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Andy Ostmeyer wrote in the Joplin Globe:

Brent Hugh says he hears the same question from cyclists:

How can a rider get from the western edge of Missouri’s Katy and Rock Island trail network to the eastern edge of Flint Hills Trail State Park in Kansas?

These are two of the longest rail-to-trail routes in the country already. The 290 miles of Katy/Rock Island spur will get you from Machens, near St. Louis, to Pleasant Hill, just south of Kansas City. Flint Hills Trail State Park is open and usable from Osawatomie, which is tantalizingly close to Kansas City, Kansas, to Council Grove, a distance of more than 90 miles. (Flint Hills Trail State Park is actually 117 miles long, although that section west of Council Grove is not improved and remains closed.)

The day will come when all this will be connected, likely through Kansas City.

The League of American Bicyclists has posted an article summarizing the INVEST in America Act, a major transportation bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress is planning to pass the federal transportation bill--updated every six years and setting U.S. transportation policy and funding for the next six-year period--by September.

On Thursday morning, the House of Representatives passed the INVEST in America Act, a key bill in the transportation reauthorization process that contains a massive $715 billion investment in surface transportation. . . . The League supported its passage because INVEST includes a significant expansion of funding for pedestrian and bicycle projects, and notably includes a national Complete Streets policy plus safety improvements. . . .  Its next step in the reauthorization process will be a conference committee with the Senate version of a similar bill. 

Australian bicycle industry reporter Phil Latz recently published an article in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News with his candid assessment of what has happened to the worldwide bicycle industry since the pandemic began, and what is likely ahead for the bicycle industry and local bike shops over the next year or so as the pandemic plays out.

His assessment of the next year for the bicycle industry is not very rosy--in part precisely because of the significant increase in demand for bicycles that the pandemic has instigated. 

If Latz is right, his suggestions are a must-read for anyone involved in the bicycle industry or owning, running, or working at a bike shop.  And his observations are both interesting and helpful for bicycle industry consumers as well:

If you own or work in a bike shop I would urge you to read this article. It might not make for happy reading, but I hope it will help you get through 2021 ... at least a little better than those dealers who don't read it. . . .

Come celebrate the completion of the Ruby Jack Trail extension with the Joplin Trails Coalition at the Ruby Jack Trail Jamboree! This 14-mile compacted limestone gravel trail now connects the cities of Carl Junction, Oronogo, and Carthage, and is ideal for cycling, running, or walking.

The Ruby Jack Trail Jamboree will take place on October 10, 2020. This free event kicks off with a ribbon cutting at 9:00 am at County Road 270, just northeast of Carl Junction, near 171 highway. Afterwards, residents are invited to bike, run, or walk the trail from any of its trailheads.

Participants can enjoy local food trucks at the Jamboree midpoint in Oronogo City Park from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and three live music sets at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, and 1:30 pm.

Information tents and water stations will be open at the Carl Junction Community Center, Oronogo City Park, and the Carthage Trailhead. Cyclists can pick up trail maps at these stations and see previews of the Joplin Trails Coalition’s upcoming plans and long-term projects.