Missouri Bicycle Federation

Many of our readers know of this fine organization, but if the Missouri Bicycle Federation is not on your radar, take a look at what these folks do for two wheel advocacy Click below on read more for  latest news from  the Missouri Bicycle Federation, mobikefed.org.

MISSOURI BICYCLE FEDERATION NEWS #9, March 2006 ___________________________________

This is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the Missouri Bicycle Federation. We are sending this to keep you up-to-date about bicycle/pedestrian issues in Missouri and the surrounding areas.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation is the political voice for Missouri bicyclists and pedestrians with 10 years of experience providing legislative and advocacy efforts to improve the cycling and pedestrian environment. MoBikeFed is the only statewide organization representing the welfare of all types of bicyclists and pedestrians throughout Missouri. MoBikeFed promotes bicycling and pedestrian access, safety and education in Missouri.

___________________________________

CONTENTS

1. Rep. Sutherland sponsors Walk/Bicycle to School Day/Safe Routes Resolution

2. Missouri Safe Routes to School Coalition announced

3. KC River Crossings Policy: update and next step

4. Missouri Blueways Report–how to identify and convert Missouri rails to trails

5. Rails-with-Trails safer than just Rails

6. Boonville bridge cost estimate controversy

7. Tour of Missouri professional stage race to become a reality in

2007

8. Tour of California breaks attendance records

9. Ozark Greenways looks to the future 10. Reasons to support KC’s MetroGreen plan

Links shown below can be copied and pasted into your browser address window.

___________________________________

1. REP. SUTHERLAND SPONSORS WALK/BICYCLE TO SCHOOL DAY/SAFE ROUTES RESOLUTION

Representative Mike Sutherland, one of the biggest supporters of bicycling and walking issues in the Missouri General Assembly, is set to introduce a resolution in support of Walk/Bicycle to School Day and the Safe Routes to School program in Missouri.

Rep. Sutherland has also introduced a bill that will make it easier for groups that build trails to work with Missouri State Parks to create and maintain trails.

If you would like to drop Rep. Sutherland a quick email of thanks and encouragement, that would be great:

Representative Mike Sutherland

573-751-2689 (Capitol office)

E-Mail: Mike.Sutherland@house.mo.gov

Link:

http://www.mobikefed.org/2006/03/rep-sutherland-sponsors-walkbicycle

to.php

___________________________________

2. MISSOURI SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL COALITION ANNOUNCED

The Missouri Safe Routes Coalition is dedicated to moving Safe Routes to Schools forward in Missouri. Safe Route to School is a program to encourage children to walk and bicycle to school more often through encouragement, education, and better facilities.

Kids that walk or bicycle to school more often are healthier and do better academically.

MoDOT has hired its Safe Routes to School Coordinator and formed a Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee. The Committee will meet for the first time April 13th.

For more information:

___________________________________

3. KC RIVER CROSSINGS POLICY: UPDATE AND NEXT STEP

Our best guess is that in the past three weeks over 1000 people have written KDOT in support of better accommodation of bicyclists and pedestrians. Thanks to all who have done so–if you haven’t you can still do it, it less than 2 minutes, here.

This has had a big impact on KDOT and, indirectly, on MoDOT. Here are some results so far:

I just received the draft River Crossings policy which considers input from a variety of sources including MoDOT and KDOT. It is a very good policy–providing for bicycle and pedestrian accommodation on major river bridges whenever bicycles or pedestrians are allowed to operate on the roadway and any traffic generators (neighborhoods, businesses, schools, etc.) are nearby, within 1 mile.

The draft policy addresses a number of KDOT and MoDOT’s legitimate concerns. I believe MoDOT will accept this policy, but it is still debatable whether KDOT will. That is where your emails have helped a lot.

Link:

http://www.mobikefed.org/

2006_03_01_advocacyalertsarchive.html#114136663366984938

___________________________________

4. MISSOURI BLUEWAYS REPORT—HOW TO IDENTIFY AND CONVERT MISSOURI

RAILS TO TRAILS

MoBikeFed Trails Chair Jeff Huff has recently completed a monumental

report on rail corridors in Missouri, Missouri Blueways Report

(available in PDF format or MSWord format).

This report outlines how to identify potential rail corridors for

conversion to trails and then how to go about turning that corridor

into a trail. It covers practical and legal issues. The report also

includes a map of all known Missouri rail corridors–both those

currently in use and corridors that are abandoned.

One of the reasons that recreational trails built upon abandoned

railroad corridors have been so successful is the fact that they have

low grades or inclines and smooth surfaces on which to ride and walk.

Since making a healthy lifestyle change requires repetition,

rail-trails offer exactly the terrain needed for success in walking or

riding a bicycle as part of that change. In southeastern Missouri, 55

percent of trail users (who responded to the Bootheel and Ozark Heath

Projects survey) are exercising more than before they had access to a

trail (Health and Wellness Benefits). . . .

Link:

___________________________________

5. RAILS-WITH-TRAILS SAFER THAN JUST RAILS

In Missouri there are several interesting opportunities for Rails with

Trails projects–trails built adjoining active rail lines.

The objection to these facilities is naturally that they will increase

the danger of accidents on the rail line–won’t they?

According to recent research on rails with trails in the U.S., the

answer is a resounding no. In fact, trails along the rail lines may

actually improve safety.

Link:

___________________________________

6. BOONVILLE BRIDGE COST ESTIMATE CONTROVERSY

According to a Columbia Missourian article, the Missouri Department of

Natural Resources disputes the figure given by bridge advocates for

converting the Boonville lift bridge for trail use:

Retrofitting the old Boonville railroad bridge for pedestrian use could

cost from $1 million to more than $11 million. It all depends on who

you ask.

The Save the Katy Bridge Coalition, which has been raising money to pay

for renovations to the steel bridge, received a bid from Phillips

Grading & Construction this month that confirms its estimate of $1

million for the project.

The state Department of Natural Resources, however, maintains that

renovating the bridge for pedestrian use would cost $11.5 million, not

including maintenance and insurance.

Link:

___________________________________

7. TOUR OF MISSOURI PROFESSIONAL STAGE RACE TO BECOME A REALITY IN

2007

For a year or so we have heard rumors that a group has been working to

get a pro-level "Tour of Missouri" multi-stage bicycle race organized.

The idea is that it would be a multi-day, multi-stage race similar to

the Tour of Georgia or recently completed Amgen Tour of California.

Well, what do you know—the idea is a go. The governor’s office and

others are behind it and it is moving forward.

We’re hoping that groups like MoBikeFed, MOBRA, and other key Missouri

bicycling groups will be involved with planning the tour. No details

have been decided at this time except a probable 2007 starting date.

The Tour will give Missouri national prominence–note for instance,

press coverage of the Tour of Georgia.

___________________________________

8. TOUR OF CALIFORNIA BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORDS

A Kansas City infoZine article recently summarized the success of the

new Tour of California:

The recently concluded Amgen Tour of California, an eight-day

professional cycling road race, drew more than 1.3 million spectators

from February 19-26, 2006, setting records in attendance for any single

sporting event in California, as well as for any cycling event in the

U.S. The inaugural event, which covered 600 miles of California roadway

from San Francisco to Redondo Beach, received praise from its host

cities, teams and sponsors, as well as from the Union Cycliste

International (UCI), the international governing body of cycling.

Meanwhile Utah hopes to add a major tour to the racing circuit.

Link:

http://www.mobikefed.org/2006/03/tour-of-california-breaks

attendance.php

___________________________________

9. OZARK GREENWAYS LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

A recent issue of the Springfield News-leader had a very good article

about Ozark Greenways. Bruce Adib-Yazdi, who is an alternate board

member with the Missouri Bicycle Federation, has been named President

of Ozark Greenways.

With a new leader gazing into an expansive future, Ozark Greenways is

sprouting ideas that include carving more new trails and promoting

Greene County as a trail-seekers destination,

If, for instance, a typical trail user like John Schweighardt wants

more trails, he’ll get them from the volunteer organization, even as it

moves to strengthen other efforts, such as linking tourism and trails

and preserving more open space around Springfield.

Link:

___________________________________

10. REASONS TO SUPPORT KANSAS CITY’S METROGREEN PLAN

MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh’s article in Friday’s Kansas

City Star outlines the reasons for supporting KC’s MetroGreen trails

and greenways initiative:

Trail plan deserves to advance, not to die

By Brent Hugh

Special to The Star

It is deeply disappointing and a blow to the entire area that a few

city leaders are trying to scuttle an effort to create a truly

metrowide, coordinated program to build the proposed MetroGreen

greenway and trails network ("Planners revise bistate tax proposal,"

1/28).

The original proposal was to make MetroGreen funding a small but

important part of the regional SmartMoves transit funding proposal. Now

some leaders want to pull MetroGreen from the larger proposal.

This is not a smart move. Here is why:

* MetroGreen has proven strong support throughout the metropolitan

area. It brings a balance to the overall proposal — a balance that will

be sorely needed when it comes time to ask voters to actually pass a

tax referendum.

Link:

http://www.mobikefed.org/2006/03/reasons-to-support-kcs-metrogreen

plan.php