We make the papers

Ink, one of the alternative papers about town, published a bicycling issue this past week. They talked to me, but since I fall about 10 years past their target demographic, they found better subjects.

A great piece in the issue is this one on Using the Bike Racks on the bus, particularly in light of the BBC story where the reporter found the driver unable to explain the mechanism.

When all is said and done...

...more will be said than done. Particularly, in our fair city. Light rail, anyone?

The "worst city for bicycling" might be a little harsh, but nevertheless we have to start somewhere. If you've ridden in Kansas City, you know this report from the BBC to be quite accurate.

Every time we ride, and I rode home from taking my car to the shop in this drizzle this morning, we show someone that it can be done.

Critical Mass and Parking Lots

A post on the KC Critical Mass Listserve brought up this point:

"Reclaiming the streets?
One of your objectives (as a group-posted on several websites) is to
re-claim the streets. To reclaim something implies previous ownership
or possesion. Cyclists never owned the streets. If not for the horse
and buggy, followed by the automoblie there would be not streets.
Streets were not built for bikes. If they had been they would have
been more narrow and more bike friendly. I am all for bike lanes but
keep in mind that with out the autos, you would have no streets to
bike on."

Interesting and well thought out, but streets predate the horse and buggy, as well as the automobile, perhaps coinciding with the wheel. People own the streets. Streets were not invented to accomodate the automobile but for a place for commerce, public life, and other forms of interaction, etc.
Wikipedia

Horatio Earle is known as the "Father of Good Roads." Quoting from Earle's 1929 autobiography: "I often hear now-a-days, the automobile instigated good roads; that the automobile is the parent of good roads. Well, the truth is, the bicycle is the father of the good roads movement in this country." "The League fought for the privilege of building bicycle paths along the side of public highways." "The League fought for equal privileges with horse-drawn vehicles. All these battles were won and the bicyclist was accorded equal rights with other users of highways and streets."

"Horatio Earle is known as the "Father of Good Roads." Quoting from Earle's 1929 autobiography: "I often hear now-a-days, the automobile instigated good roads; that the automobile is the parent of good roads. Well, the truth is, the bicycle is the father of the good roads movement in this country." "The League fought for the privilege of building bicycle paths along the side of public highways." "The League fought for equal privileges with horse-drawn vehicles. All these battles were won and the bicyclist was accorded equal rights with other users of highways and streets."

Good Roads Movement
League of American Wheelman
Pedaling History

League of American Bicyclists


I would not claim to own the streets, nor would I want to, but I would observe, and I am not alone in this, that cheap energy has led to a gross misallocation of resources and a decline in civic life in America.

On another note, the Kansas City Star reported yesterday that "The city has reached an agreement — almost — with backers of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on fulfilling its pledge to provide $47 million for a parking garage." This lot will include 1000 spaces. $47,000 per space. At the same time, the annual support for the ATA, the bus service used by many thousands of people is $48 million.

In no other area, do we provide so much public storage for private assets as in parking. It would be unthinkable to leave any other piece of property unattended in someone else's space.

Cranksgiving

The newspaper reported over 200 riders. If so, there's still some out riding. Anyway, it was great to see people from all the cycling communities in this town out to help people. Thanks to Forester for the pictures and all his help.

Earlier that day, ©hrisGo, one of the other cycling shutterbugs about town was taking a few photos himself and got some of the same beautiful people

Cranksgiving

I was preparing an entry saying that we shouldn't have to have a tragedy to unite the Bicycler community of Kansas City. Then I was checking my email and saw Sarah's mention of the death in Independence.

Anyway, we (The Greater Kansas City Bicycle Federation) are putting on Cranksgiving this year.
Bicycists will fill the streets and the food pantry.

The Greater Kansas City Bicycle Federation took on this event,
in its second year. The event is called Cranksgiving and basically, it
is an alleycat race/scavenger hunt on the streets of Kansas City where
cyclists are given a manifest with 5 to 7 locations and go to purchase
food for donation to the Kansas City Community Kitchen (
http://www.episcopalcommunity.org/KansasCityCommunityKitchen/tabid/570/Default.aspx
). All items must be carried on their bicycles. There is no entry fee
for the event and the only requirement is to bring in non-perishable
foods, traditional Thanksgiving items.

Last year, over 100 riders rode in this event with a week's notice.
This year, we are aiming for 300.
Kansas City has developed a thriving urban cyclist scene, demonstrated
by Chris Thomas'
photoset on Flickr
http://flickr.com/photos/professorchrisgo/sets/72157602224779688/.

The ride will be followed by an awards ceremony. The awards ceremony
will be in the Sculpture Garden behind Grinders. Entertainment will
include 3 bands, Brainbow, David Hasselhoff on Acid, and the Jim
Button Band.

Awards will be given to top male finisher and top female finishe.
Another award will be given to the most generous, the one who brings
in the most food by bike will receive the Mott-Ly Cup. The Mott-Ly Cup
is named in memory of Mott-Ly, the deceased proprietor of the Mo-Mo
Gallery, and soul of the Crossroads District. It will be a travelling
trophy that will be engraved with the winner each year. Prize Sponsors
include Surly, New Belgium Brewery, Whole Foods Market, Re-Load Bags
and Swobo.
We start at 2 PM at the Discovery Center 4750 Troost Avenue Kansas
City, MO where everyone will receive a manifest and instructions on
what to buy. You'll ride to the 5-7 grocery stores, bring back your
items and receipts and meet at Grinders Pizza in the Crossroads
district for the check-in, after party and awards.

Again a bicyclist killed

It makes the news again. A 17 year old kid, so pointless.

From the Pitch's Best of files

This was initially published 5 years ago.
Best New Law (2002)
Bike KC
In August, an intrepid crew of wheeler-dealers finally convinced the
Kansas City, Missouri, City Council -- among them bike antagonist Ed
Ford, who could clearly use a little exercise -- to pass Bike KC. From
now on, new or rebuilt streets in Kansas City are supposed to be
bike-friendly. In the next year, the city will paint bike lanes onto
dozens of streets and put up signs marking bike routes. City Hall has
also promised to get rid of bike hazards such as storm grates.
Eventually, ubiquitous bike racks and public showers might even signal
that Kansas City has turned the corner and joined other bike-loving
big cities. Despite federal grants that'll help give the city a push,
our own observations of City Hall lead us to believe the bike
initiative may be in for an uphill ride -- but Bike KC supporters are
in for the long haul. We give them a tip of the helmet.

It's surprising to think that this was 5 years ago. Then another Jeff posted this.

I emailed this link out earlier this week and drew some responses. The city is moving with the hiring of a Bike/Ped Coordinator this year. She's been on the job now 3 months. The problem I have is the lack of expediency that was demonstrated by the city. If it hadn't been for some advocates pushing the city and a threatened loss of Federal funding. little would have happened.

So the lesson is this. City Hall and Politicians will do the minimum to pacify activists. To trust their good intentions is not enough. The Bike KC initiative should have been further along.

Who rides this town anyway?

Great work from our good friend, Chris Thomas (alias ChrisGo!)

Comments and thoughts

We haven't been blogging in awhile but from somewhere comes this:

Hi. I apologize this comment has nothing to do with the topic but I'm searching for an answer... I recently moved to Kansas City – the Brookside area – and I have discovered the bike trails with great enthusiasm! I am VERY surprised by the lack of bike racks in this area (in the short time I have been here, I have attempted to fraternize multiple businesses along the entire length of the Trolley Trail bike/walk trail only to be deterred by lack of ability to lock my bike upon entering the business) – there must be an explanation of which I am missing. Please explain, or point me to resources which will inform me as to why this basic resource is so lacking.

Thank you.

I don't get it either. The explanation is that we live in the least progressive city in the least progressive country in the civilized world. Bike racks don't cost much. There is a BikeKC Plan in place. Hardly anyone could argue that the Trolley Trail has been anything but a boon to the city and the area. Yet we keep moving forward with glacial speed. When I moved here back in the 70's, the city's slogan was "one of the few liveable cities left". Of course, since that time, the city has sprawled further and further out. Maybe our new slogan could be, "Lots of roads, we got lots of roads."

Yet, glacially, I see a few signs of progress. Critical Mass gets bigger every month. We have a thriving alleycat community. We debate helmet wearing and brakes among us now. This is a fun city to ride.