The Kansas City bike map, the first ever in the city, is now available following a a ceremony Tuesday evening. The pocket-sized map shows both existing and new bike lanes and routes and trails. The map is also available online, where it will be updated regularly.
At the ceremony, the city revealed the progress it has made in becoming a more bike-friendly place. Here are some of the highlights from a city press release.
Kansas City, Mo., has moved from being ranked as the worst city for bicycling out of 50 U.S. cities in “Biking and Walking in the United States: 2008 National Benchmarking Report” to the 34th spot in 2012. To date, the City has constructed 24 lane miles of bike lanes, eight lane miles of sharrows, 352 lane miles of signed bike routes and 65 miles of trails.
“The City is committed to achieving the goal of becoming a platinum-designated bicycle-friendly community by 2020,” said Sherri McIntyre, Public Works director. “Adding bike lanes, trails and sidewalks is a priority for the City. We continue to evaluate the most cost effective means of constructing the facilities and leverage federal funds with local funds whenever possible.”
Designated a bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community, Kansas City will support the following events and activities in 2013:
– Host the annual Ride the Fountains Bike Tour, which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Friends of the Fountains
– Launch Ciclovia events
– Host Bike Week events
– Host National Trails Day events
– Complete a bike parking audit
– Install additional bicycle racks
– Assist with establishing walking school bus programs
– Complete a comprehensive bike master plan
– Continue to invest in infrastructure improvements encouraging a more active lifestyle
The City has 20,000 maps available for distribution and has posted the updated map to the City’s website at www.kcmo.org/bikekc. The online map will be updated periodically.
For more information regarding the City’s bicycle and pedestrian programs and infrastructure projects, please visit www.kcmo.org/bikekc or contact Deb Ridgway, bicycle pedestrian coordinator, at deb.ridgway@kcmo.org or via phone at 816-513-2592.
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