Missouri Bicycle News

MoDOT has released maps of the portion of the Mississippi River Trail that runs through Missouri.

• Southernmost portion (south of St. Louis to Cape Girardeau) [500K, PDF format]
  
• Middle Portion (near St. Louis) [500K, PDF format]
  
• Northern Portion (north of St. Louis to Hannibal) [400K, PDF format]

The Mississippi River Trail is a ten-state cycling route that covers over 2000 miles along the Mississippi River through Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin. permanent link to article: "MoDOT releases Missouri River Trail Maps"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/28/2003 03:12:00 PM |comment on this article

The final results of the first annual Bike/Ped Commuter Challenge have been posted. The top individual cyclist, Pete Barth, rode 224 miles for the week and the top cycling team, "Go Team Sprint", rode an average of 102 miles per team member. See the full results here.

Congratulations to all who participated! permanent link to article: "KC-area Bicycle/Pedestrian Commuter Challenge final results"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/28/2003 02:16:00 PM |comment on this article

KCTV5 reports that a 15-year-old cyclist was hit by a driver who ran a stop sign at Jefferson and West Pennway in Kansas City. The cyclist was not severely injured. The driver left the scene and police are attempting to locate the car and driver, reported to be a "newer model Mercury or Ford car . . . emerald green in color with Missouri plates . . . " driven by a "Hispanic male in his early to mid 30's."
permanent link to article: "KC police looking for hit-and-run driver who injured cyclist"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/24/2003 10:56:00 AM |comment on this article

St. Louis-area cyclist Bill Howells has been assaulted for the third time by students riding a Laidlaw school bus.

The first incident, on February 11th, 2003, Howells was struck by by a student leaning out the window holding a broomstick. The broomstick left a large welt on Howells' back.

The second incident, on March 13th, a student hung out the window and attempted to strike Howells with an orange stick. Howells managed to evade the blow and escape injury.

In the third incident, May 20th, Howells was struck in the neck by an object thrown from the bus.

The bus number and bus driver in the March 13th and May 20th incidents were the same.

Howells has repeatedly contacted Laidlaw Education Services, which operate the school buses. After the first incident, Laidlaw said that it was impossible to pinpoint the school bus, driver, or students involved, based only on Howells description of the bus and the time and location of the incident. After the second incident, they indicated that their policy is to "write up" the student, informing the school district, and that their responsibility ends there.

In the second incident, Laidlaw indicated that the bus driver knew the identity of the perpetrator. The school bus driver indicated that he would indeed write up the student, allowing the school principal to take action, but it is unclear if the student was written up or if the principal took action. In the third incident, the driver was uncertain which student threw the object.

The police have taken reports from Howells and have assigned a detective to the case. The detective has contacted Laidlaw and suggested that they remove any objects from their buses that could be used as weapons.

It should be noted that all three incidents were observed by a large number of witnesses (other students on the bus with the perpetrators and in one of the three cases, the bus driver) and that each incident is clearly a case of 2nd-degree assault, a class C felony under Missouri law. permanent link to article: "St. Louis-area cyclist attacked 3rd time by students in school bus"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/21/2003 02:28:00 PM |comment on this article

In recognition of Bike Month, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Health and Fitness section had a number of bicycling-related articles this week:

• Biking is on a roll, thanks to more area trails and Lance Armstrong
  
• Which bike is your type?
  
• A very good article by MoBikeFed Chair Bob Foster, entitled "Can cyclists and motorists learn to love one another?" (pass this one out to all your automobile-driving friends--and all you bicycling friends, too!)
  
• Sit back and enjoy the ride, about the virtues of recumbent bikes (yes, we ARE taking over the world . . . )

Congratulations to all those in the St. Louis BikeFed who have worked long and hard over the past two years to cultivate a good relationship with St. Louis-area media and to educate reporters and the public on cycling issues. permanent link to article: "St. Louis Post-Dispatch has major feature on bicycling"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/20/2003 03:02:00 PM |comment on this article

A group of bicycling puppeteers in Tower Grove Park Friday were stopped, arrested, handcuffed, taken to a nearby police station, processed, and held for six hours, according to a story in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The reason given by police for the initial arrest was that bicyclists over the age of twelve years need a license to operate in St. Louis.

After being held by police for about six hours the "bicycling without a license" pretext was dropped. The cyclists were charged with impeding traffic and released.

The "bicycle circus" is one group of many in St. Louis this week to protest at the World Agriculture Forum.

A few more details about the incident are given in a Jefferson City News Tribune article. A police spokesman quoted in the article confirms the gist of the story given in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.

Monday the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorialized:

It's easy to understand why the city was so concerned. . . . But next time, let's not arrest the bicycle circus. Let's not put anybody in jail - even for a few hours - for riding a bike without a license. After Sunday's peaceful protest, that kind of stuff doesn't just seem wrong. It seems silly.

Although these arrests were directed at protesters--and are undoubtedly part of the police's plan to break up such protests, using whatever legal pretexts are necessary--the use of bicycle-related laws to harass these cyclists must be seen by Missouri bicyclists as extremely disturbing.

St. Louis had a bicycle license requirement until about two years ago when it was repealed; no St. Louis-area bicyclist today has a bicycle license and police could use the excuse of "riding without a bicycle license" to arrest anyone on the street on a bicycle.

Although St. Louis has rescinded its bicycle license requirement, some other Missouri cities--Columbia, for instance--still have bicycle license provisions on the books. Such provisions are practically unknown to police and cyclists alike, but incidents like the one Friday show the potential of such discriminatory laws to increase police harassment of bicyclists.

The charge of "impeding traffic" is even more problematic for Missouri bicyclists. This excuse can be used by police to stop any bicyclist--and particularly, any group of bicyclists--at any time. Furthermore, St. Louis's "impeding traffic" law is clearly written so as not to apply to bicyclists:

No person shall operate a motor vehicle in such a way as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.

Furthermore, Missouri cities are required to pass laws which are not in conflict with state laws. The Missouri state law on impeding traffic is this:

No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law. (RSMo 304.011.1.)

Certainly riding a bicycle at its normal operational speed is required for its "safe operation" even if a bicycle can somehow be considered to be a "motor vehicle".

Missouri does not have a sterling record in regard to providing equal protection under the law for bicyclists and pedestrians. Too often, motorists who recklessly or carelessly cause serious injury to pedestrians and cyclists--or even kill them--are let off with little more than a slap on the wrist. Bicyclists calling police to report road rage incidents against them have been too often ignored or ridiculed. In at least one incident, the bicyclist had charges brought against him, rather than the assaulting motorist.

This latest discriminatory application of traffic laws against a group of bicyclists can only do more to undermine Missouri bicyclists' faith in due process and equal protection under the law.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation and other bicycle and pedestrian groups around Missouri are working hard to create more equitable laws, to educate police, prosecutors, and the public, and to bring disturbing incidents such as this one to the public's attention so that remedies may be found.

Friday's incident shows clearly that much more such work is needed in Missouri.

Further coverage of the incident:

• Post-Dispatch Letters to the Editor about the incident
  
• A well-written and detailed Associated Press article that includes this statement by St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa: "I wish we wouldn't have detained the people on bicycles."

permanent link to article: "St. Louis cyclists arrested by police on "bicycle license" pretext"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/17/2003 12:26:00 PM |comment on this article

According to a KCStar article, "A prominent victim of [recent changes in Switzerland's strategic defense thinking] is Switzerland's fabled bicycle brigade--the world's last remaining combat cyclist regiment. This is slated to be disbanded, much to the regret of traditionalists who say the 3,000 cycling militiamen are fast, efficient and cheap." permanent link to article: "Switzerland's bicycle combat bicycle regiment to get the axe"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/17/2003 11:06:00 AM |comment on this article

The Missouri Bicycle Federation, MoDOT's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and MoDOT Bike/Ped Coordinator Caryn Giarratano have been working to develop a bicycle map of Missouri. The map is designed to do two things:

• Show a grid of useful bike routes across the state and between major population centers and points of interest
  
• Show the relative bicycle suitability of all (rural) MoDOT-administered roads across the state

The Missouri bicycle mapping project is a huge undertaking. MoDOT administers 32,000 miles of roads across the state. Rating so many miles of roads for bicycle usage creates a large number of practical problems. Difficulty has been encountered in finding a set of bicycle suitability criteria that are appropriate for Missouri's rural highway system. And liability issues have prevented a number of states from publishing bicycle maps at all.

At times these difficulties have seemed insurmountable, but today Giarratano announced two major steps forward in creating a Missouri bicycle map:

• Approval has been given for the hiring of a consultant to develop a bicycle suitability index that will be appropriate for Missouri's rural highways. The consultant will then use MoDOT's computerized database of roadway data to apply the suitability index to all 32,000 miles of MoDOT roads. This will form the basis for the state-wide bicycle map.
  
• A proposed set of cross-state bicycle routes offered to BPAC by the Routes Subcommittee will be posted soon on the Missouri Bicycle Federation web site for consideration, comment, and suggestion by cyclists across the state. These routes are not MoDOT approved and will be posted for information, comment, and consideration only. [Update: Proposed Routes have now been posted, click here to visit the map page.]

Members of MoDOT's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee have developed this set of proposed bicycle routes. The proposed routes include 3 or 4 main cross-state routes ("bicycle freeways") in each direction (east/west, north/south) and a large number of alternative routes. The routes have been developed using traffic volume data and topography.


But most of the routes have not yet been "ground tested"--considering the amount of mileage in the routes, that would be not only difficult but actually impossible for any small group to do alone. That is where MoBikeFed members and other cyclists across the state come in--MoBikeFed will be soliciting your comments, suggestions, and input about the proposed routes.

Watch for the posting of a map of the proposed routes on the MoBikeFed web site within the next few days. [Update: Proposed Route Map posted 6/07/2003, click here to visit the map page.]

MoDOT has not always had bike/ped-friendly policies--in the early 1990s, MoDOT actually tried to exercise its discretion to refuse to spend federal dollars earmarked for bike/ped projects. But in the last several years some gradual changes in policy and culture have been evident. In the late 1990s MoDOT Director Henry Hungerbeeler announced a major change in policy, saying that MoDOT was fully behind the federal government's requirement, part of the federal TEA21 legislation, that "bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways shall be considered, where appropriate, in conjunction with all new construction and reconstruction, except where bicycle and pedestrian use are not permitted.".

But the fact that a major bicycle-related project like the Missouri Bicycle Map is starting to move forward under MoDOT's direction (and with an important dose of MoDOT funding) signals the dawn of a new day in MoDOT's bike-ped policy. Please understand that the Missouri Bicycle Map is far from reality and there are almost certainly significant obstacles that will have to be overcome before the map is finalized and published.

But even the fact that these preliminary steps are going forward is a very positive step forward in MoDOT's relationship with the bike/ped community. The Missouri Bicycle Federation is pleased to be able to work with MoDOT and with bicyclists across the state to help create this useful and much-needed resource for Missouri bicyclists. permanent link to article: "Missouri Bicycling Map moves forward; MoBikeFed to seek cyclist input"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/16/2003 10:01:00 PM |comment on this article

The Missouri Senate just had floor debate & two votes on House Bill 327, which had been amended by the Senate to include bike/ped-related provisions developed by the Missouri Bicycle Federation in cooperation with Missouri lawmakers, other bike/ped groups around the state, and other road-safety interest groups in the state.

In the debate on the Senate floor, Sen. Dolan, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, made clear that the Senators strongly supported several provisions added in the Senate's version, including the Bike/Ped provisions, and had worked hard to get these provisions accepted by the representatives in the Missouri House. But in conference committee the House members eliminated many of these provisions for various reasons.

So the version of HB 327 that came back to the Senate for final approval was missing the bike/ped provisions.

On the floor, Senator Dolan talked at some length about the provisions that were eliminated, including the bike/ped provisions.

Dolan indicated that he supported the bike/ped provisions and had worked hard, together with Sen. Joan Bray, who has been the Bike Fed's main contact point and sponsor in the Senate, to get them passed. Dolan especially complimented Bray for the hard work she had done in overcoming the objections of the insurance people and the trial lawyers and in working out language that was acceptable to all.

Sen. Bray talked about the importance of the bike/ped provisions and said she feels that bicyclists in Missouri aren't offered the sort of legal protection they need and "We don't want to be the kind of state where bicyclists don't want to come."

Sen. Dolan and Sen. Bray agreed that they will work together to get the bike/ped safety provisions passed next year. Sen. Dolan indicated that it will be the centerpiece of next year's Highway Safety Bill.

Then Senate voted to pass HB 327. But, again, though I haven't seen the bill's final text, as far as I know and could understand from the discussion from the Senate floor, all the bike/ped provisions have been removed from the bill.

What is in HB327? Provisions allowing low-speed vehicles (like golf carts) to use the roads under certain restrictions and regulations, provisions for compensating property owners for loss of left/right-turn access to highways in eminent domain proceedings, provisions for lighting/safety for horse-drawn carts, left-lane restrictions for heavy trucks, provisions about fraud in airbag installation, some technical provisions about gross vehicle weight, and some of the provisions increasing penalties teen drivers who speed or otherwise break traffic laws.

All together the bike/ped provisions received a hearing in the House Transportation Committee and received a "Do Pass" recommendation from the committee. They received a "Do Pass" recommendation from the Senate Transportation Committee. They were part of a Highway Safety Bill that came within minutes of passing the Senate when the bill was withdrawn by its sponsor. The provisions were added to HB 327 as a part of the Senate Committee substitute passed by the Senate in Thursday, April 15th. Due to objections by key House members, the provisions were removed from the final version of HB 327 that was passed by both the House and the Senate.

Thanks to the many cyclists from around the state who have worked on various aspects of the bill and have written their legislators in support of the bill. Your advocacy HAS made a difference and we have many friends and supporters in the Missouri legislature now.

Thanks to the many Missouri legislators and staff, on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of the legislature, who have worked hard to create the bike/ped provisions and help them move forward in both the Senate and the House.

And the fight has only begun. We WILL be back next year, working for better laws to ensure equal treatment under the law for bicyclists (and pedestrians). The progress we have made and the relationships we have forged this year give us a big head start for next year. permanent link to article: "Bike/ped provisions come within a whisker's breadth of passage on last day of 2003 Missouri legislative session"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/16/2003 03:09:00 PM |comment on this article

According to an article in the New York Post:

American teens have been getting fatter over the past two decades - not because they've been eating more, but because they've been exercising less, a study says.

Researcher Lisa Sutherland of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyzed federal data on the diet, weight and physical activity of kids 12 to 19. From 1980 to 2000, their calorie intake rose 1 percent and obesity rose 10percent, while physical activity dropped 13 percent.

Those percentages show that teens must have been getting fat primarily because they burned fewer calories.

The article has a small disclaimer that the study was "funded by an unrestricted grant from the National Soft Drink Association". Let that take you where it will . . . permanent link to article: "Study blames inactivity, not diet, for alarming increase in childhood obesity"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/15/2003 09:23:00 AM |comment on this article

Today's Kansas City Star has a fascinating article about the "epidemic" of overweight children in American society:

Eleven percent of adolescents 12 to 19 are considered overweight, nearly triple that number 20 years ago. Another 14 percent are at risk of becoming overweight.

The Star's story did not mention that Missouri teenagers are doing substantially worse than the national average: 23% are overweight and 17% at risk for overweight (see Promoting Healthy Weight in Missouri's Children [PDF format]).

"Overweight" is defined as above the 95% percentile of the student's particular age- and gender-based national norm for Body Mass Index.

Health experts agree, regardless of who or what is responsible, the message is easy to understand, if sometimes hard to digest: Teen-agers need to get off the junk food and get more active. . . .

[H]alf of all teens are considered physically unfit, and many more have poor body image or suffer from eating disorders. . . .

The cure is twofold: Teach parents how to feed children so they are at a reasonable weight when they start school, then help teens maintain their weight throughout high school.

"The No. 1 problem is convincing parents this is a problem.

"They have so many fears....Nutrition isn't even on the list of the top 10 things they fear," [says Robert Murray, associate professor of pediatrics at Ohio State University].

permanent link to article: "U.S. kids need to "get off the junk food and get more active""
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/14/2003 10:19:00 AM |comment on this article

Gary Baack & Nate King received the "Natural Resources Trails Service Award" for their volunteer work in the Jackson County Parks at the Volunteer Awards Banquet May 1. Their work was mainly on the Blue River Parkway trail.

From the awards presentation:

Over the past few years, remarkable improvements have been made to the trail system running through the Blue River Parkway. While many of the trails have been around for several years, the past few years have seen significantly increased maintenance activities-both major repairs in the winter and trimming in the spring and summer. Additionally, several new trails have been opened. As a result, these trails have seen a surge in popularity as a destination for mountain bikers, hikers, joggers, and other park users. The Blue River Parkway is truly one of the most scenic areas in the region and the trail improvements have allowed many more people to enjoy their awesome beauty.

Gary Baack and Nate King are responsible for much of this work, having put forth an extraordinary amount of effort. They worked hard throughout the year to make the trail system one of the best in the region. When the devastating ice storm struck, they gave up many hours of personal time--working tirelessly to get the trails reopened. After the trails were cleared from the storm, they continued working hard to complete the winter maintenance projects that had been delayed. Finally, they worked throughout the summer, trimming the weeds and otherwise keeping the trails in great shape. They are always willing to step in and work whenever and wherever needed, to ensure that the trails are well maintained.

Gary and Nate are invaluable assets to the Trail Watchers program, as well as to the residents of and visitors to Jackson County. Without their dedication and skill, many of these improvements would not have been possible.

The countless hours of volunteer work performed by Gary and Nate is outstanding and clearly deserves praise and recognition.

(Thanks to Ken Miner and Rob Stitt--two outstanding trail-building volunteers and EarthRiders members themselves--for bringing this award to our attention.) permanent link to article: "KC-area mountain bikers receive "Trails Service Award""
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/13/2003 12:14:00 PM |comment on this article

According to cyclist Neale Shour, posting on the KCBicycle email list, MoDOT has recently striped and re-opened Highway 169 running through Smithville, in northern part of the KC metro area near the airport. That section of Highway 169 now has bike lanes.

Hurrah for MoDOT! Sometimes they can make it happen . . . permanent link to article: "Bike lanes on Hwy 169 through Smithville"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/13/2003 12:22:00 AM |comment on this article

H. D. Hughes pleaded guilty this week to drunken driving and careless and imprudent driving. The charges stem from an incident in September 2002. According to the KCStar article:

Hughes could be sentenced later to up to 18 months. Prosecutors did not file a more serious manslaughter charge because police said Johnson was also drunk and stepped in front of the car.

permanent link to article: "Man sentenced for killing pedestrian in KC"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/13/2003 12:18:00 AM |comment on this article

The KCStar's Mike Hendricks wrote an amusing column encouraging people to sign up for the Kansas City metro areas first ever "Bicycle and Commuter Challenge", May 19-23:

As you might have guessed, I'm pretty pumped about this event. For once, maybe, I won't feel so alone biking the 6 miles between my house and The Star's Johnson County office.

One day last week, the only person I met on my route who wasn't in a car was Malcolm Garcia, one of our reporters just back from Afghanistan. I guessed the poor guy was still a little disoriented, having obviously mistaken College Boulevard for Kabul.

He was walking.

Read the rest of Mike's column here.

The Kansas City Business Journal covered the Bike/Pedestrian Commuter Challenge, as well. permanent link to article: "Last day to join KC's Bike/Ped Commuter Challenge"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/13/2003 12:08:00 AM |comment on this article

According to an article on KMIZ-TV's web site, "A new [Columbia] city law went into effect Saturday, requiring all children under the age of 16 to wear helmets when using bikes, roller skates, in-line blades, skateboards and scooters within the city limits."

The fine is between $5 and $25. It can be waived if parents provide proof of purchasing a helmet. permanent link to article: "Columbia, MO, implements helmet law for cyclists 16 and under"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/12/2003 06:02:00 PM |comment on this article

A majority of Americans want to bicycle more and are prepared to invest tax dollars in better places to bike, according to two new national polls released during National Bike Month. In a poll conducted last month by the firm Belden Russonello and Stewart (BRS), 53 percent of those polled supported increased federal spending on bicycle facilities, even if it means less gas taxes go to construction of new roads. Fifty-two percent said they would like to ride a bike more often.

A survey conducted by the Gallup Organization and just released by federal transportation agencies found that the changes Americans believe would most improve bicycling are the installation of more facilities for bicycling, including bike lanes, new paths, and better lighting and signals. 'Taken together, these results show Americans want to bike, and they want their roads to be bicycle friendly,' said Elissa Margolin, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists. 'As we celebrate National Bike Month, it is heartening to confirm that so many Americans support investments to improve bicycling in their communities.'

Fifty percent of respondents to the BRS poll supported requiring roads to include bicycle lanes or paths, even if it means less space for cars and trucks. Currently few states routinely provide for bicycle travel when building roads, and less than one percent of federal transportation funds are used to build either bicycling or walking facilities. Almost half of the respondents to the Gallup poll said they are very or somewhat dissatisfied with how their communities are designed for bicycling.

For more information, see the League of American Bicyclist's press release. permanent link to article: "Polls: Americans want better biking, walking facilities"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/09/2003 01:16:00 PM |comment on this article

Fellow Cyclists,

May is National Bike Month!

To celebrate, Trailnet is giving away two bicycles! Use your bike instead of your car when you can, then register in our drawing.

Use your bike to run errands, visit friends, go to work or just about anywhere. Then keep track of your May bike commuting miles and at the end of the month, register at the Trailnet web site.

You'll be entered to WIN either a Specialized Comfort Bike from Sunset Cyclery -or- a 2003, Limited Edition, New Belgium Brewing Cruiser Bike!

ALSO, Next Friday, May 16th, is NATIONAL BIKE TO WORK DAY. Trailnet will be set up between 6:30 to 8:30 AM at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. Enjoy goodies and tasty treats from Companion Baking Co. and meet our "Share the Road" TV ad spokesperson, Shandi Finnessey, Miss Missouri. AND witness the office of Mayor Slay present a proclamation of May as Bike Month! We're alerting the media so you might even get on TV. Can't ride the whole way? You can take your bike on MetroLink or MetroBus for no extra charge to the Forest Park Metro stop and roll on over to the festivities. If you want to drive over with your bike and ride from there, please park in the "twin" parking lots near the Davis Tennis Center.

PLUS, Got a Bike Commuting Question? Ask a BIKE MENTOR Online! Trailnet can team you up with your own personal Bike Mentor to help you get started as a bicycle commuter. These seasoned commuters can help you with route planning, clothing, gear selection, and any of your other questions and concerns. Just go to http://www.trailnet.org and click on Mentors.

Good riding,
Steve
Trailnet
bikerswanted @ trailnet.org permanent link to article: "Ride a bike, win a bike during Bike Month in St. Louis . . . "
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/09/2003 08:44:00 AM |comment on this article

According to a story in Tuesday's Independence Examiner, A 9-year-old Independence boy riding the wrong way on Crackerneck Road was hit by a car. He escaped without serious injury.

The driver of the car saw the bicycle approaching but was unable to turn out of the way in time.

The automobile driver in this collision must be commended for driving at a reasonable and proper speed--had the driver been speeding, the boy's injuries would likely have been more serious. If more Missouri drivers would drive at safe and reasonable speeds as this driver did, our streets would be far friendlier and safer for pedestrians and bicyclists--and for motorists!

Unfortunately, the fault in this collision must clearly be placed on the cyclist. Many cyclists (and parents of young cyclists) have forgotten that wrong-way cycling is not only illegal, but far less safe than riding on the right side of the road, with traffic.

Accident data clearly shows that wrong-way cycling leads to more car-bike crashes and the crashes that do happen are more severe.

Automobile drivers do not expect to see fast-moving bicycles coming towards them in their lane. And, at average bicycle speeds on residential streets, driver reaction time is more than cut in half by wrong-way cycling.

Drivers pulling out from side streets and driveways do not expect fast-moving bicycles coming towards them near the edge of the street from the wrong direction. Drivers typically don't even look there before pulling into the road.

Because, in wrong-way cycling, the cyclist and the automobile are moving towards each other, their speeds at the time of impact are added together. So the forces of impact of a wrong-way crash are as much as 700% higher than a similar crash in which the cyclist is riding on the right side of the road, with traffic.

Bicycling is, in general, a very safe sport. Considering the "big picture" of overall health and safety, bicycling is safer than driving and as safe or safer than walking. But cyclists who follow the rules of the road--for instance, riding on the right side of the road, with traffic--are far safer yet. permanent link to article: "Wrong-way cyclist causes crash in Independence"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/08/2003 12:08:00 PM |comment on this article

Hannibal and St. Joseph are piloting a new campaign designed to get more Missourians out walking and generally being more physically active. The campaign includes radio, billboard, newspaper, and TV advertising as well as special events to encourage people to get out and walk.

According to an article in the St. Joseph News-Press:

Heart disease, cancer and strokes account for 64 percent of the deaths in Buchanan County, said Stephanie Malita of the St. Joseph-Buchanan County Health Department. Even more alarming is the fact that 2,200 local residents are hospitalized each year with the same chronic diseases, she said.

Additionally, one in three residents in the county don’t participate in any physical activity, Ms. Malita said.

The Hannibal Courier Post covered the "Walk Missouri" campaign, as well. permanent link to article: "Hannibal & St. Joseph pilot "Walk Missouri Campaign""
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/07/2003 12:22:00 PM |comment on this article

According to an article in the Daily Kansan, the University of Kansas's Yellow Bike program is getting off to a slow start. Student government leaders are hopeful that with more advertising and word-of-mouth, the program will gradually become more successful.

For only $10, students can have unlimited use of Yellow Bikes parked in various areas around campus. permanent link to article: "KU's Yellow Bike program gets started"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/07/2003 11:54:00 AM |comment on this article

According to a St. Louis-area cyclist who has frequently patronized the Walgreens at 4200 Lindell, the store management has made it clear that they do not wish cyclists to shop at the store in the future.

The newly constructed building has been provided with no bicycle parking facilities, despite management promises that such facilities would be included. On the new building there are no rails, poles, or other "informal bike racks" to which one may lock a bike.

The cyclist had made the best of the situation by rolling his bike inside the store and parking it near the shopping carts. Recently the store's security officer made it clear that cyclists were no longer welcome to do that. He also made it clear that this was store policy.

The store's solution for cyclists to lock their bikes to a fence in the parking lot. Unfortunately the location of that fence allows cars pulling in to parking space to nose in and crush bicycles against the fence.

Other St. Louis-area cyclists have reported that other Walgreens have been friendlier to cyclists.

Bicycle racks are very inexpensive for businesses to install--a rack holding 6 or 8 bicycles takes less space and costs far less than paving the parking space for just one motor vehicle.

More and more, area residents are demanding that businesses provide reasonable pedestrian and bicycle accommodations as a matter of course. Cyclists are reluctant to leave bicycles (which may be worth upwards of $500) where they are vulnerable to theft or to be crushed by automobiles.

Read the report by Russ Willis here, and responses here and here.

A St. Louis-area cyclist forwarded these concerns to Walgreen's Investor Relations department and received this response from Walgreens:

Thank you for taking the time to email us with your concern regarding our store at 4200 Lindell Blvd.

Please be assured that Walgreens takes customer comments and complaints very seriously, and we will continue to try to improve the way we do business.

The above store at Lindell was just recently relocated which is why we currently do not have a bike rack. This location does have a bike rack on order that will be installed for our patrons. Due to safety concerns bikes are not allowed inside the store. We appreciate our cycling customers and in no way would we discourage them from shopping at Walgreens.

Again, thank you for taking time to bring your comment to our attention.

Sincerely,

Tammy Waller
Customer Service

Ref # 140729

permanent link to article: "A St. Louis-area Walgreens snubs cyclists; response from Walgreens"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/07/2003 08:50:00 AM |comment on this article

The Kansas City Star's "Bike Guy", columnist Mike Hendricks, recently wrote about a problem intersection in Kansas City, in the area between the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Rockhurst University.

This is the crosswalk in which UMKC music student Pei Chen was recently killed by an automobile speeding in a school zone and illegally passing cars stopped to let Chen cross. Hendricks writes:

How many pedestrians will be run down in the crosswalk at 53rd Street and Troost Avenue before the city installs a stoplight there?

More than four, which is the number of people on foot -- including one fatality -- hit at that crossing in the last four years.

"...Based on...traffic volumes, pedestrian activities and guidelines set nationally," the Kansas City Public Works Department reports, "pedestrian signals are not justified at this T-intersection at this time."

Hendricks quotes KCMO city councilman Jim Rowland who says, "Unfortunately, somewhere along the way we've lost the notion of what it means to be a pedestrian-oriented society."

The motorist who killed Chen has been charged with reckless and imprudent driving, a misdemeanor. Drivers who negligently kill pedestrians in most other states are routinely charged with involuntary manslaughter or negligent homicide. Under Missouri law such charges are possible as well, but Missouri prosecutors rarely bring them when pedestrians and cyclists are killed by motorists, regardless of the degree of negligence involved. permanent link to article: "Mike Hendricks: What to do about a killer crosswalk?"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/06/2003 11:03:00 PM |comment on this article

According to an STLToday article:

A 7 year old St. Charles County girl was killed about 8:30 this morning when she stepped onto Highway D toward her school bus and was struck by a truck . . .

[T]he school bus was westbound on Highway D and was rolling to a stop near Annabelle's driveway with its yellow lights flashing. Its stop sign had not yet swung out, Nothum said, and the driver of the bus was motioning the girl to stay off of the roadway.

When she did step onto the highway, she was hit by a flatbed truck.

The police do not plan to lay charges against the truck driver. permanent link to article: "Schoolgirl killed by truck at school bus stop"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/06/2003 10:48:00 PM |comment on this article

An 87-year-old man who killed a young pedestrian in a crosswalk last year has had his driving privileges revoked and received a sentence of five years of probation. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article:

Christopher had just finished his shift as a crossing guard the morning he died. The fifth-grader was still wearing his bright orange safety belt when he headed for class, venturing onto Chambers Road under the protection of a red traffic signal and an adult crossing guard carrying a stop sign.

Haravitch told police he never saw them. . . .

Missouri does not require older drivers to prove their competence behind the wheel unless a complaint is received, typically from a relative, doctor or police officer. Illinois mandates a road test every four years beginning at age 75 and yearly after age 86.

Missourians can report an unsafe driver to the Missouri Department of Revenue using a form available online. permanent link to article: "Driver who killed schoolboy in crosswalk receives probation"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/06/2003 10:44:00 PM |comment on this article

According to an article on STLToday, an ATV rider crossed the centerline of Washington County Route A about 8 P.M. Saturday. He struck bicyclists Justin Freeman, 12, of Richwoods. Freeman died Monday morning.

By Missouri state law, ATVs may not be legally driven on the road, with very limited exceptions. permanent link to article: "ATV driver kills cyclist in Richwoods"
posted by Brent Hugh at 5/06/2003 09:53:00 PM |comment on this article