The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has initiated a project called the 5-County Regional Transportation Planning Study, which will provide an assessment of transportation needs in five northeast Kansas counties (Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte).
The study is holding a series of public meetings to learn how people are moving in and around the five-county area and what they think is important to regional transportation. Here is the schedule of meetings:
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Douglas County: Thursday, February 19, 2009, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Lawrence Union Pacific Depot, 401 N. 2nd St., Lawrence KS 66044 [ see map ] -
Johnson County: Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
MidAmerica Nazarene University’s Cook Center, 2030 E. College Way, Olathe KS 66062 [ see map ] -
Leavenworth County: Thursday, March 12, 2009, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Lansing Community Center, 800 1st Terr., Lansing KS 66043 [ see map ] -
Miami County: Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Paola American Legion, 5 Delaware St., Paola KS 66071 [ see map ] -
Wyandotte County: Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
KCKS Community College, 7250 State Avenue, Kansas City KS 66112 [ see map ]
For additional details, review the invitation.
This is your chance to tell KDOT what you value in your community and how transportation supports those values. Your input can help shape the future of transportation.
KanBikeWalk Vice-President Dale Crawford offers the following suggestions:
The bike/ped community is building momentum and these types of public opinion opportunities are what will carry Kansas into the next generation of transportation planning. If we want bike/ped transportation, safety and equality on Kansas roadways, we need to be seen and we need to be heard.
These studies start out looking at the macro scale, but end up determining the details of individual projects. There are a number of overarching issues to deal with in Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Miami and Douglas counties.
Over Arching Issues:
Removal of barriers – Interstates, freeways, railroads and rivers all create barriers to all modes of local transportation, in particularly bicyclists and pedestrians. A policy for the region to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian needs into every project which cross these barriers would greatly improve the ability of bicyclists and pedestrians to move about their respective communities.
Equality – Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation is not considered on an equal par with motorized vehicles, yet we share the same rights to the road (except interstates or where otherwise posted as illegal). However, the current transportation system essential discriminates against all non-motorized modes through exclusionary design practices. For example, most cities build new roads with only the vehicular lanes provided. Sidewalks for pedestrians are often not included or required to be built by adjacent development sometimes many years later. Bike lanes on heavier traveled roadways are seldom included, making it nearly impossible to bicycle to many destinations.
Education – There are numerous misunderstandings of the rules of the road as they apply to bicyclists on the part of all roadway users. Unfortunately, there is not a common understanding of the rules of the road for bicyclists within among the numerous law enforcement agencies across the region either. A greater emphasis on public education would improve the safety of the roadways for all users, not just bicyclists.
Enforcement – Equal, consistent and strict enforcement of all rules of the road would be to the benefit of all roadway users, but especially for bicyclists. There are a lot of motorist who intentionally violate traffic laws, just as there are bicyclists that do the same. More resources directed at equal and uniform law enforcement is to everyone’s benefit.
There are also many specific issues that need to be addressed in the region. Here is a list of just a few of the issues I have on my list. If you have similar issues you want addressed, come to the meeting to express them and pass your issue on via the email exchange service. There may be others that share you concern you can team up with to get it addressed.
Specific Roadway Issues:
Kansas River crossings – K-7 highway is slated for conversion to a full limited access freeway (like K-10) from Lansing to Spring Hill. This is a great opportunity to improve the safety of bicycle access over the Kansas River. However, without a strong show of concern, KDOT will likely restrict our access to the future freeway eliminating the critical river crossing. The other existing bridges over the Kansas (DeSoto, Turner, 18th Street, 7th Street, 12th Street, etc.) all need improvements to provide bicycle and pedestrian crossings over the river. They did it in Portland, OR. It can be done here.
K5 Highway realignment – several cities are pushing for a new K-5 Highway. Currently a significant portion of the existing K-5 highway is used by bicyclists riding from Wyandotte County Lake to Lansing/Leavenworth (the George’s Weston Ride route). Any new roadway work should include bike lanes and accommodations for pedestrians.
83rd Street – The roadway is in major need of geometric improvements to safely accommodate the growing traffic demands on it. Bike lanes should be required to be constructed with these improvements to re-open the barred section of roadway to bicyclists.
Downtown KCMO & KCKS to Olathe Corridor – A continuous, bike commuter-friendly route is needed along this heavily travel corridor basically paralleling I-35. The combination of SW Blvd, Merriam Drive, Santa Fe Trail Drive, Old Kansas City Road and critical links between these segments is possible, would encourage people to get off of overloaded I-35 and encourage more people to bicycle commute to/from Downtown KCMO and hundreds of destinations along the general route. The route could be a combination of on-road bike lanes and trails, depending on the most appropriate type of facility in a particular part of the corridor. Spurs connecting to Downtown KCKS would improve access into and out of this destination zone as well.
Olathe to Paola Corridor – Bicyclists are frequently seen on various routes to between Olathe and Spring Hill, most commonly Ridgeview Road and soon again they’ll be able to use Lone Elm Road again after the new interchange with its bike lanes over I-35 is complete. However, from Spring Hill to Hillsdale Lake and onto Paola there is only one option — Old Kansas City Road. Shoulders would greatly improve the safety for motorists, including many with boat trailers, and bicyclists, alike. Connecting this corridor to the Downtown KCMO to Olathe corridor would create a seamless bicycle route from Paola to Downtown KCMO and easily branch off to KCKS.
Interstate and Freeway Crossings – You name the crossing and it likely does not safely accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians, yet people have to cross them without cars everyday. This has to be a top priority to getting people out of their cars on and on their feet or pedals.
I can go on and on, but this gives you the general idea of the potential gains to be made by expressing YOUR needs and wants as a bicyclist. So dream on and think about what would make YOUR bicycling better in and around your neck of the asphalt jungle we share.
Let’s hear your ideas and get some conversation going!
Attending one of these meetings is a great way to let public officials and transportation planners know that citizens want more choices for getting around – including public transit, bicycling, and walking.
