News items represent the views of the original writer or publisher, and not necessarily those of the Missouri Bicycle Federation, Inc.
$25 million Columbia non-motorized pilot project moves forward
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
The non-motorized pilot project funded by the recently passed federal transportation bill, will give Columbia, Missouri, $25 million over about 4 years to develop a complete walking/bicycling/wheelchair network.
The pilot program is designed to test whether making a complete community bicycle/pedestrian friendly can have a real impact on reducing traffic congestion, fuel use, and pollution while leading to real increases in the number of residents walking, bicycling, and using transit to travel.
Columbia residents and leaders have been in limbo since the program was first announced. Because no guidelines or procedures have been put in place, no decisions about particular projects, goals, or priorities can be made.
Columbia officials hope a meeting with federal highway officials next month will clear up uncertainties about a pilot project aimed at improving trails, sidewalks and bicycle lanes to make the city more pedestrian-friendly.
Federal Highway Administration officials are tentatively scheduled to meet Dec. 13-15 in Washington, D.C., with Mayor Darwin Hindman and representatives from three other communities taking part in the project. The agenda features discussions about the implementation of the project.
Columbia was selected earlier this year to participate in the Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program, which allocates federal transportation dollars to connect trails, bicycle lanes, sidewalks and neighborhoods. Since then, specific information about the project has been scarce, and no plans for the money have been made.
Reward offered for info about driver who left scene of fatal bicycle collision in 2003
A bit of good news--a Highway Patrol Lieutenant is taking seriously the job of finding the person who killed bicyclist Claude Delaney Minner in December 2003. The highway patrol has put out a reward and gotten press coverage.
Missouri Highway Patrol Lt. Jim McNiell said he still hopes to learn who killed Claude DeLaney Minner on Dec. 3, 2003. The enticement of a $1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the driver of the vehicle that ran over Minner could bring a witness forward, he said. . . .
This is the first time in his 28 years as a highway patrol officer that a reward has been offered in an effort to solve a hit-and-run case, McNiell said.
“We are trying to expend every effort to solve this,” he said. “We still feel like it is a local person who ran over him and we hope the reward will help entice someone who knows something to come forward.”
The accident occurred at 5 p.m. Dec. 3, 2003, at Route U at New Madrid’s city limits. Minner was riding a bicycle and although some daylight remained, the Patrol’s report notes the weather was rainy and foggy.
Minner’s bicycle was struck in the rear by an eastbound vehicle. The force of the blow threw Minner onto the hood of the car, where he remained briefly before sliding off into the center of the road. The car’s driver stopped following the accident.
A second motorist swerved to avoid striking the man, who was now lying across the roadway. The woman driver, a nurse, turned her car around, hoping to be able to aid Minner.
She later told officers she saw a black extended-cab truck approaching the man and despite her efforts to alert the driver to the situation she watched the vehicle run over Minner. The witness said the driver, a young white male wearing a baseball cap, left the scene.
An autopsy indicated the fatal injuries to Minner were caused by the second vehicle to strike Minner, the extended-cab truck.
“We have very few leaving-the-scene accidents we don’t solve but there are some,” said McNiell. In this case, he explained, there was no evidence left at the scene; Minner was killed by the wheels running over him. . . .
Hopefully, McNiell continued, the reward will bring someone forward with the information. “We have never forgotten Delaney Minner,” he said. “This case will stay open until we get it solved.”
Those who have information about the crime can contact McNiell at the Troop E substation in Sikeston at 472-5200, extension 2221 or Ward at the New Madrid County Sheriff’s office at 748-2516.
Karen Karabell named new St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation chair
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Central West End resident Karen Karabell took office as chair of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation on Sunday, Nov. 13, at the annual meeting of the 150-member bicycling advocacy group.
"Karen has been a board member since November 2004 and has shown a great deal of skill and passion in a number of bike advocacy projects," said outgoing Chair Bob Foster. "Her organizational abilities, vision and energy, will serve St. Louis cyclists well as the Bike Fed moves forward."
In another leadership change, Webster Groves resident Ben Hockenhull has been appointed to the new position of chair-elect. A part time employee of the Bike and Rack Shack and one of two leaders in the restoration of Bicycle Works, Hockenhull has been on the Bike Federation board since 2003.
The other officers of the Bicycle Federation are:
Vice Chair: Jason McClelland Treasurer: John Sweet, M.D. Secretary: Carrie Zukoski Past Chair: Bob Foster
The board members of the Bicycle Federation are:
Martin Pion Wes Ridgeway Patrick Van Der Tuin Russell A. Willis, III
In other business, the Bike Federation began forming committees to pursue priority projects, in Bicycle Parking, Commuter Education and the Annual Bicycle Swap Meet and Classic Bike Show. The members also amended the Bylaws to permit creation of an advisory board.
In an important victory for cyclists everywhere, the Kentucky Supreme Court has struck down a decision blaming a cyclist for being on the road when a passing vehicle hit her. In reaching this decision, the Supreme Court specifically noted that a driver's duty when passing a cyclist such as the plaintiff in this case requires that the driver not pass "unless he can do so without interfering with the safe operation of [the] bicycle, and that if, in fact he did pass [the cyclist] that he not drive to the right until he was reasonably clear of [the cyclist]."
"This decision is important because it reaffirms cyclists' right to the roads. As an appellate decision, it is binding precedent for future cases in all of the courts in Kentucky," says League Region 1 Director John S. Allen, who has served as an expert witness in bicycling cases. "And we can expect the decision, as it is by a state Supreme Court, to be cited by other courts in future cases throughout the United States."
The League, with in conjunction with local Kentucky bike clubs, filed an amicus brief in support of the cyclist.
Woman gets three years probation for killing pedestrian then hiding evidence
Yet more evidence that we need to take more seriously the problem of drivers who recklessly kill and then get off nearly scot-free:
A guilty plea was entered Monday morning in St. Louis Circuit Court by the teenage woman who was driving a car on McCausland that struck and killed an elderly woman last December before driving away from the accident scene and then allegedly trying to hide the vehicle.
Jene Inman, 19, of Webster Groves is charged with two felonies in the case, leaving the scene of an accident as well as tampering with evidence, which was filed against her last January after a lengthy investigation by St. Louis Police. . . .
Inman was sentenced to three years probation. She plead guilty to both charges in the case. Her brother has a December 12, 2005 court date pending.
Suspects apprehended in murder of Kansas City bicycle commuter
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Two suspects have been apprehended in the murder of a Kansas City man who was bicycle commuting home from an overnight shift about 6AM Sunday morning, November 20th.
The two suspects have told police investigators that they were bored, looking for something to do, and so decided kill someone. Their first plan was to knock on area doors, shooting the first person who answered. Then they stalked a woman driving a car. Then they followed Robert Osborn, 43, stopping to fire at him twice from their vehicle and missing both times. Police believe Osborn may not have heard these shots or realized he was being fired at.
The two men then drove their vehicle ahead of Osborn, hid behind a tree, and then shot him in the back of the head as he passed by.
After the two men fled, a coworker of Osborn's who happened to be driving by stopped to give aid. A passer-by who is a paramedic unsuccessfully tried to revive Osborn.
One of suspects, in jail on an unrelated charge, gave information about his role in the killing to police investigators. This information led to the identification of the second suspect and his surrender several days later.
The shooting happened near 47th and Blue Ridge Blvd in Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Osborn regularly commuted by bicycle from his home in the Raytown area to his work at Hyvee on 40 Hwy.
Police believe this murder may be related to other recent area homicides that also appear to be random, but no charges have been filed at this time.
According to a coworker, Osborn not only rode his bicycle to work, but pretty much everywhere he went.
The Missouri Bicycle Federation and the Greater Kansas City Bicycle Federation are planning a ride in memory of Mr. Osborn.
Plans are for the ride to meet at the Hyvee parking lot, 40 Hwy and Noland Rd in Kansas City, MO at 11AM, Sunday, December 11th. Please contact brent@brenthugh.com for more details.
They are toys, small and not readily visible, cause needless accidents and impede the efficient movement of licensed, registered, insured, taxpaying vehicular traffic, and they are incompatible with the intended and normal use of the public streets and roads.
Sounds good. Why not apply that identical criteria to bicycles, which have all the same descriptions - toys, not readily visible, frequent serious accidents, impede traffic, etc.?
Our community leaders and legislators are unwilling to address controversial issues that will stir the wrath of the very few, but loud, fanatics.
Bicycles are not permitted on the interstate highway system and, along with pocket bikes, should not be permitted on most city, county and state streets and roads.
I have to agree whole heartedly about the keeping pocket bikes off the streets. They are dangerous for several obvious reasons.
But I also do not believe they belong on recreational trails . Actually, I m not sure where they belong, but that s not the point of this letter. Mr. Reece has the opinion that bicycles are toys and do not belong on city streets.
Most Federal state and local laws allow bicycles on city streets and highways. I agree that bicycles are not (and should not) be allowed on the interstate highways. The rate of speed combined with volume of traffic make for very dangerous conditions. The correct combination of adequate road width, rate of speed and traffic volumes can make most streets appropriate.
More people than you think use bicycles to transport themselves. Identifying and planning with those factors in mind; as well as education of bicyclists and motorists on interaction are both important to increase safety and awareness.
Bicycles can be a VERY effective way to get around town and actually SEE and FEEL your neighborhood, and the city. How many of you know that the first streets constructed were done in order to accommodate bicycles? Sure, times have certainly changed. But the feeling of powering yourself across town has not. Try it some day.
Misunderstood issues about the Katy Bridge at Boonville
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Recent articles about the Katy Trail at Boonville have given information that is factually false or misleading.
News articles on this subject have repeated many of these incorrect arguments many times.
This Missouri Bicycle Federation's interest in this matter is to protect the rights and interests of Katy Trail users and to ensure the existence of the Katy Trail as a whole. Many of the current arguments and actions taken with regard to the bridge have had a clear political color to them.
Our position is that the Katy Trail is a state park, one of Missouri's gems, and protecting it for the use of Missouri's citizens and visitors goes far beyond politics or partisanship.
"There is absolutely no substance to the argument that the removal of that bridge could create a severance of the trail," said Kurt Schaefer, DNR's deputy director and general counsel. "The trail doesn't go over the bridge, it's never gone over the bridge. So there's no interference with any rights they would have as users of the trail."
MoBikeFed's Response: There are two completely separate issues here:
A potential break in the Katy Trail
A break in the underlying Katy railroad corridor
A break in the trail would inconvience trail users. However, such a break does not threaten the legal status of the Katy Trail. Removing the Katy Railroad Bridge at Boonville does not break the Katy Trail. No one has suggested that it does.
A break in the underlying Katy railroad corridor does indeed threaten the legal status of the entire Katy Trail.
This is the sort of break that removing the (currently unused) Katy Railroad Bridge would create.
The problem is that in order to maintain railbanked status, the rail line must be able to be used again as a rail corridor.
Any point where it becomes impossible to re-establish such future trail use creates a break in the line for railroad purposes.
Giving up the Katy Bridge and, more importantly, the railroad right-of-way needed to cross the river at that point does indeed create a break in the rail line.
This is the important fact that threatens the existence of the Katy Trail--not the break in the Katy Trail itself (there is no such break!) but the break in the Katy rail right-of-way that threatens the railbanked status of the Katy railroad corridor.
An additional issue: Even if the Missouri DNR chooses to give up the railroad bridge, it could have (and still could) take positive steps to preserve the rail right-of-way and thus prevent or reduce the threat to the railbanked status of the Katy line. For instance, they could have entered into an agreement with the railroad that preserved the right to the railroad right-of-way even though the physical bridge is removed.
The deal specifically excluded the Boonville bridge from the sale. But it gave the state the right to use the bridge for the trail if it assumed liability on terms acceptable to the railroad.
MoBikeFed's response: This is true as far as it goes. However, the article fails to mention that the original agreement that created the Katy Trail gave the state a specific second right in regards to the Katy Bridge that is actually more important than the right to use the bridge as part of the Katy Trail:
MKT agrees that said bridge shall be kept available for transportation purposes in accordance with ICC decision ex parte No. 274 (Sub.-No. 13)
This means that, regardless of whether the bridge is actually used as part of the trail, and even though the railroad retains ownership of the bridge, the railroad agreed to keep the bridge available for transportation purposes.
This is important because of the reasons outlined above: If the bridge becomes unavailable for transportation purposes (that is, railroad use) then a break is created in the Katy railroad corridor, leading to all the problems outlined here.
When the Katy Trail was created, both the railroad and the DNR saw the problems that could happen if the railroad right-of-way was broken at Boonville. That is why they took specific steps in the Katy Trail Interim Agreement to ensure that the rail right-of-way was not broken.
When the Missouri DNR agreed in April 2005 to give up to the Katy Bridge to Union Pacific Railroad, the agreement they signed at that time specifically acknowledges both of the rights the DNR had in the bridge. The DNR specifically agrees to give up both rights:
First, the right to use the bridge for trail purposes is given up:By separate document MDNR [the Missouri Department of Natural Resources] will release its right under paragraph 6 of the Agreement to utilize the Boonville lift bridge (MKT Bridge No. 191.1) for trail purposes,
Second, the right to have the bridge kept available for transportation purposes is given up:and agrees that UP [Union Pacific] may consummate the abandonment of the bridge and remove it.
The term "abandonment" is a technical legal term, which in this case means that Union Pacific will give up the right to use the bridge as a railroad transportation corridor.
Again, the main points:
Even though the Katy Trail does not cross the Missouri River on the Katy Bridge, abandoning the Katy Bridge still threatens the railbanked status of the underline rail line (which is a distinct entity from the trail). Thus abandoning the bridge in the way DNR has chosen to do it does indeed threaten the existence of large sections of the Katy Trail.
It may be possible for the DNR to give up the actual bridge while still maintaining the necessary right of way for railroad use. Howebver, DNR did not do so in the April 2005 agreement and shows no sign of doing so now.
The Katy Trail has enemies who have not hesitated to bring lawsuits against the trail in the past. These foes of the trail have pursued the lawsuits as far as the United States Supreme Court--so we know that, though they may be few, they are tenacious and determined.
This suggest that any chink in the legal armor protecting the existence of the Katy Trail will be fully exploited.
Abandoning the Katy Bridge, especially in the manner the DNR has done it, has created many chinks for these foes and their lawyers to exploit.
permanent link to article: "Misunderstood issues about the Katy Bridge at Boonville"
posted by Brent Hugh at
11/23/2005 03:20:00 PM |comment on this article
Group sues over Katy Bridge at Boonville giveaway
The Great Rivers Environmental Law Center has filed suit on the issue of the Katy Bridge at Boonville. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has signed an agreement giving the bridge, which is part of the Katy railroad right-of-way, to Union Pacific.
Union Pacific wants to dismantle the bridge and use it in another location.
Many familiar with the arcane rules of federal railbanking law--the law that allows rail corridors to be converted for use as rail trails--worry that giving away the Katy Bridge right-of-way and removing the bridge will endanger the railbanked status of the entire trail.
"I've been a longtime user of the Katy Trail, mostly bicycling but also some hiking, and I've ridden many, many miles," the lawsuit's lead plaintiff, Ken Midkiff, said Tuesday. "It was my concern that any severance of the trail might jeopardize the entire trail." . . .
"There is absolutely no substance to the argument that the removal of that bridge could create a severance of the trail," said Kurt Schaefer, DNR's deputy director and general counsel. "The trail doesn't go over the bridge, it's never gone over the bridge. So there's no interference with any rights they would have as users of the trail." . . .
At issue in both the new lawsuit and Nixon's is a 1987 agreement in which the state obtained 200 miles of rail line from the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad under a federal law that lets abandoned rail beds get turned into trails -- so long as they are preserved for potential railroad use in the future.
The deal specifically excluded the Boonville bridge from the sale. But it gave the state the right to use the bridge for the trail if it assumed liability on terms acceptable to the railroad. . . .
That's one reason the environmental group decided to file its own lawsuit, said the group's attorney, Bruce Morrison.
"They want the court to see this is not a political battle between two individuals who hope to be governor, but that the trail is of importance -- as is the bridge -- to the users of the trail," Morrison said
The environmental group sued after the Department of Natural Resources opposed its attempt to filed a friend of the court brief in Nixon's original suit.
St. Vincent Greenway, featuring a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail, will connect three major parks and small neighborhood parks, seven MetroLink stations, a major new historic or cultural attraction, a university campus and new and planned future economic developments. It will follow Engelholm Creek, a tributary of River Des Peres.
St. Vincent Greenway will be part of a "River Ring" of interconnecting greenways, parks and trails that Great Rivers and its counterpart in Illinois are building throughout the region. In Missouri, the district is funded by a voter-approved one-tenth of one cent sales tax that brings in about $10 million a year. About 600 miles of River Ring greenways eventually will criss-cross the bistate region.
Washington's bill includes a provision similar to Missouri's, requiring motorists to pass bicyclists at a safe distance. Washington's bill also adds a second provision, which prohibits motorists on two-lane roads from passing other vehicles when bicyclists or pedestrians are oncoming.
The bill was prompted by an incident in which one car passing another collided with and killed a bicyclist.
Over the past couple years, Adventure Cycling has received so many complaints that they are thinking about rerouting the trail so that it doesn't go through St. Francois County. Cyclists say their concerns are rude motorists who don't respect cyclists rights and also the condition of the roads that don't have shoulders. . . .
Tim White, who opened his bicycle shop across from the St. Francois Courthouse five years ago, said he is getting fewer and fewer customers from the TransAmerica route.
He believes it is because the Parkland joins part of Kentucky in having the worst reputation for the way motorists treat cyclists. He said those who have bicycled through the area get on the Internet and post messages about how they have been treated. . . .
White said he heard of one cyclist renting a car in Steelville and driving through the area to Chester where they get back on the bike.
He said 22 TransAmerica riders came into his store this summer. Two years ago, he had almost 100 TransAmerica riders come in and the year before, he had 141 TransAmerica riders stop in.
“We're losing these people because of the way they are being treated,” he said.
The article points out that Missouri needs to do much more to make bicycling tourists feel more welcome--everything from improving the roads to installing signs marking the routes and helping businesses be more welcoming to visiting bicyclists.
Both State Rep. J.C. Kuessner, D-Eminence, and State Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, would like to see the route continue to go through Iron and St. Francois counties because it brings in revenue and boosts tourism.
Engler said they are working to get Routes W and V wider. He said W is one of the most traveled lettered routes with no shoulder. He estimates about 10,000 motorists travel it each day.
Engler said motorists and cyclists need to use common sense when encountering each other on the roadway. He said bicycles have a right to be on the roadway and unfortunately, many of the roads are narrow. . . .
According to a District 9 official, a shoulder paving and road resurfacing project for both routes would cost about $4.2 million. Officials are hoping to get the project on the five-year state transportation improvement plan but the first step is to get it approved by Southeast Missouri Regional Planning in Perryville.
There are numerous vehicle accidents on both routes. Kuessner believes it is due to the routes not having a shoulder and there not being a place to safely pass.
Farmington area cyclists push for safer roads; Bicycle Safety Bill helps
Friday, November 18, 2005
An article in last week's Daily Journal details the efforts of the Parkland Cycling Club to improve bicycling conditions in their part of the state. Besides the difficulties outlined in the article, tworecent bicycle fatalities and a veryserious bicycle injury have happened in southeast Missouri recently.
The article begins:
Emily Vasquez is on a mission.
And so are Virginia Blaine and Diana Dussold and the rest of the members of the Parkland Cyclists Club.
The group that formed to promote cycling is now on a mission to keep roads safe for bicyclists and they're talking to anyone who will listen.
“We've had club members yelled at to get off the road,” Vasquez said. “Diana (Dussold) got flipped over the hood of a car and her bike was totaled. Virginia (Blaine) has been honked at, given (a hand gesture) and told to get off the road on Pimville and get on a trail.
“Another member had a car pull over to her (she was riding in the shoulder) and a teenager leaned out of the window and yelled, ‘get off the road ...'”
They've had people sic dogs on them. Some people have had firecrackers, cans and bottles thrown at them.
“The worst incident was when I was riding south (on) the shoulder on Highway 67 going into Farmington and someone came halfway in the shoulder to see if he could scare me or force me off of even the shoulder,” David Rauls said.
The article details the provisions of Missouri's new bicycle safety bill, promoted by MoBikeFed and other advocacy groups around the state:
Cyclists do have the right to ride on the road.
In fact, in July, Gov. Matt Blunt signed the 2005 Missouri Bicycle Safety Bill, promoted by the Missouri Bicycle Federation and sponsored by Sen. Kevin Engler.
“Because cyclists often have to share the roads and highways with motor vehicles, the Missouri General Assembly this year enacted new highway safety rules to protect cyclists,” Engler said. “The legislation includes a number of measures relating to bicycle safety as well as the duties owed to bicyclists by motorists.”
For example, the act prohibits blocking or obstructing a designated bicycle lane with a parked or standing motor vehicle or other stationary object. Cars and trucks may be driven in a designated bicycle lane only for the purpose of crossing the lane or to provide safe travel.
If a driver must travel in or cross a designated bicycle lane, the driver must yield to any bicycle in the lane.
In order to reduce the number of collisions between motorists and cyclists, the law requires motorists overtaking a cyclist as they travel in the same direction to leave a safe distance when passing the bicycle and maintain that distance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.
“Many roadways in Missouri were not designed to accommodate designated bicycle lanes, so cyclists are forced to share the roads with cars and trucks, creating potential hazards for both the motorist and the cyclist,” Engler said. “SB 372 allows bicycles operating at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic to operate on the shoulder adjacent to the roadway. The cyclist riding on the shoulder must travel in the same direction as other vehicles operating on the roadway.”
Finally, the act requires bicyclists to signal their turns, although the rider does not have to signal continuously by hand and arm if the hand is needed to control the bike.
“Cycling is a great form of exercise and a fantastic way to explore the beauty of the Show-Me- State,” Engler said. “These new bicycle-friendly provisions will help to ensure the safety of cyclists who share the roads with motorists and by reducing the potential for collisions.”
The League of American Bicyclists American Bicyclists update, distributed to thousands of bicyclists across the country, recently led off with this item:
Bike Safety Legislation Works Missouri recently passed bicycle safety legislation, and it is already having a noticeable effect: Cyclist Jon Cunningham of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. was riding at the fort when the mirror of a passing car hit him. Because the new law requires motorists to leave a safe distance when passing a bicyclist, the driver of the vehicle was fined $1,000. To read more, click here. To see copies of the Missouri state statutes regarding bicyclists and pedestrians, click here.
Over and over again, DOTs found themselves fighting with local governments, environmental groups, historic preservationists and community activists. The fault lines typically broke in a familiar way. Engineers wanted to widen roads, take out trees or sidewalks, and bulk up bridges, where opponents thought a simple repaving or minor bridge fix would do. Gradually DOTs began to see that they had to become more flexible if they wanted to finish projects rather than haggle over them. Scott Bradley, head of landscape architecture for the Minnesota DOT, puts it this way: “The old cookbook approach of using design guidelines and cranking it through the computer to tell us what the physical form of a road should be no longer flew.”
The initial response within the highway engineering profession came to be known in the late 1990s as “context-sensitive design.” No longer would engineers design roads as though only asphalt dimensions mattered. Now, they would take into account the surroundings. Is the road going through a scenic landscape? An urban neighborhood? A shopping district? Settings mattered. Process mattered, too: DOTs would ask stakeholders, typically the very people who had been holding up projects, how they wanted the roadway designed.
Suddenly, long-stalled road projects began moving again. . . .
Context-sensitive design often produced better results, but the process was still flawed. DOTs continued to view public outreach as an afterthought. Moreover, many engineers came to think of superficial treatments — brick-clad overpasses or medians planted with wildflowers — as wampum for buying off community opposition. Engineers preferred to fixate on aesthetics rather than meddle with their underlying assumptions about roadways. “Context-sensitive design” has evolved into “context-sensitive solutions.” The difference is much more than semantics.
A recent project in Connecticut, heralded as context-sensitive design, is an odd case in point. The state DOT built a downtown bridge in the city of Willimantic that is playfully presided over by four giant statues of frogs — an homage to the loud bullfrogs that surprised early settlers there in the 1700s. The “frog bridge” is now a popular local attraction. But don’t expect to find anybody walking across it, says Norman Garrick, a University of Connecticut engineering professor. “It’s still a hostile environment for pedestrians,” he notes. “DOTs in most states still think that context-sensitive design has something to do with beautifying the road and aesthetic treatments. They’ve not come to grips with how roads that are designed like highways in the middle of cities affect the urbanity of the place.”
That shortcoming is what engineers are now addressing. This is where the true revolution in thinking about highways begins. “Context-sensitive design” has evolved into “context-sensitive solutions.” The difference is much more than semantics. “Design” assumed, as engineers always had, that transportation problems required some sort of construction to fix them. “Solutions” implies a broader, more objective view — one that may not result in any road construction at all. It also suggests that community stakeholders might have better ideas for how to address problems than engineers do.
The Kansas City chapter of the American Institute of Architects has taken a position on the proposed expansion of the I-35/29 Paseo Bridge. The organization's members think the Missouri Department of Transportation's plan to widen the crossing from four lanes to 10 is too much.
The group's members also say no further planning should be done without involvement of residents in the Columbus Park neighborhood and a thorough examination of how the traffic would flow from the bridge into downtown.
The group also said any new bridge should include high-occupancy vehicle lanes and accommodations for bicyclists.
MoDOT ready to roll out new Safe Routes to School Program
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The new federal transportation bill authorized $615 million for a new nationwide program called Safe Routes to Schools. Missouri's share, starting at $1 million per year and growing to $3 million per year, will be administered by MoDOT.
MoDOT is now in the midst of hiring a Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator and establishing the general parameters of the new program.
Safe Routes to School has the potential to dramatically increase the number of children who walk and bicycle to school, and to improve our communities for bicycling and walking.
MoBikeFed has been working with MoDOT to encourage MoDOT to create the most effective Safe Routes to School program possible.
Our goal is for the federal funding to seed pilot Safe Routes to School program in numerous schools throughout Missouri, leading eventually to the Safe Routes program being established in every elementary and middle school in the state.
MoBikeFed supports these points:
MoDOT must hire the right person as Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator--a person with a strong personal interest in bicycling and walking who can reach out to coordinate this important program with government agencies, teachers, parents, students, and community leaders.
MoDOT should establish a Safe Routes to Schools Steering Committee that will pull together stakeholders and organizations with expertise from across Missouri.
MoDOT's Safe Routes to School program must work closely with MoDOT's already established and successful Bike/Ped program.
The Federal Highway Administration allows (and in fact, encourages) state DOTs to hire a short-term consultant to help the SR2S Coordinator get the program up and running. We strongly encourage MoDOT to do this.
Our goal with the Safe Routes to School funding is to establish a statewide training program for local SR2S leaders and then use the federal funds as seed money to establish dozens and then hundreds and thousands of Safe Routes to Schools programs in communities across Missouri. Eventually we would like to see the program in every elementary and middle school in Missouri.
Safe Routes to School infrastructure funds should be used as seed money to encourage numerous small but effective walking/bicycling improvements in communities across the state.
Two bicycle / vehicle accidents in the month of October, one involving a Webster student and another involving a Webster staff member, called attention to concerns about pedestrian safety on the streets surrounding the university.
Both incidents are apparently the fault of the motorist. In one incident the bicyclist's leg was broken and in the other, the bicyclist had neck and lower back injuries. The incidents show an attitude by officials that is all too common:
Mueller said Associate Vice President of Administration, Reba Snavely, agreed to have the university pay for the repair costs to the bicycle, which was about $80.
Mueller contends university officials treated him condescendingly after the accident.
"I've been riding 100 miles a week for 20 years," Mueller said.
Snavely and Albrecht did not return phone calls requesting comment.
Mueller said he would consult with an attorney to consider legal options against the university after he obtained a copy of the police report from the Webster Groves Police Department.
MoDOT Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator Caryn Giarratano has issued a new Wheels & Heels summarizing progress in bicycle and pedestrian issues across Missouri:
We are on a roll now! Our progress on the bicycle and pedestrian program in our state has taken a leap forward. As the information hub for bicycle and pedestrian issues in Missouri, I remain in contact with national as well as state and local groups. I work with MoDOT district and central office staff to offer advice on how to incorporate the needs of nonmotorized travelers into design, policy and construction, and I chair the BPAC. I represent Region 3 on the AASHTO Technical Committee on Nonmotorized Transportation and take the minutes for the phone conference meetings of the State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinators. The MoDOT Webmaster and I are working together to update the bike/ped pages. The passage of the Federal Transportation Bill, SAFETEA-LU, continued to support the Transportation Enhancements program (that can be used to build bike/ped facilities) and added a new program called Safe Routes to School. The Federal Highway Administration has requested that each State DOT have a SRTS Coordinator hired by the end of the year.
MOBikeFed Annual Membership Meeting in KC Nov. 13th, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Bicyclists,
You're invited to the Missouri Bicycle Federation, Inc., fall membership meeting and board meeting:
Sunday, November 13th, 10AM-4PM. Conference Room of Whole Foods Market, Overland Park 7401 West 91st Street Overland Park, KS 66212 913.652.9633 (Store phone #) 816-695-6736 (Brent's cell phone #)
Whole Foods has brunch/lunch available all day--salad, soups, hot food items. Breakfast items (bacon & eggs, creme brulee french toast!) are available only until about 11AM. Store hours are 8AM-9PM.
Directions for those coming from St. Louis, Columbia, or other points east: Take I-70 west, at interchange near the stadium complex in Kansas City take I-435 south, at the Grandview Triangle continue on I-435 which now veers west, exit I-435 at the Metcalf Ave exit, take Metcalf Ave north, turn west on 91st Street to Whole Foods Market.
For those coming from the Springfield area: Take Hwy 71 to the Grandview Triangle, at the Grandview Triangle take I-435 west, exit I-435 at the Metcalf Ave exit, take Metcalf Ave north, turn west on 91st Street to Whole Foods Market.
If you would like to discuss any particular topic at the meeting, please contact me (director@mobikefed.org) and I will add your topic to the agenda.
Coy Hart, MoBikeFed's BikeEd Coordinator, sends this announcement
Polish your street riding skills with the League of American Bicyclists' Road I Class. You already know traffic is more fun on a bike. Now, get even more enjoyment from your bicycling adventures on our roads. Basic through advanced traffic skills learned in just one day. Classroom discussion, the "Effective Cycling" Video, parking lot practice of maneuvers, and a street ride with a variety of situations. Improve your ability to share, communicate, and cooperate with other traffic. Develop even more confidence in your own capabilities and a more positive attitude towards other road users.
We are proud that number of bicycle advocates, commuters, educators, police officers, racers, and just everyday bicyclists have chosen to take this class in Springfield! We had a whopping 12 students in our last class!
We are down to the last Road I Class we have scheduled for the year, this Saturday, November 5 from 8am till about 5pm. If you have any interest, please contact me as soon as possible! If you have had the class before, you are welcome to come back to this class for free as long as space is available. Just let me know you are coming. Get two instructors for the price of one! Cost is $35 and includes a new one year membership to the Missouri Bicycle Federation
Coy
If you are interested in this class, please contact Coy: Hillbillyoncrank [at] wmconnect.com permanent link to article: "BikeEd class Sat Nov 5th in Springfield"
posted by Brent Hugh at
11/01/2005 04:24:00 PM |comment on this article
City officials say money from a $25 million federal transportation pilot program could be used to help pay for some parks and trail projects included in Proposition 1, part of the tax package voters will see Nov. 8.
Federal transportation officials announced in July that Columbia and three other communities each will receive $25 million over five years to build pedestrian and bicycle transportation networks that would include construction of trails, pedways and sidewalks. Since then, little information about the program has flowed to city offices, and there are no specific plans for the money.
Proposition 1 asks voters to extend for five years an eighth-cent sales tax for parks. If it’s approved, the tax is expected to raise about $12 million for acquisition of land for parks and improvements to existing parks, among other things.
