | KCMO.gov

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

This Bay Area city will join a growing list of others around the country that are closing streets to cars in favor of increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic during the COVID-19 crisis, an official said Thursday.

“We’ll announce an emergency measure that allows Oakland residents more space to walk, bike and run safely through their neighborhoods, and we’re calling it the Oakland Slow Streets” Alexandria McBride, the city’s chief resilience officer, told a town hall meeting held via Zoom video conference.

> Tomorrow, Oakland is announcing 74miles of street closures to permit runners/bikers/walkers to use the streets while maintain social distancing #oaklandflowstreets

Other cities, including St. Paul, Minnesota, and Philadelphia, have taken similar measures, and several other U.S. cities are discussing the possibility.

Link: 

Oakland to close 74 miles of city streets to cars, inviting walkers, runners and cyclists instead - NBC News

Daily outdoor exercise is vital to maintain physical and mental health during the stay-at-home order. But in some areas, parks and trails have become extremely congested. St Louis County was forced to close parks and trails due to crowding.

Opening up miles of streets give citizens space to safely walk, bicycle, run, skate, and scoot while still providing ample room for social distancing.