This is an updated 2019 version of the Kansas Rails-to-Trails Map that was originally included with the 2013 Kansas Statewide Rail-to-Trails Plan.

The map was updated by KDOT cartographer Elaine Bryant, in consultation with the Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy. It is also available as a PDF.

Since the last update, some trails have moved from “projects” to “completed”, while others have gone from “proposed” to “projects”, while new proposed trails have been added, and a few dormant trail concepts have been dropped entirely.

As always, the state of the Kansas rail-trail network is always changing, always growing. There is significant momentum for rail-trail development in Kansas!

The plan is comprehensive and ambitious, featuring both short-term and long-term projects, consisting of bike routes, rail-trails, singletrack trails, scenic and historic bicycle touring and bikepacking routes, and connections to other regional, state, and national trail and route networks.

Here are some quick project highlights from the ABC Trails Plan:

• Bicycle routes connecting the three largest communities in the three counties: Iola, Fort Scott, and Pittsburg.
• An alternate route for the Trans-America Trail (US Bicycle Route 76), which would connect the cross-country route to the Prairie Spirit Trail (which connects to the Flint Hills Trail, and which will someday connect to Kansas City, Lawrence, and Topeka).
• Signs to mark the bike routes and educate traffic about the Kansas Safe Passing laws.
• Completion of the Watco Trail in Crawford County, and improvements to the Lehigh Portland Trails system in Allen County.
• Routefinding for the future US Bicycle Route 55.
• Creation of a bicycle route paralleling the Frontier Military Historic Byway.
• The creation of bikepacking routes following the Zebulon Pike National Historic Trail, and the historic King of Trails and Jefferson Highways.
• The creation of a scenic bikepacking route following the Neosho River from its headwaters near Council Grove, into Oklahoma, where it becomes the Grand River.
• Potential future rail-trails in Allen and Bourbon counties.
• Potential new singletrack trails in all three counties.
• Connections to the Katy Trail and the Western Sky Trail.

All of these are, of course, just concepts and may or may not come to fruition as visualized, or at all. Time will tell, but envisioning the future is the first step in making it real.

Some of these potential trails and routes in the ABC Trails Plan were first suggested as part of the Quad-State Trail Plan, the 2013 Kansas State Rail-to-Trails Plan, and the “Governor’s Challenge” report from the Travel Industry Association of Kansas, which recommended building trails along Kansas scenic and historic byways, and along historic Kansas trail routes.

So, does the ABC Trails Plan have any broader implications beyond Allen, Bourbon, and Crawford counties? The Sunflower Foundation, which funded the plan development, certainly hopes so. At the February 12th celebration, Sunflower’s Senior Program Officer, Elizabeth Burger, said that she expects the ABC Plan to become a model that other rural counties will replicate and expand upon, and that collaboration across jurisdictions is an important way that the Kansas trail network will continue to grow.

“As a health foundation, the Sunflower Foundation supports public trails of all types and their potential to make outdoor physical activity accessible to all ages, backgrounds and abilities” she said. “The evidence keeps growing for the physical and mental health benefits of being active outdoors – but trails can also contribute to a community’s well-being in other ways, such as increased social cohesion and economic vitality. We applaud the ABC Master Trail Plan for the innovative model that embraces all these aspects, and hope it will become a case study for other Kansas communities to follow.”

Learn more:

• The ABC Trails Plan (PDF)
• ABC Trails Plan Could Boost Prairie Spirit Trail Connections
• Expansive trail plan to connect Allen, Bourbon and Crawford counties
• ABC Trails: Comprehensive Active Transportation Plan Adopted for Allen, Bourbon, and Crawford Counties

The ABC Trails Plan is a cooperative project between Allen, Bourbon, and Crawford Counties, to develop an active transportation and trails plan for the three counties. This plan is the first of its kind in Kansas.

Each of the three county commissions have now approved a resolution in support of the ABC Trails Plan. On February 12th, commissioners and residents from the three counties will gather in Fort Scott to unveil and celebrate the plan.

The ABC Trails Plan document recommends a variety of short-term and long-term projects, including bicycle routes connecting the counties, information and wayfinding signage, new trails and trail amenities, future bicycle touring and bikepacking routes, and tourism-related activities such as a resource web site, a network of paved and gravel routes, and paper brochures and maps.

The ABC Trails Plan envisions both trails and routes within the ABC counties, as well as connections to the larger regional, state, and national trails and routes network.

It is called the “ABC Plan” not only because it applies to Allen, Bourbon, and Crawford Counties, but because, just as learning their ABC’s is a basic building block of a child’s educational journey, this plan is a basic building block in the journey towards an active population, a robust and diversified economy, and a sustainable culture of health.

The ABC Trails Plan was funded by the Sunflower Foundation, and is a joint project between Thrive Allen County, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, and Live Well Crawford County.

The three counties have, in recent years, been some of the most active and engaged in Kansas. Allen County has added nearly 30 miles of new trails over the past decade or so (the Prairie Spirit Trail, the Southwind Rail Trail, the Missouri Pacific Recreational Trail, the Lehigh Portland Trails, etc.), while both Bourbon and Crawford have invested in bicycle and pedestrian master plans, mountain bike trails, rail-trails, and on-street bicycling infrastructure. Both Bourbon and Crawford Counties are part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Pathways To A Healthy Kansas Grant Program, while Thrive Allen County provides technical assistance and mentoring to Pathways grantees throughout the state.

It is hoped that the ABC Trails Plan becomes a model for future active transportation and trails planning in Kansas. As individual communities and counties invest in trail and route development, it is important that the bigger picture — how all of these individual trails and routes are interconnected — is taken into consideration.

Learn more:

• ABC Trails on Facebook
• ABC Trails Plan Unveiling Event

“We hope this serves as a great incentive for state park visitors and trail enthusiasts to visit these two truly unique trails,” said Kansas State Parks director Linda Lanterman. “Our state parks have some really phenomenal trails, and I think people are going to be especially surprised by these two in particular.”
“Word is beginning to spread about these trails and the people who have visited them know just how unique they are,” said Lanterman. “Whether you just do a stretch of the trail, whether you prefer hiking or biking, I encourage everyone to get out there and see why these trails are worth the trek.”

KDWPT News Release

This positive development improves access to the two trails, makes it easier to operate events on the trails, and simplifies administration and policing of the trails.

Story from the Ottawa Herald: Flint Hills trail becomes state park

“With the popularity of biking and hiking and the location of the Flint Hills Trail, it goes through a unique area of Kansas. It used to be a unique area in the whole continental United States. We have something very unique in Kansas and people want to see it. That is the significance of the Flint Hills Trail.”

I was on hand for the event, which also previewed a new Trail-Oriented Development at the intersection of the Prairie Spirit Trail and Flint Hills Nature Trail. “Legacy Square” will feature a large covered outdoor event space, as well as amenities for trail users.

Note: Some sources report the official name of the new state park as the “Flint Hills Trail”, while others continue to use the “Flint Hills Nature Trail” name … so it remains to be seen what the new park will be called.

By the way, I attended the event because I happened to be on a short bike tour. A small group of riders started in Iola, rode the Prairie Spirit Trail to Ottawa, the Flint Hills Nature Trail to Council Grove, then paved and gravel roads through Emporia, and back to Iola: about 250 miles over four days. You can read my account of the trip here: Spirit Hills Tour 2018

January Bicycling Headlines

• Midland Railway explores trail-along-rail idea to connect Baldwin City to Prairie Spirit Trail
• Group behind Wichita’s toilet plunger DIY protected bike lane disbands, after threats from city bureaucrats
• Fire damages Flint Hills Nature Trail bridge near Ottawa
• Topeka Metro voted one of nation’s most bike-friendly businesses
• Oklahoma City Bike Rack Map Encourages Sustainable Transportation
• Iowa City Bike Library seeks new home for third time in three years
• Dirty Kanza adds 350-mile challenge to 2018 event
• Gov Brownback, in his final State of the State address: “We opened the longest hiking and biking trail in the state, the Flint Hills Nature Trail, from Herington to Osawatomie, 117 miles of beautiful Kansas. Go try it.”
• New mountain bike trail in the works at Dover Hill Park in Joplin MO
• Overland Park considers a road diet on College Boulevard, with wider sidewalks and more bike lanes “to make it a more scenic boulevard instead of just a car-centric thoroughfare”
• Biking Across Kansas 2018 Route: Johnson City, Montezuma, Ashland, Pratt, Clearwater, Burden, Fredonia, Arma and Fort Scott. 558 miles in eight days.
• Kansas Senate Bill 331 would designate the Flint Hills Nature Trail as a Kansas state park
• A 29-year-old man was shot while riding a bicycle in Coffeyville KS
• Missouri delays decision on Rock Island Trail
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Names Nebraska Trail Visionaries Ross Greathouse and Lynn Lightner as Rail-Trail Champions
• New bike shop, Frisco Bicycle Rental, will be built out of shipping containers, and located at the Willard Trailhead on the Frisco Highline Trail, north of Springfield MO
• Wyandotte County working on a new trail by Kansas River
• Update on Overland Park Bicycle Master Plan
• Another seven miles of Nebraska’s Cowboy Trail, from Clinton to Rushville, will soon be completed

Upcoming Bicycle Events

• 02-11-2018 – Power Team Grinder
• 02-18-2018 – Blanket Race Series: Jeff’s Track
• 02-18-2018 – Flint Hills Express
• 02-24-2018 – The Cappuccino Ride
• 03-10-2018 – Renegades of Gravel
• 03-24-2018 – Bulls on Parade
• 04-07-2018 – Gravelleurs Raid
• 04-07-2018 – Gravel Grinder National Championship
• 04-08-2018 – Bazaar Road Race
• 04-14-2018 – Roll Right

Photo of the Month

Enjoying 2018’s first snowfall

The tour leaves Johnson City, near the Colorado border, on Saturday, June 9th, and arrives in Fort Scott, near the Missouri state line, on June 16th.

The route covers about 559 miles, with overnights in Montezuma, Ashland, Pratt, Clearwater, Burden, Fredonia, and Arma.

Learn more at the Biking Across Kansas web site.

Image courtesy bak.org

December Bicycling Headlines

• Wichita Joins Ranks of Bicycle Friendly Communities
• There’s a new trail at Rivers Banks Orchard Park in Hutchinson
• Ken Smith, the person responsible for building most of the trails at Cedar Crest, the governor’s mansion, in Topeka, is honored by the Governor.
• Over 8600 overwhelmingly positive public comments about Missouri’s proposed Rock Island Trail
• Colorado Spring’s downtown bicycle infrastructure progresses
• Mountain bikers have opportunity to advocate for access and trails along Missouri’s Ozark National Scenic Riverway
• Kansas University’s sustainability plan includes a bike-share program and improvements to Lawrence’s cycling network, for long-term energy savings.
• Eureka Springs AR is investing in downhill mountain bike trails.
• Bike lanes eliminated from Oklahoma City downtown boulevard plans, in favor of wide sidewalks, despite city ordinances prohibiting bicycles on sidewalks.
• NIMBYs come out in opposition to trail plan in Papillion NE.
• Missouri Rock Island Trail opponents talk up biosecurity threats, fear loss of hunting access, are skeptical of trail’s economic benefits.
• Bike sharing system planned for Johnson County KS.
• New mountain bike trail opens at Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola KS.
• Des Moines IA gets its first flow trails.
• Kansas biologist completes monarch migration voyage bicycle tour.

Upcoming Bicycle Events

• 01-01-2018 – LMBC New Year’s Day Ride
• 01-01-2018 – Tailwind Cyclists New Year’s Day Ride
• 01-13-2018 – ‘Cross In The New Year
• 01-14-2018 – Grote Prijs Shawnee
• 01-14-2018 – Spoke Pony Gravel Express
• 01-20-2018 – Historic Gravel Road Ride (Mullet Ride)
• 01-21-2018 – KCA Annual Banquet

Photo of the Month

December view at Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola KS.

The League of American Bicyclists has announced their latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities, and Wichita has been added to the rolls at the bronze level.

Wichita joins Lawrence, Manhattan, Shawnee, and Topeka on the BFC list, all at the bronze level, among over 400 such communities nationwide.

The Bicycle Friendly Communities program seeks to recognize communities that “welcome bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for bicycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. Making bicycling safe and convenient are keys to improving public health, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and improving quality of life.”

Wichita has been making significant strides in recent years, adopting a Bicycle Master Plan in 2013, and is in the process of adding numerous on-street and off-street biking facilities. The Wichita bike share program, Bike Share ICT, launched in 2017.

The city maintains a “Bicycling in Wichita” portal that provides news and maps. The Bike Walk Wichita advocacy organization has been actively working to make the city a safer place to bike and walk. Wichita’s trail community has led the way in expanding the area’s trails, such as the Prairie Sunset Trail, the Redbud Trail, and the Air Capital Memorial Park Trail.

Congrats to the Wichita cycling community — well done, and keep up the good work!

November Bicycling Headlines

• Kansas at #47 in 2017 Bike Friendly States Ranking
• $2.4 million grant helps connect trails throughout Shawnee County
• Boulder CO eyes street realignments, could reduce traffic lanes, add dedicated bike lanes
• Northwest Arkansas cities get Transportation Alternatives money for trails
• Where are the most popular places to ride in Kansas?
• Where do we ride? 2017 Kansas Cycling Heatmap
• Olathe is crowdsourcing possible bike share locations and problems/opportunities in the city
• Celebrating 90 years with an early-morning 90-mile bike ride in Iowa City
• Norman Oklahoma Fire Department Starts Bicycle Response Team
• Public input received in the Missouri State Park’s Rock Island Trail survey overwhelmingly favors creating the trail: It’s a “no brainer”.
• Ruby Jack Trail expansion ribbon-cutting in Joplin MO
• New singletrack is being built at Nall Park in Roeland Park
• New trail segment will create a 130-mile network in Omaha NE
• Community support for Rock Island Trail intensifies as Gasconade River Bridge ties burn
• Bourbon County is working on a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
• University of Oklahoma recognized nationally as bike friendly university
• Building a Stronger Town Through Biking
• 10 Ways You Can Be Become an Active Bicycling Advocate
• Southeast Missouri’s first bicycle and pedestrian plan
• Lenexa seeks input in attempt to improve Quivira corridor
• Complete Streets Ordinance Heading to City Council in Kansas City MO
• Annual Kansas Cycling Association’s Banquet announced: January 21st

Upcoming Bicycle Events

• 12-09-2017 – Danny’s Delight
• 12-26-2017 – Boxing Day Cyclocross
• 01-01-2018 – LMBC New Year’s Day Ride
• 01-01-2018 – Tailwind Cyclists New Year’s Day Ride
• 01-13-2018 – ‘Cross In The New Year
• 01-14-2018 – Grote Prijs Shawnee
• 01-20-2018 – Historic Gravel Road Ride (Mullet Ride)
• 01-21-2018 – KCA Annual Banquet

Photo of the Month

Dusk waters at Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola KS

The program is modeled after Allen County Bike Share, which launched in Iola and Humboldt earlier in the year. Like the Allen County program, Atchison’s bike share uses the “bike library” model, and procured its bikes from a local shop, Reynolds’ Bicycle:

The Atchison County Bike Share is a free program that will allow people to check out bikes much like checking out a book at the library. To check out a bike, riders will only need to provide a picture ID and sign a waiver. Children 12 and older may provide a student ID, YMCA membership card, library card or something similar.

“Our goal for the Atchison County Bike Share program is to encourage cycling as a mode of transportation as well as recreation. Having a hub at the Visitors Information Center (at the Santa Fe Depot) also will encourage tourists to explore our community on bike. The hub at the YMCA is an obvious location and provides easy access to our beautiful Riverfront Trail,” Clements said.

Starting with two locations, they hope to expand throughout the county.

Learn more: New bike-share program offers cycling to all

Here is the cycling heatmap for Kansas:

The color of the lines on the map represent relatively how many activities were recorded on those routes: from black (none) to red (a few) to white (many).

In general, the results are what you might expect. The biggest hot spots are centered around the areas with the largest populations: Wichita, Johnson County, Lawrence, Topeka. Shining nearly as bright is Emporia, with an intensity out of proportion to its population. This is, no doubt, due to the Dirty Kanza, whose route can clearly be seen on the map.

Among rail-trails, the Prairie Spirit Trail is visible, especially the northern end, as well as the long-established portion of the Flint Hills Nature Trail between Ottawa and Osawatomie.

Mountain bike trails, due to their relatively small size, cannot really be discerned from the statewide view. But zooming in, the most popular trails can clearly be seen: Switchgrass, Perry, the Lawrence River Trails, WyCo, Shawnee Mission, Gunn Park, Lehigh, Santa Fe Lake, AirCap.

Looking at the heatmap for the lower 48 states puts the perspective in context:

Map geeks and data geeks rejoice! You can spend endless hours examining the map in exquisite detail, or at least I can. What fun!

By the way, if you want to ensure that your rides show up on the map, be sure to get yourself set up with a Strava account at strava.com and record your rides using a GPS cyclocomputer, fitness watch, or smartphone app. Even if you use another fitness tracker, you can easily (and automatically) get your rides into Strava by using a third-party service such as FitnessSyncer or Tapiriik. Logging your rides in Strava will also make it easy to participate in the annual National Bike Challenge.

The opening lines from the state’s report card sum it up pretty well:

Kansas is home to the nation’s most famous gravel road race, the Dirty Kanza, so it is perhaps fitting that it does a poor job of ensuring that there are safe paved areas for people to bike. Kansas does above average in our Legislation & Enforcement category, and has some evident bicycling culture that could be capitalized upon for tourism, transportation, and recreation. However, in every category that requires sustained state actions the state is below average.

Specifically, Kansas gets poor marks in several areas:

• Our last statewide bike/ped plan was completed in 1995. The fundamental assumptions of the world have shifted a great deal in the last 2+ decades, yet we’re still continuing on as if nothing has changed in health, in transportation, in recreation and tourism.
• Kansas no longer has a statewide bike/ped advocacy organization. While there are some strong organizations that focus on particular cities, there is no organization that advocates on bicycling issues across the state.
• The state’s mandatory sidepath law remains a thorn in our side, being both legally obsolete and morally reprehensible.
• Kansas allocates zero state funding for bicycling planning and infrastructure. The only funds available for bike/ped projects come from Federal dollars.

Our #47 ranking is actually a tiny step up from 2015, when we were #48. When the Bicycle Friendly State rankings began, in 2008, Kansas was ranked #25. In 2009, we dropped to #33. In 2010, we jumped way up to #13. In 2011, we slipped to #23. 2012 saw a big drop to #34. In 2013 well fell again, to #40. In 2014, Kansas was at #46. The #48 in 2015. Now #47.

See also: 2017 Bicycle Friendly State Rankings

Recent Bicycling Headlines

• 2017 National Bike Challenge Wrap-Up
• Allen County National Bike Challenge 2017 Results
• Iola won the 2017 Prairie Spirit Trail Challenge
• New bicycle stations provide resources for riders in Emporia
• Des Moines’ new protected bike lanes have some drivers totally befuddled.
• Southwest Missouri’s Ruby Jack Trail is approaching the Kansas line, but will not enter the Sunflower State.
• Driver charged with murder in death of Hutchinson bicycle rider
• Three hundred “Rush the Rails” cyclists and runners helped celebrate the grand opening of the Flint Hills Nature Trail.
• Kansas native biking route of monarch migration
• America’s Best Bike Shops 2017: Kansas Edition
• Sunflower Outdoor and Bike in Lawrence, Kansas, named a #CoolShop
• Lawrence Safe Routes to School scores big KDOT grant in program’s third year.
• Kansas City Regional Safe Routes to School Summit
• St. Louis Aims for Network of “Calm Streets”.
• Places that are hostile to biking and walking are getting left behind.
• Manhattan’s Green Apple Bikes are proving difficult to find.
• Nebraska ranked 3rd in the National Bike Challenge this year. More than 1,500 Nebraskans participated.
• Agencies team up for Nebraska bike path project on future freeway bridge
• KCMO is celebrating new bike lanes “all over Kansas City“, although “New bike lanes concern some drivers“.
• Kansas AAA and state’s tourism department develop bike repair stations and roadside service program
• The 2016 Annual Meeting of Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy will be held on Saturday, November 19 in Osage City.
• Nebraska state senator helping to spread awareness of traffic laws designed to protect bicyclists
• Introducing the Cave Trails and John Brown’s Cave at Lehigh Portland Trails
• Hillsboro KS gets $628K for “sidewalk trail“.
• Kansas inmates refurbish, donate bikes to people in need
• Pottawatomie County accepts trail grant for Green Valley Road
• A Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness: “You’re more likely to be happy if your house has a sidewalk, and if you live in a bikeable place.”
• The Adventure Cycling Association has produced a new book: America’s Bicycle Route – The Story of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail

Upcoming Bicycle Events

• 11-04-2017 – Towanda Loop
• 11-05-2017 – Freedom Ride
• 11-05-2017 – Tour de Chicken Creek
• 11-05-2017 – Boulevard Cup
• 11-05-2017 – Augusta Airport Loop
• 11-11-2017 – Gordon Loop
• 11-12-2017 – Winfield Loop
• 11-18-2017 – Energy Exploration Excursion
• 11-19-2017 – 360 Cup Cross
• 12-09-2017 – Danny’s Delight

Photo of the Month

Fall colors on the Creekside Trail at Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola, Kansas.

Kansas shops on the 2017 list:

Bicycle Pedaler, Wichita
Bicycle X-Change, Wichita
Harley’s Bicycles, Hutchinson
Sunflower Outdoor and Bike, Lawrence

Congrats!

Events in the 2017 Big Ring Gravel Road Series include:

• November 4: Towanda Loop
• November 5: Augusta Airport Loop
• November 11: Gordon Loop
• November 12: Winfield Loop

Learn more: Big Ring Gravel Race Series Facebook Page
Register online: Bikereg

The 2017 National Bike Challenge is in the books. It ran from May 1 through September 30, and 783 Kansas cyclists participated. We ranked #16 in the nation.

Our top rider was Roger Frans of Marion, who racked up 13,570 points. Roger was one of seven who rode every day during the challenge (153 days straight!)

The top city was Lawrence (149 riders and 150,491 points), followed by Wichita (84 riders and 140,426 points). The top team was Kansas Cyclists, followed by Bike Walk Wichita.

The top advocacy challenge was Kaw Valley Bicycle Club (#8 in the nation), followed by Bike Allen County (#31).

Be sure to keep on logging those miles on Strava, and let’s do Kansas proud in 2018!

Four years ago my wife and I moved from suburban Olathe to the small rural town of Iola. Part of our motivation was simply to transition to a simpler, more relaxed lifestyle, but a big part of the draw for me was the presence of the burgeoning Allen County trail system (the Prairie Spirit Trail and Southwind Rail Trail, at that time) and the community health advocacy organization Thrive Allen County, which had spearheaded the Southwind Rail Trail development, and was working on various healthy living and active transportation initiatives.

In my experience — covering bicycling news for Kansas Cyclist site and serving on the board for (the now-defunct) KanBikeWalk advocacy organization — what Thrive was doing in Allen County was simply extraordinary. There was no other rural county that had the energy, vision, and results that Allen County did, and Thrive was behind it all.

It was exciting to behold, and I wanted to be a part of it.

So how’s it been? No regrets.

Living The Bike Life

Residing in a small town, it’s really easy to get around by bike. The comprehensive street grid means that there are multiple route options to any destination, and even the “busy” streets are safe to bike on.

Before the move, I’d asked the question “What is ‘Bicycle Friendly’?“, with the idea that many of the elements that are needed to mitigate the automobile-centric built environment in urban and suburban areas, such as bike lanes, are not needed as much in small towns. Local residents seem to get along well with bike traffic. That “more relaxed lifestyle” of small towns? Yes, that applies to drivers, too. It’s extremely rare for me to feel pressured by cars. People are patient. Everybody gets along nicely. Not once have I been honked at or harassed or road-raged in Allen County.

I read quotes such as this, from Philadelphia: “‘People get so angry with us, they talk about trying to get to work and a bike shouldn’t be there; it should be on the sidewalk,’ said Goldenberg, whose daily commute to Old City is fraught with near misses, profane shouts and honking horns.” … and it feels like it comes from a different universe. That sort of attitude, that sort of high-stress battle for street space, while you’re only trying to travel from place to place, is just unimaginable here.

Bike-Friendly Improvements

Just in these last four years, there has been rather amazing list of bike-related happenings in Allen County:

Sharrows

Shortly after I arrived in Iola, sharrows were added to a few streets, and that’s worked out fine. Nationally, sharrows don’t get much love or respect, and yes, I get that in many contexts they are totally inadequate. But correctly installed in appropriate settings, where they act to raise awareness among both drivers and cyclists, on streets that are already bikeable, they are very welcome. I like and appreciate the ones in Iola.

Mo-Pac Trail

The Missouri Pacific Recreational Trail was added near downtown. It’s not long, but it connects places that people want to go.

It’s ironic, given the name, but I think the trail is used more for transportation than recreation. I tend to use it in one form or another on nearly every trip downtown.

National Bike Challenge

In 2014, the National Bike Challenge was embraced by Allen County. In a county of 13,000 or so, nearly a hundred people participated. That may not sound like a lot, but that participation rate was higher than anywhere else in Kansas.

Our local challenge was #1 in Kansas and #3 in the entire USA. Iola was the bikingest city of its size in Kansas, and number nine in the nation.

Bike Allen County

Thrive launched an initiative called Bike Allen County, which not only helps visitors find their way around the county, but hopefully inspires and informs residents, to continue building that local cycling culture.

Lehigh Portland Trails

Also in 2014, a new trail project was launched, and it was a big one. Building on previous rail-trail efforts, this project sought to add mountain biking trails, something that did not exist at all in Allen County. I was recruited to help with the project, and despite not being much of a mountain biker myself, and never having built singletrack, I ended up being the lead designer and builder of what became the Lehigh Portland Trails system, which officially opened in 2016. It’s a trail system unlike any other in the state. Personally, it’s been very gratifying to work on, and ultimately to share the trail with visitors and see their reactions. I’m still building out the trails there, and it’s a great joy to continue to have the opportunity to “play in the woods” whenever I want.

Bike Events

Creating bike events is an area where we’ve had some hits and misses. Our weekly rides started small, but have been growing each year, and are now becoming a real force in building that local cycling culture. Our big annual event, the Portland Alley Pedalfest, seemed like a really good concept (Bikes! Music! Beer!), but hasn’t really caught fire yet, and is on hiatus for 2017. We have plans for mountain bike races and gravel rides, but haven’t announced anything concrete yet.

Regionally, southeast Kansas is light on biking events. A South East Kansas Cyclists group has been organized to help address that, and I think we’re poised to see some big things happen in the next few years, but we’re not there yet.

Complete Streets

In 2016, Iola joined the Complete Streets movement, becoming the first small rural town in Kansas to do so.

While we’ve not yet seen on-the-street results from this resolution (because Iola hasn’t done any new road work), this is an important indicator of the changing mindset among local leaders — beginning to see bicycling as not just a recreational thing, but as a crucial part of the entire transportation system.

Local Bike Shop

If you live in a large metro area, having a local bike shop may not seem like that big of a deal, but for a small town, it’s pretty significant. It’s an indicator that bicycling is not just about health and recreation, but bicycling is an economic force as well.

In 2017, after years of trail-building, community organizing, advocacy, and policy change, Allen County finally got a local bike shop, when Velo + Iola opened on the downtown square in Iola. Having a real bike shop is important because it becomes a focal point for a lot of local initiatives. In addition to providing a place to buy quality bikes and receive professional maintenance and service, the shop becomes a resource for local rides and local trails, and because Velo+ has a big presence in the Kansas City metro, they help to spread the word about all the good things happening in Allen County.

Bike Share

Thrive also launched Allen County Bike Share in 2017, an innovative approach to a bicycle sharing program in a small rural town.

Unlike large metro bike share schemes such as the excellent Kansas City B-Cycle, Topeka Metro Bikes, and Bike Share ICT in Wichita, the Allen County Bike Share uses a distributed “bike library” model, more appropriate to the culture in rural America.

And the interesting thing is, I really see these bikes being used a lot, by ordinary people, both for recreation and transportation. It’s very encouraging.

Building a Culture of Health

Since I arrived in Iola, I’ve been heavily involved with Thrive Allen County, first as a volunteer, then joining the board of directors in 2015, even filling in for a few months as a grant writer in 2016.

In my work with Thrive, I’ve continued to be impressed with what amazing things are being accomplished here. The previous list of bike-related projects and initiatives should be impressive enough, but that’s only a small part of what Thrive does. Thrive works on every aspect of personal and community health—economic development, health insurance, health education, active living, healthy foods, preventative medicine, mental health, poverty, transportation—the list goes on and on. The breadth of their work is breathtaking, and all done at an extremely high level.

In 2014, Thrive Allen County was recognized as the Kansas Organizational Health Champion for its exemplary contributions to fitness in Kansas.

And now, we’re getting national acclaim. Allen County has been awarded the Culture of Health Prize from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest health philanthropy. The prize is based on our efforts to improve the health of our community, and the work we’re doing here is becoming a model for the nation, particularly rural communities.

This is a big deal, and Allen County’s work on bicycling, trails, and active transportation was a big part of earning this recognition, and will remain a big part of our strategy going forward. Thrive’s vision of Allen County as the healthiest rural county in Kansas depends on it.

It’s not easy and it’s not quick. Culture change is hard. But it is necessary.

I’m terribly proud of my Allen County community, and especially, of Thrive Allen County. Their vision and work ethic is just incredible. I’m honored to be a part of it.

Here is a video that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation put together about Allen County:

And here are two pieces I wrote for the Thrive web site, explaining Allen County’s Journey to a Culture of Health and What A Story We Have To Tell.

The program also breaks ground by partnering with the local bike shop, Velo + Iola, to source, assemble, and maintain the bikes:

In setting up Allen County Bike Share, the support of our local bike shop has been very important. We’ve seen it as a way to not only help to support a local business, but to ensure fast and professional service for bicycle assembly and repairs. While the bike shop could have seen a free bike share program as unfair competition, they’ve chosen to look at it as a business opportunity. “We’re not losing customers to bike share,” Velo+ co-owner Marco DeAngelis said. “I believe that we are opening up the world of bicycles to people that may not take the chance on buying a bike. This gives us an opportunity to show what a professional bike shop has to offer over the options in town to buy bikes. We are hoping the program will get the community excited about bikes and lead to more and more people locally riding. If and when they decide to start riding, they will know they have a quality shop in town that will help them find the right fit for what they want to do on two wheels.”

The Allen County Bike Share program is managed by Thrive Allen County, the local health and wellness advocacy organization behind many of the bicycle-friendly developments in the county, including the Southwind Rail-Trail, the Lehigh Portland Trails, and Iola’s Complete Streets policy. The program is funded through a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, which recognizes the important health-related benefits of a bicycle sharing program, and hopes that this type of bike share can become a model for other rural communities in Kansas, and beyond.

There are currently bike share stations in Iola and Humboldt, with plans to expand to other communities in Allen County.

Learn more: Thrive’s Innovative Approach to Rural Bike Share

Rush the Rails Set for Oct. 7 on Flint Hills Nature Trail

Rush the Rails will be a major event on the Flint Hills Nature Trail this October 7. Participants will be able to run, pedal, jog, walk, or scoot in an unbelievable adventure on one of Kansas’ best outdoor resources. You and your family can travel on any portion of or all of the trail between Osawatomie and Council Grove. For now, mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 7th and plan to join in one-of-a-kind Kansas adventure! Check out the Rush the Rails FB page for details or the website: www.rushtherails.com

Up to 1,000 participants are expected for the event which is being organized by Dirty Kanza Productions, the folks who produce the famous Dirty Kanza bike ride through the Flint Hills. The purpose of Rush the Rails is to acquaint the public with the trail and serve as a soft opening of the trail.

Woman Walks Kansas City, South to North

According to a recent article in the KC Star (5/13/17) Maggie Finefrock, 64, on Labor Day weekend, 2015, walked the length of Kansas City primarily using existing recreational paths such as the Blue River Trail, Trolley Trail, Riverfront Heritage Trail and Line Creek Linear Path. The 42-mile journey took three days. There are short gaps between the trails which could be bridged at some point to allow for a continuous north-south trail. The planned Rock Island Trail from Pleasant Hill to the Truman Sports Complex will also be another North-South option.

Prairie Sunset Trail Continues to Make Progress

Ruth Holiday with Prairie Travelers which is building and maintaining the Prairie Sunset Trail stretching 12 miles from Wichita to Garden Plain reports that on a summer day over 70 trail users travel on the trail which has ten bridges, a tunnel, and a covered bridge. The organization is working with the City of Wichita to build a low-water crossing on Cowskin Creek (the City removed the trestle in 2005). This will allow the trail to be extended to Hoover Road, making for a total of 15 miles. They are also asking the City to deck the Big Ditch Bridge to connect the trail eastward. Thanks to a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation they have printed a new brochure. They have also applied for a Doppelt Family Grant to apply additional limestone on six of the eight original miles.

Free Bike Sharing Program Established in Iola

The Allen County Bike Share Program is now up and running in Iola. The bikes were purchased through Iola’s new bike store Velo+. Under the program anyone can use a bike by presenting an ID at either Thrive Allen County office or WaveFire Games located on the square in downtown Iola. The Iola vicinity has four rail-trails, including the popular Southwind Rail Trail.

Update on Meadowlark Trail

Michele Cullen with Central Kansas Conservancy (CKC) which is building the Meadowlark Trail stretching 13 miles between Lindsborg and McPherson reports that the district judge Marilyn M. Wilder is about to issue a clarification on her previous positive ruling in favor of CKC that the organization has a clear right to build and maintain a trail within the corridor. CKC had to bring a quiet title action in district court last year because adjacent landowners were refusing to allow volunteers to build a five-mile section of the federally-railbanked rail corridor. However, the judge’s decision is likely to be appealed by landowners and the appeals process will take one to two years. Meanwhile, CKC continues to maintain the undisputed, developed portion of the trail and even enhances it with things like a covered bridge. CKC is able to get youth groups to help with maintenance and there is an informal project coordinator. Support in Lindsborg is continuing to grow.

Majestic Tree Saved by City of Lawrence

The Lawrence City Commission is poised to approve spending $58,000 to purchase a lot containing a bur oak tree which could be 200 years old. The tree is 73 feet in height and 8 feet in diameter. The tract will be added to Brook Creek Park in far east Lawrence. The tree is similar in size to three ancient trees in Council Grove:

• Historic Bur Oak (1694) — Located at Baker’s Market at 115 E. Main in Council Grove. The original grove of trees for which the town was named was a mile in width and contained a variety of species.
• Historic Bur Oak (1773) — Located east of the city park shelter houses in Council Grove.
• Historic Bur Oak (1776) — Located in Custer Elm Park where George Armstrong Custer liked to camp. In 1869, he purchased 120 acres surrounding the park.

Shunga Trail Extension to Open in West Topeka

A new section of the popular Shunga Trail will be dedicated June 22 in west Topeka. The trail segment goes from SW Fairlawn Rd. to SW 29th St. The 13-mile Shunga Trail intersects with the Landon Nature Trail at a bicycle roundabout near 20th & Kansas Ave.

Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. and Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.

The 2017 edition was structured a bit differently, with all rides starting out from a single community, heading out in different directions each day. This not only makes the logistics a bit easier on the organizers, but allows riders to more thoroughly explore an area, as well as simplifying transportation for the riders themselves. It’s a great concept.

For 2017, the hub of the ride was Manhattan, Kansas:

Manhattan was a good choice in a lot of ways. Situated in the northern Flint Hills region, the locale offers excellent routes, with challenging rolling hills and scenic terrain. The community is large enough to provide numerous lodging, food, and entertainment options.

Once again, I rode the tour with my friend Lori. We headed out a couple days early to get in some extra exploring. Starting from Iola, we drove west on US-54, stopping first in El Dorado to ride the bike path and visit El Dorado Lake:

We continued west, stopping to visit the passionate folk at Newton Bike Shop (check out their crowdfunding campaign to improve their touring cyclists hostel):

After a great lunch at The Breadbasket, we moved on to Lindsborg, where we rode the Välkommen Trail, then set up camp at the Old Mill Campground.

The next morning, we rode out to Coronado Heights, which offers an extraordinary view of the surrounding countryside:

From there, we drove north, stopping for a quick hike at Rock City before continuing on to Concordia. Concordia is one of those Kansas towns that I’ve been meaning to visit for years, but had never gotten around to doing so. It’s a rural town of 5400, and my impression is that it’s reasonably prosperous. It has no bicycling infrastructure to speak of, other than a few old-fashioned downtown bike racks. But it has a comprehensive street grid, some beautiful terrain, and even some nice hills. We camped at their Airport Park Campground, which is clean and convenient, with water, electricity, and restrooms (but no showers), but the traffic noise from nearby US-81 is pretty bad. I’d like to go back and explore more sometime!

The next day we drove on to the start of Kandango in Manhattan, with stops in Clyde (great little arboretum!) and Clay Center (a neat city park).

Kandango Day 1

The first day’s route was to the southwest. Crossing the Kansas River, we rode about 33 miles before the first stop, in Alta Vista. After a quick bite at the local cafe, it was on to Dwight, and then White City, where there was lunch and music at the city park. From there, we rolled north with a tailwind, through Skiddy and on into Junction City, where a bus took us back to Manhattan.

In total, it was about 75 miles, and included the iconic “J Hill Road“. I don’t know why, but I love this nearly mile-long climb. It’s followed by a sweet downhill into town.

My Strava activity: Kandango Day 1

Kandango Day 2

The second day took us northeast. With a forecast calling for winds of 20-25 MPH from the south, we knew we’d be facing a tough headwind on the way back into town. The strong tailwind felt mighty fine as it pushed us north, out of Manhattan and into the steep hills east of Tuttle Creek Reservoir:

The country was just absolutely beautiful, green and full of life. After stops in Olsburg and Westmoreland, we headed south into a ferocious headwind. It was tough!

But eventually we turned east to Wamego, then south for a bit, then west to Zeandale, and pie at the last rest stop. Dang, it was good! After a final push back to Manhattan, we finished up with about 78 miles. Whew.

My Strava activity: Kandango Day Two

Kandango Day 3

Day three’s route was to take us south and then northeast. The wind was blowing even stronger than the day before. We rolled out into the teeth of that wind, struggling to maintain 10 MPH. After 7.5 miles we took a break and evaluated. Neither of us really wanted to do another 20-some miles of headwind, so we pulled the plug and turned back, breezing into town with ease. It was only 15 miles total, but it was enough.

Kandango Wrap-Up

Once again, Kandango was a memorable and enjoyable experience. This year’s wind made it really challenging, but gratifying. Kudos to the ride organizers!

I think the “hub” idea is a good one. Manhattan was a solid choice. I do think it was just a bit too large of a community for Kandango, though. With so many lodging and dining and entertainment options, it was kind of hard to feel connected to other riders. The lack of a mass start each day (everyone took off on their own at different times) contributed to that lack of cohesiveness, as did the lack of camping options. I think basing the ride in a smaller community would work better, in this regard.

One personal regret with the ride was that I was not able to take advantage of the gravel route options. That would have been fun. Oh well, another year, perhaps.

Looking forward to Kangando 2018! Won’t you join in the fun? Watch for the registration announcement in January.

Kansas finished May at #14 in the National Bike Challenge. Together, we’ve logged over 91,000 miles so far!

Our top riders:

Our top communities:

Our top teams:

On the advocacy front, Bike Allen County leads the way (#8 in the nation), followed closely by the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club (#9 in the nation).

Not signed up yet? You can do so easily at NationalBikeChallenge.org … log those miles and help Kansas get back into the top 10!

And yes, YOU can join the Kansas Cyclists Team! To do so, just click “Join Club” at https://www.strava.com/clubs/kansas-cyclist.

The 2017 edition of the National Bike Challenge runs from May 1st through September 30th. Like prior editions of the program, its aim is to get more people riding bikes, more often.

The National Bike Challenge does this by promoting a friendly competition, based on the number of “points” you accumulate. The formula for calculating points in the Challenge is really simple: it’s 20 points for each day you ride at least 1 mile, plus 1 point for each mile.

People can compete in a number of different ways:

• Individually, on national, state, community, school, workplace, and team leaderboards
• As teams
• As workplaces
• As schools
• As communities
• As leagues
• As states

In addition, there are “Advocacy Challenges” of one or more counties. (Advocacy, health, and community groups can host a challenge; contact the folks at the League of American Bicyclists for more info.)

Why Compete in the National Bike Challenge?

• It’s fun!
• It’s free!
• You have a chance to win some great prizes, which are awarded randomly each month to participating riders. THe more you ride, the better your chances to win.
• For state, civic, or personal pride.
• For friendly competition. Out-doing your friends, co-workers, or neighboring communities feels so good!
• By logging your miles, and sharing your results on social media, you’ll be an inspiration for your friends. You never know who might start riding because they saw how much fun you’re having.
• The discipline of riding regularly and logging your miles helps instill a positive habit in your life.
• You’ll be surprised at how many miles and memories you rack up!

In addition to these personal reasons, there are also some larger considerations. By recording your miles, you’re helping to provide data that advocates can use to help make the case for improving bicycling conditions in your community. Historically, statistics for ridership have been notoriously difficult to gather, and this lack of data has made it difficult to convince policy-makers to invest in better bicycling infrastructure. Having solid numbers helps immensely to bolster the case.

How To Compete in the National Bike Challenge

New for 2017, the National Bike Challenge exclusively uses Strava as the ride-logging interface. Like the Challenge itself, Strava is free. Strava is, in effect, a social network for cyclists and runners. It offers a wonderfully supportive mechanism for keeping track of where, when, and how far you rode, and seeing the rides from other people in your area.

Strava allows you to log rides in a number of ways:

• You can log miles manually
• You can use a smartphone app to record your rides
• You can use a GPS activity tracker (e.g. Garmin, Wahoo, Polar, Lezyne, etc.) to record your ride, and automatically upload it to Strava
• If you already use another fitness web site, such as Endomondo or MapMyRide, you can use a third-party sync application such as FitnessSyncer or Tapiriik to transfer your data to Strava

Regardless of how you get your data into Strava, once it’s there it will be automatically (and in most case, instantaneously) to the National Bike Challenge web site.

To join a National Bike Challenge group (a team, workplace, school, or bike shop), search for it and join it from Strava, which will then relay that to info to the National Bike Challenge.

One note: The National Bike Challenge relies on you to properly enter your city on Strava. Please be sure to enter your city in “city, state” format, with correct spelling!

With correct city data, the National Bike Challenge will automatically assign you to the proper state, community, and advocacy challenge (if there is one in your area).

Sign up for the National Bike Challenge

If you have problems, please visit the National Bike Challenge support site to get assistance.

Kansas National Bike Challenge Links

You’ll want to be sure to check out the National Bike Challenge Kansas Leaderboard.

Some Kansas-related teams: Kansas Cyclists Team (on Strava), Bike Prairie Spirit Team (on Strava), Bike Walk Wichita Team (on Strava), Southeast Kansas Cycling Team (on Strava), Team Velo Plus (on Strava), The Manhattan Project Team (on Strava), Long Distance Cycling – BWW Team (on Strava), Bicyclists of Central Kansas (on Strava).

Hope to see you on the leaderboards!

A chain reaction accident involving two semi-trailer rigs and a van killed two men — including internationally known cyclist Stephen Tilford — early Wednesday morning on Interstate 70 near the Utah-Colorado border.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce said the tragic events began with the first semi drifting off the road and then overcorrecting. It overturned, coming to rest on its side and blocking all eastbound lanes of the highway at mile marker 214.

Moments later, a Mercedes-Benz van plowed into and through the big rig’s trailer. Tilford, 57, of Topeka, Kansas, got out and was standing next his vehicle when a second semi crashed into the wreckage, striking and killing him.

Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.

A Topeka resident, Tilford has been a world-class athlete for decades, competing in road, mountain, and cyclocross events. He was a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, won five Union Cycliste Internationale masters’ class championships, four U.S. National Cyclo-Cross titles and two world championships in Masters Cyclocross competitions, in addition to a U.S. National Mountain Bike championship.

(Photo courtesy of Topeka Capital-Journal)

Learn more:

• SteveTilford.com
• Steve Tilford, a world-class cyclist from Topeka, killed in car crash
• Steve Tilford dies in car accident
• Cycling world mourns Steve Tilford’s death
• Topeka-native & cycling champion Steve Tilford killed in Colo. wreck
• Accident claims life of prominent bicyclist from Topeka

In addition to his cycling feats, Steve was an accomplished blogger, writing nearly daily at SteveTilford.com. His writing revealed a kind, thoughtful, and generous soul.

His death leaves an immense void for all who knew, loved, or followed him.

Each year, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy hosts Opening Day for Trails, a national celebration of all trails. For 2017, the event takes place on April 8th.

Of course, trails are open year-round, but the Opening Day event is a nice reminder to get out and enjoy our wonderful Kansas Trails, including rail-trails such as the Prairie Spirit Trail and the Flint Hills Nature Trail, mountain bike trails such as the Gunn Park Trails, the Lawrence River Trails, the Lehigh Portland Trails, and the Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail. In addition, the Kansas Trails Council has mapped over 3,000 miles of all kinds of trails in Kansas.

What amazing Kansas trail adventure are you planning for April 8th?

Grant Awarded for Coldwater Trail

The Dodge City-based Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas and Short Grass Prairie Division of Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy have announced that the Foundation has awarded the Short Grass Prairie Trail (SGPT) a $3,900 grant to assist in the construction of a one-mile section of the Short Grass Prairie Trail between Coldwater and Lake Coldwater. The trail segment will enable trail users to travel safely to the lake. The project will primarily involve installing a crushed limestone surface suitable for bicyclists, walkers and wheelchair users.

Currently there is no safe route for children and teens to access Lake Coldwater which has become a very popular recreational facility. Also, Southwest Kansas is currently under-served in terms of public recreational trails and this will help alleviate this shortage. The division has raised $16,000 to date for the $32,000 project and is hopeful that the remaining funds will be found in early 2017.

It is expected that once this section is complete and a success, demand will increase to complete the whole rail-trail which stretches 78 miles between Coats and Protection. The Short Grass Prairie Trail will then become a destination place for residents of Southwest Kansas. Approximately, 5,000 trail user visits are projected for this trail segment annually.

Rotary Club Builds Council Grove Trail Segment

The Council Grove Rotary Club has built a 10-foot-wide concrete path on the railroad rock ballast surface of the Flint Hill Nature Trail from the Neosho River Bridge approximately 900 feet east to Third Street. Plus, the Council Grove Riverwalk has been extended south from the Kaw Indian Mission State Historic Site to the Flint Hills Nature Trail. So, now trail users can park at the mission and readily access the Flint Hills Trail by foot or bike. Current plans by KDWPT are to upgrade in 2017 the trail going east from Council Grove to the Kaw Heritage Park and beyond if funding is available. The park has a network of foot trails and free campsites. The section crosses scenic Rock Creek and cuts through tallgrass prairie-covered hills of the Flint Hills.

Rock Island Trail to Open in December

The 47.5-mile Windsor to Pleasant Hill section of the Rock Island Trail in Missouri is scheduled to open in December. This will allow Katy Trail users to travel virtually to Kansas City metro area. According to the Rails-to-Trails Magazine (Fall, 2016): “Further west along the Rock Island line, Jackson County recently purchased from Union Pacific 17.7 miles of line, stretching from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, to Lee’s Summit. The county expects to complete trail construction on this portion by spring of 2018. A seven-mile gap will remain between Lee’s Summit and Pleasant Hill; Missouri State Parks, and the city of Pleasant Hill and Jackson County have vowed to complete that trail section.”

Lawrence Trail Segment Opens

A two-mile section of the South Lawrence Trafficway Hike and Bike Path stretching from Iowa St. to Haskell Avenue opened November 9. The 10-foot-wide path connects with the existing 11-mile-long path on the west side of Iowa Street. The path traverses the northern boundary of the remaining portion of the Baker Wetlands National Natural Landmark. Between Louisiana St. and Haskell Ave. a noise barrier wall reduces traffic noise for trail users, though the concrete wall is somewhat of an eyesore. This segment forms a portion of the 22-mile trail loop which will encircle the city.

Update on Flint Hills Nature Trail

Rapid progress is being made by contractors working on Phase 1C of the Flint Hills Nature Trail which encompasses Pomona town West for four miles to Quenemo and east from 7th Street in Ottawa for three miles to Nevada Terrace. Six bridges are being built in the former section and one in the latter section. These sections should be open by spring. KDWPT representative Trent McCown reports that preliminary engineering work for Phase 2 is underway to upgrade the trail west of Quenemo and east of Council Grove. Field checks are currently underway by KDOT and KDWPT engineers and bids could be let as early as the end of the year. Step by step we’re seeing the development of an outstanding recreational trail which will serve as the backbone of a 215-mile interconnected trail network. Few regions in the country can boast of such an extensive trail system.

Redbud Trail Making Progress

Byron Rupp with the Andover-Augusta Trail Initiative reports that the organization has just entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Andover to allow it to develop the Redbud Trail from just east of Andover to US 400, a distance of about four miles. AATI has the funds to develop the trail segment and hopes to have it completed by spring 2017.

Railroad Backs out of Railbanking Rail Corridors in NW Kansas

The Nebraska Colorado and Kansas Railway (owned by OmniTrax, Inc. based in Denver, CO) has refused to complete the railbanking of three out-of-service rail lines in Northwest Kansas. The railroad initially agreed last year to railbank the lines and thus the Surface Tranportation Board issued the Notice of
Interim Trail Use. The NKCR also agreed in April to a 180-day extension for the negotiations to enter into the Interim Trail Use Agreement, but now it has notified the STB that it doesn’t want to consummate the railbanking. The three lines are Oberlin-Reager (30.8 miles); Almena to Orleans, NE (14.5 miles); and the Norton Spur (1 mile).

This is a big disappointment for trail advocates as once a rail line becomes completely abandoned, it is lost forever. Losing 46 miles of rail corridors is a significant loss, especially since Northwest Kansas doesn’t have any rail-trails or rail-trail projects. Further, Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy spent over $3,200 in filing and legal fees in the railbanking effort.

It’s possible that the Kansas Farm Bureau, which publicly opposed the trail, was able to exert political pressure on the railroad. This has happened at least twice in Kansas.

Trail advocates in Oberlin and Norton may still be able to buy back short sections of the rail corridors from adjacent landowners once the land reverts. Trail advocates in Oberlin would like to build a 1.6-mile trail from the center of town to Sappa Park and Norton residents would like to use the Norton Spur and connect it to a proposed trail to Prairie Dog State Park (for a total of 4.3 miles).

Judge Rules in Favor of Meadowlark Trail

A McPherson district court judge has ruled that landowners along the 13-mile Meadowlark Trail can no longer block the completion of the trail which stretches between Lindsborg and McPherson.

In a nine-page opinion, district court judge Marilyn Wilder ruled that the Kansas Recreational Trails Act provision requiring that a railbanked rail-trail be developed within two years does not apply to Central Kansas Conservancy because negotiations for railbanking the out-of-service rail line had begun before the law was enacted.

According to an article in the McPherson Sentinel (9-21-16) the judge also ruled that “because federal law does not specify a time limit, no time limit exists for the Meadowlark Trail”. There is one outstanding issue which has yet to be ruled upon and that is trail crossing licenses for landowners who farm both sides of the trail. It is likely the judge will also rule in favor of Central Kansas Conservancy on this issue.

Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. and Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.

Among neighboring states, Kansas was middle-of-the-pack, ranking behind Nebraska (#2) and Colorado (#5), but ahead of Iowa (#11), Arkansas (#30), Oklahoma (#41), and Missouri (#49).

The top biking cities in Kansas were: Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence, Great Bend, Iola, Abilene, Derby, Olathe, Overland Park, and Leavenworth.

The top Local Challenges in Kansas were: Bike Allen County (#6 nationally), Bicyclists of Central Kansas (#12), Livewell Lawrence (#15), Kaw Valley Bicycle Club (#20), Bike Walk Wichita (#40), and Healthy Harvey Coalition (#51).

The top individual riders in the state were: Eric Nordgren (Topeka), Roger Frans (Marion), Mark Schroeder (Andover), Bill Roy (Lawrence), and Michael Thorp (Topeka). The top female riders in the state were Janelle Shirley (Abilene), Shelli Shipps (Tecumseh), Brenda Mueller (Wichita), Mary Ann Ireland (Wichita), and Alice Blecha (Topeka).

Here’s a map of where Strava riders traveled in Kansas during the National Bike Challenge:

It’s always interesting to see where the hot spots are, and which rides and routes show up on the map.

See also: 2016 Prairie Spirit Trail Challenge Results

Thank you to all who participated and racked up those impressive miles. Congrats on a great summer!

Ottawa-Pomona Trail Segment Opens

The Ottawa to Pomona segment of the Flint Hills Nature Trail is now open for trail users. The 10.8-mile section was built by contractors for Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism using federal Transportation Alternative funds. A short stretch of marked gravel road (3.3 miles) has to be used between Louisiana Terrace and Iowa Road to make use of an existing rail crossing.

The trail crosses the rebuilt Marais Des Cygnes River steel truss railroad bridge in Ottawa which will be turned into a signature bridge (with a swan theme) and become a destination for many visitors. Access points include Willow Street, the sports complex and the west road of the cemetery in Northwest Ottawa. Because of the detour some trail users park at Iowa Rd. and ride west to Pomona.

The Pomona trailhead is on the very southern edge of the town on Colorado Road. Continuing south on Colorado Road for 1.5 miles and west on Labette Terrace for 800 feet is the historic Jesse James Cave (open to the public). The recreational path also passes near the wooded Chippewa Hills which lie three miles south on Idaho Road. The new trail segment is a major milestone in the development of the 117-mile rail-trail which will be the longest trail in the Sunflower State.

New Baker Wetlands Trail

A crushed limestone path stretching 1.5 miles through the Baker Wetlands has opened in South Lawrence. The treadway surface is suitable for road bicycles and walkers. The path begins at the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center and goes east to Haskell Avenue. The path traverses the old Baker Wetlands and a connecting path links it to the SLT Hike and Bike Path at Louisiana Street. KDOT built the path as well as the discovery center as part of the mitigation for taking wetlands for the South Lawrence Trafficway. The original 50 acres of virgin wetland prairie is still in existence but it is unclear if the whole Baker Wetlands lost its National Natural Landmark status when wetlands were destroyed to make way for the highway.

Oregon Trail Riverfront Park Proposed for North Topeka

The National Park Service is assisting with the design of a proposed 13-acre park which would be located along the Kaw River in North Topeka at the site of a landing where a ferry was operated by two Frenchmen: brothers Etienne and Louis Pappan. Thousands of Oregon Trail travelers crossed the river using their ferry.

The goal of park planners is to develop it into an historic tourism site much like the Alcove Spring Park south of Marysville. Except for one parcel, the land has already been acquired by the City of Topeka (Source: Topeka Capital Journal, 8-21-16). Another branch of the historic trail called the Union Ferry Route crosses the Landon Nature Trail at SE 40th St. in South Topeka and heads to Willard where there was another ferry.

Western Sky Trail Project Update

A group called Cultivate Fredonia has recently expressed an interest in developing part of the Western Sky Trail which stretches 19 miles between Fredonia and Chanute. The organization was instrumental in developing a network of trails in a city park. Approximately $15,000 is available for trail development. However, first a volunteer must come forward to be the Project Coordinator who will marshal resources and organize volunteers. Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy railbanked this out-of-service rail line.

Great Plains Trail Update

There is now a map of the Great Plains Trail which stretches from Canada to the New Mexico-Texas border. This trail uses existing trails and roads.

See: https://greatplainstrail.wordpress.com/

Great Osage Trail Project

Interest is building to develop the 9-mile Great Osage Trail which will stretch from Wellington to Oxford. A local banker has expressed interest in helping out with this project. Osage Indian Chief Black Dog established a trail from present-day Columbus to present-day Oxford to enable the tribe to travel to buffalo hunting grounds west of Oxford.

The Southern Kansas & Western Railroad built the rail line between the two towns in 1879. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway took over the line in 1899. The last railroad to own the line, South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, let the rail line go out of service in 1997 and the rail corridor was subsequently conserved/railbanked under the National Trails System Act. Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy assumed railbanking custodianship in 2010. Seven miles west of Wellington lies the route of the historic 1867 Chisholm Trail which had its terminus in the famous cattle town of Abilene. Just north of Oxford is the 1874 Old Oxford Mill which used the Arkansas River to power the mill.

Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. and Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.

So far, 1559 Kansas Cyclists have ridden over 427,000 miles, putting us on target for over half a million miles by the end of September. Kansas ranks #9 in the nation in points per capita.

The top individual riders in Kansas are Eric Nordgren of Topeka (11170 points) and Roger Frans of Marion (10546 points) for the men, and Janelle Shirley of Abilene (7578 points) for the women.

The top Kansas Advocacy Challenges are Bike Allen County at #6 in the nation, Bicyclists of Central Kansas at #12, Livewell Lawrence at #19, Kaw Valley Bicycle Club at #20, Bike Walk Wichita at #38, and Healthy Harvey Coalition at #52.

Regionally, Kansas ranks behind Colorado (#5), Nebraska (#2), but ahead of Iowa (#11), Arkansas (#30), Oklahoma (#40), and Missouri (#49).

Log those miles at NationalBikeChallenge.org!

Greensburg, Kansas has a new bike share program, sponsored by the City of Greensburg and the Recreation Commission. The bikes can be picked up at the Big Well Museum and Visitors Center during business hours, and returned to the same location. There is no cost to borrow a bike — it’s free!

Here’s a video promoting the new bike share:

More info from the Kiowa County Signal: Bike-sharing program takes off

So far, 1535 Kansas Cyclists have ridden over 323,000 miles, putting us on target for over half a million miles by the end of September. Kansas ranks #17 in the nation in total points.

Here’s a map of where National Bike Challenge Strava riders have ridden so far:

It’s easy to see the big hot spots: Wichita, the Kansas City metro, Lawrence, Topeka. Other isolated areas of activity include Leavenworth, Emporia, Iola, McPherson, Salina, Hutchinson, and Great Bend.

The top individual riders in Kansas are Eric Nordgren of Topeka (8184 points) and Roger Frans of Marion (7878 points) for the men, and Janelle Shirley of Abilene (5710 points) for the women.

The top Kansas Advocacy Challenges are Bike Allen County at #7 in the nation, Bicyclists of Central Kansas at #12, Kaw Valley Bicycle Club at #19, Livewell Lawrence at #20, Bike Walk Wichita at #37, and Healthy Harvey Coalition at #53.

Regionally, Kansas ranks behind Colorado (#2), Nebraska (#4), and Iowa (#15), but ahead of Missouri (#34), Arkansas (#35), and Oklahoma (#38).

There were a few hills, some wind, heat, and rain, but we kept the pace casual. The great thing is, this type of tour is very accessible to nearly all cyclists, and you see so much from the saddle of a bike, just cruising along at 11 MPH. See a pretty flower, an interesting barn, a cool old sign? Stop and check it out!

Bike touring is a wonderful way to experience the world. Life gets simple: ride, eat, sleep, repeat. Just get out and go!

Here was our route:

(The “gap” in Lawrence was me forgetting to start my Garmin Cyclometer.)

There were five of us on this little tour: two from Iola, two from Parsons, and a part-time rider from Garnett. We were mostly self-supported. The overnights in Osawatomie and Lawrence were in private homes, but there are public options as well. In Topeka, we were at Lake Shawnee, and at Melvern Lake we were in Coeur D’Alene Park.

Some photos from the trip:

Bicyclists and equestrians on the Flint Hills Nature Trail near Rantoul. With mutual respect and care, it’s easy to share the trail!

On the River Road / Kansas Capitols Trail between Lawrence and Topeka. What a wonderfully scenic low-traffic route.

At the state capital in Topeka.

We biked to the capital!

Appreciating The Great Mural Wall of Topeka.

Taking shelter and waiting out an early-morning storm in Topeka. Weather is just part of the deal when travelling by bike. You make the best of it.

Preparing to tackle “Puke Hill” between Topeka and Overbrook.

The March 2007 issue of Bicycling Magazine named Puke Hill as one of the Favorite Climbs in Kansas.

Black-Eyed Susans near sunset at Melvern Lake.

More hills to climb near Melvern, Kansas.

A rowdy crew of touring cyclists on busy Main Street in Waverly, Kansas.

Biking through a wind farm near Waverly.

Our group formed a pace line heading east out of Leroy. A pace line is seldom used when bike touring, but it can be a handy technique to handle a stiff headwind.

The new trail system features about 2 miles of wide gravel trails (including segments on three historic rail lines — the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT), the Missouri Pacific, and the Santa Fe), 5.5 miles of singletrack trails, a century-old bridge, impressive scenery along Elm Creek and around the 100-acre spring-fed lake, all on the grounds of what was once the largest Portland Cement plant in the United States. It is a rare example of a trail system that includes both rail-trail style gravel trails and natural-surface singletrack.

With the opening of Lehigh, Allen County has now added over 20 miles of new trails in the last decade — the Prairie Spirit Trail in 2008, the Centennial Trail in 2009, the Southwind Rail Trail in 2013, the Missouri Pacific Recreational Trail in 2015, and now the Lehigh Portland Trails.

The town of 5,700 (in a county of 13,000) has made significant investments in trails, pedestrian enhancements, and on-street bicycling infrastructure. They see it as a type of economic development, and a major factor in resident and business recruitment. Former Iola Mayor John McRae said “We’re learning that there are new ways to address economic development, and this is certainly one of them. It’s good for Iola and will bring folks to town.”

According to Thrive Allen County:

The trail network is not only an important recreational and transportation resource for residents, but positions Allen County as one of the top trail destinations in Kansas. Our unique mix of trails, and a dazzling diversity of terrain and natural environments, makes Allen County an increasingly popular choice for people to visit, and a compelling destination for new businesses and residents who want to live and work in an active and health-conscious community.

Iola and Allen County also hope to be a model for other small rural Kansas communities and counties. At the grand opening, the Kansas Trails Council announced that the group was donating one of their Trail in a Box trailers to Thrive Allen County, permanently, with the hopes that it will become a resource for the entire Southeast Kansas region, and spark a new wave of trail-building projects. The trailer, one of four in the state, is outfitted with all the tools and equipment needed to construct and maintain natural-surface trails. It will now remain in Allen County, and will also be available for other trail projects in the area.

Thrive also announced that the Sunflower Foundation has awarded a $30,000 grant to the City of Iola towards construction of the “King Of Trails Bridge”, a bike/ped bridge that will span Elm Creek at Washington Avenue, providing a more direct connection between residential areas in Iola and the recreational and employment opportunities south of Elm Creek, including the Lehigh Portland Trails.

Lehigh Portland Trails Ribbon Cutting

Lehigh Portland Trails Map

Learn more about the Lehigh Portland Trails at LehighTrails.com.

See also: Lehigh Portland Trails Grand Opening Photos, Allen County Adds to ‘King of Trails’ Reputation With Opening of Lehigh Portland Trails, Lehigh Portland trail complex draws rave reviews

The annual National Trails Day is the country’s largest celebration of trails. Organized by the American Hiking Society, the event introduces thousands of Americans to a wide array of trail activities: hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, trail running, bird watching and more. America’s 200,000 miles of trails allow us access to the natural world for recreation, education, exploration, solitude, inspiration, and much more. Trails give us a means to support good physical and mental health; they provide us with a chance to breathe fresh air, get our hearts pumping, and escape from our stresses. All it takes is a willingness to use them.

Here in Kansas, we’re blessed with over 3,000 miles of trails — shared-use paths, rail-trails, and mountain bike trails.

One of the premier Kansas events for National Trails Day is free admission to the Prairie Spirit Trail State Park!

Additional special events in the state include the Walk Sand Creek Trail Day in Newton, a National Trails Day Hike in Ottawa, and Levee Fest 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Some photos:

Wild Prairie Rose along the Prairie Spirit Trail

Mulberries ripening along the Prairie Spirit Trail

At the Prairie Spirit Trail Depot Trailhead in Garnett

Beautiful little pocket park on the square in Garnett

There could have been bike lanes here if the Ottawa City Council hadn’t lost their courage…

Abundant Irises along a gravel road in Franklin County

At the Hillsdale Lake entrance sign

Campsite in the morning light at Hillsdale Lake State Park. $18 for two of us, with no water or electricity, is a bit pricey.

At the Ursuline Sisters Convent Cemetery in Paola

John Brown Lookout Park, Miami County

Rainbow Arch bridge over Pottawatomie Creek, Osawatomie

Pottawatomie Trail of Death Sign, Osawatomie

Pottawatomie Massacre Sign, Lane

Minimum Maintenance Road … shall I risk it? Yes, of course.

Thousands of tiny travelers on the Prairie Spirit Trail

Slog: This section of the Prairie Spirit Trail, between Welda and Colony, often becomes a “death march”, and it did for me. Hemmed in by US-169 on the west, and a gravel road on the east, and straight and flat with little tree cover, this section really dragged for me.

I rode my Retrospec Amok cyclocross bike with most of my standard touring setup:

• Rear rack and Nashbar ATB panniers
• Military “Patrol” sleeping bag
• Thermarest Z-Rest sleeping pad
• Alps Mystique 1.5 tent
• Wald front basket
• Insulated soft cooler for food
• Clothing, toiletries, misc electronics

The sleeping pad was actually something new for me. I’d previously used inflatable pads, and they work great (barring the occasional leak), but I wanted to try a more minimalist approach, and the Z-Rest worked great. Actually slept very well, though I think I’ll opt for a full-length pad in the future (this one was only 3/4-length). The pad is very light and rugged, but it’s quite bulky. In this case, I strapped it onto my front basket, and that worked fine.

Little overnight bike camping trips like this are so much fun. It’s wonderful to just get away and have a little adventure, if only for a night. Glad I got in a little tour for the first time in 2016!

Both Bicycle Pedaler and Bike Walk Wichita earned gold-level Bicycle Friendly Business awards, the first in Kansas.

The two new honorees join the Bicycle X-Change Shops (Wichita), the City of Shawnee, REI (Overland Park), and the Rosedale Development Association (Kansas City) in the Silver tier, and Anderson Rentals (Lawrence), Big Poppi Bicycle (Manhattan), Foth IE (Overland Park), and PKHLS Architecture (Newton) in the Bronze category. Kansas has no Platinum-level BFBs.

The League reports:

The owners of new Gold BFB Bicycle Pedaler, in Wichita, KS, have a great story about how they started and how they continue to support cycling in their community. “We opened the Bicycle Pedaler after bike touring to California from Kansas on our honeymoon in 1980. We learned so much about bicycling on that journey that we decided to switch careers from nursing to owning a bicycle shop. We continue to be passionate about the health and wellness improvements that can be made by bicycling and incorporate health and wellness into our activities and daily lifestyle. We believe in creating a community of people passionate about bicycles, and do our best to live this out daily. We feel very fortunate to have spent 36 years helping transform lives by getting people on bicycles!”

Congratulations to Bicycle Pedaler and Bike Walk Wichita!

Learn more: Spring 2016 awardees, All Bicycle Friendly Business awardees

Topeka, Kansas was awarded the bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community award, joining Lawrence, Manhattan, and Shawnee (all bronze) on the list of Bicycle Friendly Communities in Kansas.

In addition, Salina earned an Honorable Mention.

According to the League:

The BFC program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks, while allowing them to benchmark their progress toward improving their bicycle-friendliness. The BFC award recognizes a community’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies.

The BFC application process inspired the Bikeways Advisory Committee of Topeka, KS, to move forward on addressing some ordinances and policies within their city, which earned a Bronze designation this round. “Working on the BFC application and achieving the Bronze status has been a great experience for our community. After having our first Bikeways Plan adopted in 2012 with no allocated funds for implementation, we formed a Bikeways Advisory Committee and began the process of applying for BFC Bronze. The community is now on board and recently voted to fund full implementation of the complete Bikeways Plan in the coming years. Bicycle ridership is up, and the city has recently launched the most successful bikeshare program in the state. We also now have a Complete Streets review team that reviews all new roadway improvement. We will continue our relationship with League and anticipate this being the first step in obtaining our goal as a top bicycle community for both recreation and destination bicycling.”

Learn more: Spring 2016 Awardees, All Bicycle Friendly Community Awardees

Three Rail Corridors Railbanked in Northwest Kansas

Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy has nearly finished conserving/railbanking three out-of-service rail lines in Northwest Kansas:

• The Stagecoach Trail stretches 31 miles between Oberlin and Sebelius Lake.
• The 12-mile Prairie Sunrise Trail links Almena with the Nebraska state line.
• The 3.5-mile Prairie Dog Trail will utilize a one-mile railroad spur in Norton and then will use a rails-with-trails path along an active rail line to Prairie Dog State Park at Sebelius Lake.

These will be the first rail-trails in Northwest Kansas, an area noted for wide-open spaces and few people. The communities of Norton and Oberlin are already excited about the trails and possible trail project coordinators have already stepped forward. They will marshal resources, recruit and direct volunteers, oversee trail construction and help land grants. The people in Oberlin want to build the trail 1.4 miles from the city park out to popular 480-acre Sappa Park so that bicyclists, joggers, walkers have a safe way to reach the park. The Soles on the Sappa Running Club has expressed an interest in ensuring this trail segment is developed. A grant application to fund development of the Oberlin segment and in-town Norton section is being prepared by WSU PhD candidate Lucas Cylke and will be submitted to regional foundations.

2,800-mile England Coast Path to Open in Four Years

Britain’s National Trails website states: “The England Coast Path will be a new National Trail all around England’s coast. It’s opening in sections and will be complete in 2020. When it is complete it will be one of the longest coastal walking routes in the world. The England Coast Path is happening because of a completely new right of access that gives everyone the legal right to explore our coast for the very first time. It is much more than just a path, it gives access to beaches, cliff-tops, and most of the wonderful habitats around our coast.”

Iola’s Lehigh Portland Trails Grand Opening June 25

Randy Rasa provides this update on the Lehigh Portland Trails in south Iola: “Volunteers have been putting in tremendous effort and time, with amazing help from the local community. The last week or two has been filled with bridge work — bridge railing repairs, dirt moving, driving abutment pilings, pouring concrete. Next step is sand-blasting and painting the Hegwald Bridge (within the next week or two), then moving and setting the bridge onto its new home (early May). On the rail-trail itself, surface prep work continues, hoping to get the final limestone screenings down on most of the trail soon. We’re continuing to see lots of local people checking out the trails for the first time, as well as folks from the surrounding region visiting the trails on a regular basis to walk, run, or ride the mountain bike trails.” David Toland with Thrive Allen County reports that his organization was able to obtain easements to extend the Lehigh Portland Rail Trail west to the Southwind Rail Trail using a 0.4-mile connector trail. The total length of crushed limestone trails will be 2.25 miles and 5.5 miles for single-track trails. June 25th has been targeted for the tentative Grand Opening ceremony! Be sure to attend if you can!”

Prairie Sunset Trail Extension Dedication May 14

A ribbon cutting for the Prairie Sunset Trail extension will be held on May 14th at 1:00 p.m. at the Goddard Trailhead. According to Ruth Holliday with Prairie Travelers, the extension runs from 167th St. west of Wichita into the city proper to Hoover for a total of seven additional miles, making the trail 15 miles in length. It will hopefully connect to the City’s bike paths and link it to the Redbud Trail which will take trail users to Butler County where activists we are working on the trail from Andover to Kellogg (Hwy 54) and hopefully to Augusta down the road.”

Redbud Trail Plans Update

Ruth Holiday with Prairie Travelers reports:

Redbud Trail – Goal is to have it from I-135 to Augusta for a total of 18 to 20 miles or so, depending on getting into Augusta because the bridge was removed over the Whitewater River.

Wichita’s Section will be done in phases:

• Phase 1:  I-135 to Woodlawn = 3 miles completed and paved
• Phase 2:  Woodlawn to K-96 = 3.5 miles to be done after Phase 3
• Phase 3:  K-96 to 159th St E (Butler County Line) = 2.5 miles to be next, to connect to the completed 2 miles in Andover and the K-96 bike path that heads north and circles going west and then south and connects to the start of the Red Bud Trail.

Butler County Section will also be in phases:

• Phase 1:  Butler County Line to 13th or also known as SW 80th = almost 2 miles completed and paved (1.7 million grant from the last of the federal TA funds) This was a City of Andover project!
• Phase 2:  Prairie Creek to Kellogg (Hwy 54) = Just shy of 4 miles to be done by AARTI with the blessing of the City of Andover that is taking over the NITU.
• Phase 3:  Kellogg (Hwy 54) to SW River Valley Rd (by the Whitewater River, at the Augusta edge of town) = Approximately 2.5 miles.  This phase must wait until we prove to Butler County that the trail is well used and worth their effort, as well as waiting for KDOT to rebuild the bridge they committed to when they removed it over Kellogg for the highway widening this past year!

TA Grants to fund Rail-Trails

KDOT has approved federal Transportation Alternatives grants for several trail projects including two rail-trails. One grant provides $3 million for continued construction on the Flint Hills Nature Trail which stretches between Herington and Osawatomie. Construction is already underway on the trail section from Pomona town to K-68 north of Quenemo.

The other grant consisting of $721,570 will fund Phase II of Lindsborg’s Valkommen Trail (a rail-trail) in the northeast portion of the town. The new 1.25 section will begin near the Bethany College Campus, go under K-4 and then proceed to Emerald Lake where it will circle the lake. The local match of $278,813 may seem like a significant contribution from a small town but its sales tax is 9.5% which the many visitors to the town pay.

Meadowlark Trail Update

Michele Cullen with Central Kansas Conservancy reports the following: “We have been working for the past one and one-half years on a section of the Meadowlark Trail that starts in Lindsborg and heads south towards McPherson. This section is 2.75 miles, has four bridges and is very scenic. Three of the bridges have railings and are decked. One of these bridges is 105’ long and about 30 feet off the ground at the highest spot. Great views from this bridge. The last bridge to complete is a small culvert bridge about 10’ long. We are making this into a covered bridge. The weekend of April 9th the concrete footings were poured for this bridge and we will start construction on our next work day, May 14th. We have had a few large donations made to the Meadowlark Trail in the Lindsborg area and those donations are covering the cost of this project. In addition to those donations we had some local contractors volunteer equipment and time.

“We have other exciting news on the Meadowlark Trail. Ardie Streit who is our lead person on the McPherson end of the trail (five miles are complete) has teamed up with MCDS. The MCDS group has been out at least once a week with their clients working on the trail. They have repainted picnic benches for us and mowed at our main trail entrance all last summer. They also are looking at getting a grant which will give them funds to do some planting and projects like that along the trail.”

Drone may be used for Rails-With-Trails Project

A drone may be used to survey a proposed rails-with-trails route from Norton to Prairie Dog State Park. Since this is a three-mile route over rugged, open terrain, it will be much cheaper to use a drone to record geo-referenced digital images than having a survey team do the work by hand.

Update on Projects to Connect KC to Katy Trail

According to an article in the KC Star (5-01-16) Jackson County, Missouri took possession on May 2 of a rail line that will help connect Kansas City to the famous Katy Trail. A trail on this 17.7-mile section of the Rock Island Line in eastern KCMO is scheduled to open in the spring of 2018. The 47-mile Rock Island State Trail which connects to the KATY at Windsor will open this fall. This will leave a nine-mile gap between the two trails at Pleasant Hill.

North American Bison Designated as the National Mammal

The iconic North American Bison (commonly known as the buffalo) has been designated by Congress to be the national mammal, joining the American Bald Eagle which is the national emblem. The buffalo is also the Kansas state mammal. There are several herds of bison in the state including at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Konza Prairie and Big Basin State Preserve.

Bill in Missouri Legislature would allow ATVs on Katy Trail

A bill (HB 2047) moving through the Missouri Legislature would allow motorized gas-powered ATVs five feet in width with engines up to 700 ccs and golf carts to be driven on the famous Katy Trail in Missouri by anyone over 60 years of age on Wednesdays. People with disabilities can already drive electric carts or scooters. This would disturb the peace and quiet of other trail users and once allowed on one day of the week it could easily be extended to all days of the week. Allowing ATVs on rail-trails is a bad idea!

Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. and Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.

The 2016 edition of the National Bike Challenge runs from May 1st through September 30th. Like prior editions of the program, its aim is to get more people riding bikes, more often.

The National Bike Challenge does this by promoting a friendly competition, based on the number of “points” you accumulate. The formula for calculating points in the Challenge is really simple: it’s 20 points for each day you ride at least 1 mile, plus 1 point for each mile.

People can compete in a number of different ways:

• Individually, on national, state, community, school, workplace, and team leaderboards
• As teams, with categories based on team size (up to 10, 10-24, 25-49, 50-99, and 100+)
• As workplaces, based on number of employees (<10, 10-99, 100-499, 500-4999, and 5000+)
• As schools, based on elementary, middle, high, and college
• As communities, based on size (<500, 500-4999, 5000-49999, 50000-199999, 200000+)
• As leagues, among teams
• As states, based on region (Notheast, South, Midwest, West)

In addition, there are “Advocacy Challenges” of one or more counties. (Advocacy, health, and community groups can host a challenge; contact the folks at the League of American Bicyclists for more info.)

Why Compete in the National Bike Challenge?

• It’s fun!
• It’s free!
• You have a chance to win some great prizes, which are awarded randomly each month to participating riders. THe more you ride, the better your chances to win.
• For state, civic, or personal pride.
• For friendly competition. Out-doing your friends, co-workers, or neighboring communities feels so good!
• By logging your miles, and sharing your results on social media, you’ll be an inspiration for your friends. You never know who might start riding because they saw how much fun you’re having.
• The discipline of riding regularly and logging your miles helps instill a positive habit in your life.
• You’ll be surprised at how many miles and memories you rack up!

In addition to these personal reasons, there are also some larger considerations. By recording your miles, you’re helping to provide data that advocates can use to help make the case for improving bicycling conditions in your community. Historically, statistics for ridership have been notoriously difficult to gather, and this lack of data has made it difficult to convince policy-makers to invest in better bicycling infrastructure. Having solid numbers helps immensely to bolster the case.

How To Compete in the National Bike Challenge

The National Bike Challenge offers a number of ways to log your miles. You can enter your data manually, by using a GPS device (such as a Garmin cyclocomputer) and a supported web app (Endomondo, MapMyRide, or Strava), or by using a supported app with a smartphone (via Endomondo, MapMyRide, or Strava).

If you’re using one of the supported apps or web sites, logging to the National Bike Challenge becomes completely automated. So easy!

To get started, go to NationalBikeChallenge.org and create an account, then enter the pertinent info (age, gender, zip code).

If you’re using a GPS cyclometer, setup an account at Strava, Endomondo, or MapMyRide, and connect it to the National Bike Challenge using the provided instructions.

If you’re using a smartphone, you can then download one of the available apps (if in doubt, try Strava), install it, and connect it to the National Bike Challenge using the provided instructions.

Sign up for the National Bike Challenge

Each year, May is designated as National Bike Month, and there’s a lot going on in state of Kansas:

National Bike Challenge

The National Bike Challenge runs from May 1 through September 30, and the goals is simple: ride your bike as much as you can!

The event challenges you to ride
Participating in the Challenge is free, and it’s easy. Just ride your bike and log your miles at NationalBikeChallenge.org. If you already log your miles using smartphone apps or online sites such as Strava, Endomondo, or MapMyRide, you can make participating the National Bike Challenge automatic — just follow the prompts on NationalBikeChallenge.org to connect to your site of choice.

National Bike To School Day

National Bike To School Day is May 4th.

Bike to School Day raises awareness of the need to create safer routes for bicycling and walking and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, reducing traffic congestion and concern for the environment.

National Bike To Work Day & Week

Bike to Work Week is May 16-20, and Bike to Work Day is May 20.

With increased interest in healthy, sustainable and economic transportation options, it’s not surprising that, from 2000 to 2013, the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. grew by more than 62 percent. Join in!

Bike Events

There are bicycling events every month, but May is really the first “full” month in the schedule. Here are a few of interest:

• May 1: Capitol Classic in Topeka
• May 1: Tour de Hope in Overland Park
• May 7: Bull Creek Bike Bash in Spring Hill
• May 7: Chisholm Trail Bike Ride in Newton
• May 7: Gravel Ride For Maisie’s Pride in Eskridge
• May 15: Wicked Wind 100 in Wichita
• May 21: BAMFAM in McPherson
• May 21: Elrod’s Cirque in Winfield
• May 22: Lone Star Century in Olathe
• May 28: Cottonwood 200 in Topeka
• May 28: Salt City Criterium Classic in Hutchinson
• May 29: Jesse Blancarte 10K Time Trial in Gardner
• May 29: Sand Plum Classic in Hutchinson

This level of collaboration is refreshing, given the often-hostile environment for trails in many parts of Kansas. Cities are usually very supporting of adding new trails (since their residents demand them), but private landowners many times will actively oppose trail projects, while county governments all too often either passively or actively work to obstruct trails. (See examples in Butler, Leavenworth, McPherson, Osage, and Reno Counties.)

But this is not the first time that Allen County has been supportive of trails. The Allen County government is actually the manager of record for the Southwind Rail Trail, for instance, though the trail is actually maintained and managed by a committee of volunteers, with little County involvement. This partnership was highlighted in a 2015 news story: Southeast Kansas rail-to-trail project makes history

The Lehigh Portland Trails are another recent example, with Allen County Public Works contracted to provide and install the rock surface of the gravel trails. Allen County Public Works will also be providing similar assistance with construction of the new connector trail.

Additional detail about this new trail courtesy of Bike Allen County:

The new 0.4-mile trail segment will follow an old railroad spur eastward from the Southwind Rail Trail, passing beneath the State Street Bridge, paralleling Elm Creek for a short distance, then connecting to Washington Avenue through the City of Iola’s Elm Creek Park South. The western trailhead for the new Lehigh Portland Trails will be located at Washington Avenue. The Lehigh Portland Trails will offer both wide gravel-surfaced trails and natural-surface singletrack trails for mountain biking, trail running, and nature hikes. The new link will provide people walking or biking a safe passage between the two trails, allowing them to avoid having to travel on or across busy State Street.

Here’s a map, with the existing Southwind Rail Trail on the left, the new Lehigh Portland Trails system on the right, and the connector trail highlighted in green:

With the new trails coming online, Allen County will have added over 20 miles of new trails within the last decade.

Black Bass Lake

Black Bass Lake is a small city in Eureka Springs. It has several miles trails that follow the shoreline, and wind through the nearby woods. I was underwhelmed with these trails. There’s some nice scenery, of course, but the shoreline trails are rather bland, somehow. It was too wet to ride many of the more difficult trails, so perhaps I didn’t give it a fair shake.

Entrance kiosk at Black Bass Lake.

A steep section of trail at Black Bass Lake.

Stream below the dam at Black Bass Lake.

Learn more about the Black Bass Lake Trails at MTBProject and Singletracks.com.

Lake Leatherwood

Lake Leatherwood is another Eureka Springs city lake. It’s a bit larger than Black Bass Lake, with around 20 miles of trail of various difficulty levels. I rode the Beacham Trail and the Fuller Trail. The Beacham Trail encircles the lake, while the Fuller Trail is a short segment on the west side of the lake. Both trails are beginner-to-intermediate level, with lots of rocks and roots. The Beacham Trail also has several creek crossings. It had rained the night before my visit, so the trails were wet in places. Luckily, the trails are more rock than dirt, so are pretty resilient to damage from riding the wet trails. But with wet tires over wet rocks and roots, there were quite a few sections that I elected to walk rather than ride. There were a lot of hikers out on the trails, along with a few mountain bikers. The trails I rode were pretty rough in spots, really more hike-friendly than bikeable. I’d like to go back sometime and try the more MTB-specific trail options at Lake Leatherwood.

Crossing the dam at Lake Leatherwood.

A wet trail at Lake Leatherwood.

Hey, where’d my trail go? The creek at the upper end of Lake Leatherwood was running high!

An example of the trail surface at Lake Leatherwood.

Learn more about the Lake Leatherwood Trails at MTBProject and Singletracks.com, and from LakeLeatherwoodCityPark.com.

Slaughter Pen Hollow

Slaughter Pen Hollow in Bentonville is one of the highest-rated trail systems in the state, with about 20 miles of singletrack that’s been built out over many years and several phases of development. The trail various trails that make up Slaughter Pen Hollow are connected by, and bisected by, the Razorback Regional Greenway, a wide paved shared-use path that connects to downtown Bentonville, as well as to nearby cities Bella Vista, Rogers, Lowell, Springdale, and Fayetteville. Although the area roadways are very stroady in general, the Greenway provides a nice off-road way to navigate the sprawl.

The Slaughter Pen Hollow trails are simply excellent. There are trails for all levels of riders, from beginner-friendly easy trails, to more challenging intermediate trails, to expert-level difficult trails. I rode about 8 miles of the network, primarily in phases 2 and 3 (I’d previously ridden parts of phase 1 several years ago). The trails I experienced (a partial list includes “The All American”, “Choo Choo”, “Boo Boo”, “Peek a Boo”, “The Rocking Horse”, “Big Wheels”, “Cry Baby”, “Bottle Stopper”, “Rattler”, “The Urban Trail”, “Angus Chute”, “Free Time”, and “Rocky Ridge”) were by and large easy-to-intermediate level, with excellent flow and a well-worn trail surface. I only had to walk a few isolated segments of the more difficult trails.

I was especially impressed with the man-made features on The All American Trail — rollers, berms, log and rock skinnies, elevated trail, and a teeter-totter — as well as elevated sections and bridges scattered throughout the system. Of special note was the “playground” section in the Phase 3 area, with lots of rollers, table tops, banked turns, and a very fun slalom downhill flow trail. All these man-made features integrated seamlessly with the natural-surface trails, making for great variety and a gradually-increasing level of difficulty that helped to build confidence over time.

I do hope to go back and ride the entire Slaughter Pen network all at once. That’ll be quite the workout!

Part of the Slaughter Pen Jam event route at the Slaughter Pen Hollow Trails.

A long section of elevated trails at Slaughter Pen Hollow.

A slalom downhill flow trail at at the Slaughter Pen Hollow Trails. Fun!

Ride at your own risk at the Slaughter Pen Hollow Trails.

Teeter-totter at the Slaughter Pen Hollow Trails.

A skill-building elevated trail at the Slaughter Pen Hollow Trails.

Learn more about the Slaughter Pen Hollow at MTBProject and Singletracks.com, as well as at the official trail web site at SlaughterPenTrails.com, and from the Friends of Arkansas Single Track trail group.

IMBA World Summit

In a wonderful coup for the region, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) has announced that they are holding their 2016 World Summit in Bentonville on November 10-12.

From Whistler, British Columbia in 2004 to Steamboat Springs, Colorado in 2014, IMBA’s world summits always draw a worldwide audience. Each host community adds its distinct flavor, as leading representatives from mountain bike advocacy groups, land management agencies, and the bicycle industry gather to share success stories and plan the future of mountain biking.

Featuring Northwest Arkansas and its iconic trail systems within the Ozark Mountains, participants will experience the rugged beauty of this area exploding with mountain bike enthusiasts and see the unique trail connectivity that showcases both the bustling downtown city and the scenic Ozark landscape.

The World Summit program includes keynote speakers, educational sessions, an expo, networking and—of course—plenty of time to explore local trails.

This is exciting news for the region! The Arkansas trails, especially in Northwest Arkansas, have been building a stellar reputation for many years, and it’s great to see that mountain bikers from around the world will get to experience this fantastic singletrack for themselves. Hoping to be there in November!

And yes, I was taking notes, hoping to take some of the trail ideas back to my hometown trail system, the Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola, which hopes to officially open this summer.

With 14 riders, Wichita was the #83 city in the world, and it’s good to see folks from all around the state participating.

Here in Iola, here are a few glimpses of my ride into work:

It’s only a little over a mile, but I get to stop at a park, ride on some bike-friendly trails and quiet streets, and take advantage of front-door bike parking. I must say, it’s a pretty sweet little commute.

Iola becomes the 9th city in Kansas to enact a Complete Streets policy, joining Hutchison (2012), Kansas City Kansas (2011), Lawrence (2012), Leawood (2011), Overland Park (2012), Roeland Park (2011), Topeka (2009), and Wichita (2014). One county (Johnson County, 2011) and one Metropolitan Planning Organization (Lawrence-Douglas County MPO, 2011) have also passed Complete Streets policies.

Iola’s Complete Streets Evolution

Iola has been building towards this for quite some time. Recent street projects have begun to include sidewalks and curb cuts as a matter of course, and within the last few years the city has added nearly two miles of sharrowed bike routes, over half a mile of new sidewalk connecting trails to shopping, a HAWK traffic signal on the Prairie Spirit Trail, and enhanced pedestrian-friendly crosswalks downtown and near schools. All this in addition to adding over 20 miles of new off-road trails in Allen County over the last decade.

So this new Complete Streets Policy, in reality, merely put into writing the standards and practices that the city was already following voluntarily. From that historical perspective, it was an easy sell, which the city council vote reflected.

Even so, there was some pushback from city staff regarding some of the specifics of the policy. For instance, the original proposal called for an ordinance rather than a resolution (a resolution says “we intend to do this”, whereas an ordinance says “we shall do this”). An ordinance would have made for a stronger policy, but the city staff was understandably wary of over-committing the city to future unfunded spending.

In Iola, the Complete Streets Policy conversation was initiated by Thrive Allen County, a local non-profit organization that works to improve health and livability. Thrive’s vision is that Allen County will be the healthiest rural county in Kansas, and this policy is a significant milepost along that long and winding road.

You can read Thrive’s story here: Iola Adopts Complete Streets Policy

Fresh Energy

Significantly, Iola is by far the smallest and most rural of the communities to embrace Complete Streets, perhaps signalling a start of a much larger wave of communities that embrace the Complete Streets precepts of designing and building their roadways to provide safe transportation for people walking, biking, and driving.

Although Iola is the first small rural town in Kansas to join the Complete Streets movement, it’s hardly the first nationally. There are small towns all across the nation who’ve successfully implemented Complete Streets policies. The National Complete Streets Coalition notes that:

A Complete Streets approach can provide a more effective and balanced transportation system for the nearly 49 million Americans who live in rural areas and small towns. The need for Complete Streets in rural areas and small towns is clear because so many of them have adopted policies.

Access to jobs, groceries, healthcare, education, and other destinations is just as vital in rural communities as in suburban or urban areas. Complete Streets are important in helping town centers and Main Streets thrive, too, by improving street connectivity and allowing everyone, whether on foot, bike, or public transportation, to reach community focal points. Creating Complete Streets can facilitate reinvestment and economic development in the heart of a small town.

Let’s hope that Iola’s new Complete Streets Policy does indeed provide some fresh energy to the Complete Streets movement in Kansas, and inspires other small towns, of which there are many, to take their own steps towards safer and more sustainable transportation infrastructure.

This is an updated 2016 version of the Kansas Rails-to-Trails Map that was originally included with the 2013 Kansas Statewide Rail-to-Trails Plan.

The map was updated by KDOT cartographer Elaine Bryant, in consultation with the Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy. It is also available as a PDF.

Compared to the older map, the 2016 edition shows progress on projects such as the Blue River Rail Trail, the Flint Hills Nature Trail, and the Meadowlark Trail.

New trail projects include the Stagecoach Trail, Prairie Dog Trail, and Prairie Sunrise Trail in northwest Kansas, and numerous new trail proposals in western, central, and eastern Kansas, as well as a number of newly-identified low-use rail lines that may be candidates for future rail-to-trail projects that would preserve those right-of-ways as future transportation corridors.

The updated map provides additional documentation of the growing trail network in Kansas!

Rail-trail from Marysville, Kansas to Lincoln, Nebraska now Open!

The 19.5-mile Chief Standing Bear Trail which links Beatrice, Neb. to the Nebraska state line was completed this fall creating a continuous rail-trail from Marysville to Lincoln. The other trail sections are the 30-mile Homestead Trail stretching between Beatrice and Lincoln and the Blue River Rail Trail which was also completed this fall and runs 11.5 miles from Marysville to the Nebraska state line.

Points of interest along the two trails in Nebraska include the Homestead National Monument, the 1906 Burlington Railroad Depot which houses the Gage County Historical Society and Museum, Big Indian Recreation Area, Arbor Park, Big Blue River Bridge and Chautauqua Park.

In Kansas, the Blue River Rail Trail generally follows the Big Blue River. The trail features bluffs and heavy timber plus a covered bridge north of Marysville. It also traverses the heavily wooded Oketa valley. Decrepit stone stairways built into the side of the hill once allowed town residents to access trains. In Marysville, efforts are underway to extend the trail south past a train depot that will be restored to a short rail-trail on the south edge of town.

Flint Hills Nature Trail construction moving forward

Jeff Bender with the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reported at Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy’s annual meeting that construction on Phase 1B (Ottawa west for 3 miles to Iowa Rd.) may start as early as this month, weather permitting. The contract was awarded to APAC-Kansas, Inc. for $1.28 million. Unfortunately, there will be a long-term 3-mile detour on gravel roads for this section due to a busy railroad crossing. Bids for Phase 1C may be let also be let this month. This phase is from Pomona to Quenemo for 4 miles and 6 miles from Ottawa east to Kingman Rd. Construction on Phase 1C may start in spring,

Coffeehouse with Bike Rentals to open in Ottawa

John and Carol Gladman of Ottawa are planning to open a coffeehouse near the intersection of the Flint Hills and Prairie Spirit Trails in downtown Ottawa. The coffeehouse may even have bike rentals. A cafe with coffee in St. Charles, MO along the Katy Trail has bike rentals. A bed and breakfast is scheduled to open next year nearby. Things are starting to happen in Ottawa.

Sheriff deputies patrolling trails

The Franklin County Sheriff has announced that deputies are patrolling both the Flint Hills Nature Trail and Prairie Spirit Trail within the county. The County has recently purchased three bicycles for use by deputies. Safety patrols will be able to help trail users experiencing problems and enforce rules such as the ban on motorized vehicles and shooting. Plus, they will help deter vandalism. Shawnee County sheriff deputies are patrolling the Landon Nature Trail using ATVs.

Climate Change to affect rail-trails

The Kansas City Star (11/18/15) recently had an article describing the climate change predictions by climate scientists for the Kansas City area. These predictions could also apply to rail-trails in eastern Kansas. Shorter and warmer winters may extend the temperate weather in fall and spring encouraging more trail use. However, the more frequent and longer heat waves in summer could reduce summer trail use. Extreme weather events including rain downbursts causing flooding and windstorms may damage trail surfaces. Not only could flooding wash out trail sections it could damage or destroy bridges. Plus, windstorms could result in downed trees and branches which would block trails. Although the tick season will be extended by weeks, rail-trail users tend to avoid ticks because rail-trails are so wide that users don’t brush up against bushes.

Bikepacking is growing sport

Bikepacking is loosely defined as “seeking adventure through multi-day, self-supported trips on lightly loaded bikes.”

Bikepacking 101 on the bikepacking.com website defines it as ”Simply put, bikepacking is the synthesis of mountain biking and minimalist camping; it evokes the freedom of multi-day backcountry hiking, with the range and thrill of riding a mountain bike. It’s about forging places less traveled, both near and afar, via singletrack trails, gravel, and abandoned dirt roads, carrying only essential gear. Ride, eat, sleep, repeat, enjoy!”

“The most significant gear innovation that has helped popularize bikepacking is the commercial availability of bike-specific soft bags. Replacing traditional racks and panniers, these consist of a framebag, a handlebar bag or harness, a seat pack and peripheral bags. Light, rattle free and tailored to modern mountain bikes, they’ll optimize your bike’s carrying capacity without adding significantly to its weight, or effecting the way it handles. Most are made by small-scale cottage industries; some are custom made on a piece by piece basis, and others are available predesigned to fit certain frame brands and sizes. Consider investing in a seat pack and roll bag first, then a framebag when you’ve settled on a bike you’re happy with. Alternatively, look at our Hobo Kit for ideas on how to get by with what you already have. Or if you have access to a sewing machine, make your own!”

KC’s Rock Island Trail to feature tunnel

The planned 17.7-mile Rock Island Trail stretching from the Truman Sports Complex in Northeast Kansas City to Missouri 291 in Lee’s Summit will feature the Vale 446-foot tunnel. The trail will connect the KC metro area with the famous Katy Trail. Construction may begin in 2016 if legal and design hurdles are resolved. (KC Star 11/27/15).

Greater Yellowstone Trail

According to the Rails-to-Trails Magazine (Winter 2016), planning for the Greater Yellowstone Trail is underway:
“The Greater Yellowstone Trail is a proposed 180-mile, non-motorized, multi-use trail system that will pass through three states, a handful of wildlife refuges and state parks, and endless tracts of US Forest Service land. Today, more than 100 miles of the route are passable.” Sections that are already open include the 7-mile Victor to Driggs Rail-Trail; 30-mile Ashton-Tetonia Trail; and the 20-mile Jackson-Jenny Lake Trail.

New Transportation Bill to increase funding for trails initially

The new federal transportation bill called FAST Act has been signed into law and increases funding for trails: The Transportation Alternatives Program — the small pool of funding for walking and biking — was the only program that was capped with no builtin adjustment for inflation. It will rise from the current $817 million annual allocation to $850 million and then be held constant. This is good news as there was a concerted effort to eliminate this program. TA funds are being used to complete the Flint Hills Nature Trail in Kansas. The transportation bill also funds the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Since 1994, more than $20 million in RTP funds have helped build trails in Kansas. Applicants are required to provide a 20% match.

Half Gates for Flint Hills Trail Project a Success

Half gates are being used on the KDWPT’s Flint Hills Nature Trail Project. The gates make it look like illegal vehicles and ATVs can’t or shouldn’t go on the trail. However, maintenance vehicles are able to go around the gates. According to engineer Dan Holloway, the cost for the gates “vary based on quantity ordered, manufacturer, etc. but the price has been approximately $1,600 to $2,000 which includes all materials and labor to construct, deliver to site, and install. Signs are also mounted on these gates. (see attached picture.) The break-away pin/bolt prevents damage to the gate when vehicles ram it.

Land and Water Conservation Fund increased

Congress has passed a three-year allocation of $450 million annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. “The money is intended to create and protect national parks, areas around rivers and lakes, national forests, and national wildlife refuges from development, and to provide matching grants for state and local parks and recreation projects.” In FY 2015 $300 million was appropriated so the trust fund, so this is a 50% increase. However, full funding would be $900 million per annum which is what is contributed to the fund annually by revenues from oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf. The LWCF State Assistance Program in Kansas is expected to receive around $4 million annually which is administered by KDWPT.

More than 600 projects amounting to more than $51 million in LWCF grant funds since 1965 have helped build outdoor recreation projects including parks and trails.

Scenic Overlook to be built on Kansas Turnpike in Flint Hills

A scenic overlook is being built along the Kansas Turnpike in the Flint Hills. It will allow the public to enjoy a scenic view of the Flint Hills. A herd of antelope is in this area. A groundbreaking for a scenic outlook and improvements at the Bazaar Cattle Pens was held earlier in December.

The Bazaar Cattle Pens are located 16 miles southwest of Emporia and 60 miles northeast of Wichita at mile marker 111.

Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. and Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.

Shawnee renewed its bronze-level BFC status, while Leawood earned an “honorable mention” from the League.

There are currently three Bicycle Friendly Communities in Kansas: Lawrence, Manhattan, and Shawnee, all at the Bronze level.

In Fall 2011, Leawood made the “Honorable Mention” list (so it hasn’t moved up over the last 4 years). Other Kansas Honorable Mentions include Topeka in Spring 2013 and Wichita in Spring 2015.

Regionally, a few new cities from our region have cause to celebrate, having become one of the 55 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities:

• Breckenridge, CO: Gold
• Steamboat Springs, CO: Gold
• Bettendorf, IA: Bronze
• Conway, AR: Bronze
• Northwest Arkansas – Benton and Washington Counties: Bronze
• Omaha, NE: Bronze
• St. Louis, MO: Bronze
• Le Mars, IA: Honorable Mention
• Marion, IA: Honorable Mention

See complete list: Fall 2015 Bicycle Friendly Community Awards and Honorable Mentions

The new bike lanes would address a long-standing sore spot for riders on the Prairie Spirit Trail in Ottawa. Up to now, riders heading south from the Old Depot Museum trailhead (the northern terminus of the trail) would cross the Marais des Cygnes River on the pedestrian bridge, then be unceremoniously dumped onto Walnut Street, with little or no indication that the trail actually followed the street for a few blocks before becoming a typical asphalt multi-use pathway through the remainder of town:

This summer, the city organized a planning committee to investigate the problem:

Over the years when we have surveyed residents and visitors about bike/pedestrian needs,
one of the regular comments is asking for better delineation of the bike trail on Walnut. Staff
had been discussing solutions over the last year as well. Some people feel like the trail just
disappears, and visitors often aren’t sure where to be riding. Neighbors have shared they see
bicyclists are on both sides and also in the middle, where the former railroad line actually was
installed.

Earlier this summer, at the request of the City of Ottawa’s planning commission; a
development group was formed of local residents to generate ideas and solutions for
downtown, particularly as they relate to adding interest in developing areas other than Main
Street. This group walked the area, discussed ways to enhance it and was willing to review
possible solutions. They ultimately recommended the solution that is proposed now, the bike
lanes in the center of the road.

A meeting was held and neighbors invited to see the proposed new lines and delineators, as
shown on the attached page. In addition, some neighbors visited with staff. This plan does
result in parking on the 100 and 200 blocks parallel to the curb being removed, to make room
for the bicycle lanes. The staff and citizen advisory group agreed that in those two blocks with
three public parking lots, this was not a significant impact. However, given the width of the
street in the 300 and 400 block, the parking on the west side can remain, which is also where
there are more residential structures and fewer public parking areas. Safety was the primary
consideration of the discussions. The city engineer has drafted the solution as shown
attached. Public Works crews can do the installations/painting later this fall, if the commission
is supportive of this solution.

We are pleased with the breadth of discussion and all of these efforts to improve cyclist’s
experience, improve safety, and still allow for good traffic flow.

Here’s the solution they came up with:

The bike lanes would be located in the center of the street, with a shared traffic lane on either side, which would mimic the placement of the former railroad line, which the city paved over when the tracks were removed long ago.

The center bike lanes would also solve the problem of visibility, both for the trail itself, and for riders using the trail. Also, by locating the lanes in the center, people riding bikes wouldn’t be at risk of opening car doors, a common hazard with typical bike lanes adjacent to parallel parking. Some would perhaps prefer a more protected bike lane (a cycletrack) rather than just relying on paint to delineate the lanes, but this design would be a solid step in the right direction, particularly given the low traffic volumes on this side street.

This sort of design has been used in many places around the nation (most famously on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC):

However, these bike lanes would be the first of this type in Kansas.

However, after the City Commission unanimously approved the proposal on October 21st, a group of adjoining property owners came before the commission to object: Property owners: Bike paths shouldn’t trump parking spots:

Peeved building owners persuaded city commissioners Monday to rethink street plans for a recently approved bike path spanning the first five blocks of Walnut Street.

The plans call for the removal of street parking spaces in order to extend the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail as two-way lanes in the middle of the street. During the public comment period of Monday’s study session, five residents expressed why they thought the plan was inconsiderate.

Charlie Adamson, owner of Adamson Bros Heating and Cooling, 102 S. Walnut St was most vehement in his opposition: “If somebody riding a bicycle is more important than a single parking space on Walnut Street, I will not go along with it.”

A parking space is worth more than a person? Hmmm…

Wynndee Lee, Ottawa community development director, noted that there are several hundred parking places in public lots immediately adjacent to Walnut. “There is abundant parking, more than any other two-block section in the entire downtown.”

Shawn Dickinson, city commissioner, said although public input should be heard, it should be considered carefully. He said the commission is treating the plan like nothing was decided when it was approved in a September regular meeting. “Are we going to stop every project down the line that somebody will disagree with?” he said. [link]

City commissioners have scheduled a special meeting for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Commission Chambers at City Hall; 101 South Hickory Street; Ottawa, Kansas.

The public is invited to attend and voice their opinions.

If you’re unable to attend, you can submit your comments to City Manager Richard Nienstedt at 785-229-3637 or rnienstedt@ottawaks.gov.

Kansas State University has earned a Bronze Bicycle Friendly University designation!

K-State is located in Manhattan, which became a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community in 2012.

There are now 127 Bicycle Friendly Universities in 42 states. Kansas was the last state in our region to earn a BFU designation. Arkansas has 1 (Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Bronze), Colorado has 5 (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Platinum; Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Bronze; University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Bronze; University of Denver, Denver, Bronze; University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Bronze), Iowa has 1 (University of Iowa, Iowa City, Silver), Missouri has 2 (University of Missouri, Kansas City, Bronze; Washington University, St. Louis, Bronze), Nebraska has 1 (University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Silver), and Oklahoma has 3 (Oklahoma State University, Stillwater; Bronze; The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Bronze; The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Bronze).

Congrats to KSU!

Katy Trail to be Completed to KC!

Kansas City will be connected to famous Katy Trail within just two years. The 48-mile Rock Island State Trail and a new 17.7-mile rails-WITH-trails path will allow KC residents to travel from the Truman Sports Complex in Northeast Kansas City to the Katy Trail at Windsor. The Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources is overseeing the construction of the Rock Island State Trail rail-trail. The extension will make the Katy Trail about 290 miles in length, stretching from Machens, MO (North of St. Louis) to Northeast Kansas City.

Significantly, Jackson County (Missouri) and the KC Area Transit Authority are wrapping up the purchase of a 17.7-mile rail line stretching from Lees Summit to the Truman Sports Complex. A rails-WITH-trails path will be built within the right-of-way as the rail line may be used for commuter rail service. Construction on the trail can begin in just seven months as $10 million in federal funds have already been allocated. Also, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has announced that he would like to see the 117-mile Flint Hills Nature Trail (which terminates at Osawatomie) be connected with the Katy Trail. It is unclear how this would be accomplished but it could be a combination rails-WITH-trails path (32 miles in a Union Pacific corridor) with a path within a roadway (20 miles on M-58). So, some day trail users may be able to travel 390 miles all the way from Herington, KS to St. Louis!

Sunflower, Kanza to hold Annual Meetings in November

Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy will be holding its annual meeting in Iola on November 7. The meeting will start at 11:00 am at El Charro, a Mexican restaurant. David Toland with Thrive Allen County will be the keynote speaker, and will discuss Allen County’s growing network of trails, including the Lehigh Portland Trails, the Mo-Pac Trail, the Prairie Spirit Trail, and the Southwind Rail Trail.

Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy will hold its annual meeting on November 14 in Ottawa at Smoked Creations. Jeff Bender with KDWPT will be the keynote speaker. Registration begins at 10:30 am. Lunch is $11.00 and RSVP by emailing info@kanzatrails.org. All trails enthusiasts are invited to attend these meetings. Field trips to area rail-trails will be held after the meetings.

Franklin County Deputies to Patrol Trails on Bikes

The Franklin County Sheriff has announced that deputies will be patrolling both the Flint Hills Nature Trail and Prairie Spirit Trail within the county. The County has recently purchased three bicycles for use by deputies. Safety patrols will be able to help trail users experiencing problems and enforce rules such as the ban on motorized vehicles and shooting. Plus, they will help deter vandalism.

Lawrence to Create 22-mile trail Loop

The City of Lawrence will soon have about 75% of a 22-mile trail loop completed by next July. The trail primarily goes on the outskirts of the city. More than one-half of the loop is composed of a separate multiuse path along the South Lawrence Trafficway. Other components include the Burroughs Creek Trail, Haskell Rail-Trail, a new trail along the Kansas River called the Burcham Park Trail, Outside for a Better Inside Trail and the Baldwin Creek Trail. This trail loop will likely be completed within five more years and is a milestone in urban trail systems in Kansas.

Burcham Park Trail in Lawrence to be completed by December

The Burcham Park Trail in Lawrence will be completed by December 1 according to Mark Hecker with Lawrence Parks and Recreation. The 2/3-mile trail will now be constructed with concrete. Originally, parks and recreation officials thought that asphalt millings would be sufficient for most of the path, but they later decided that due to frequent flooding, it would be better to have a concrete surface.

The path, which will link up with the new Outside for a Better Inside Trail with one trailhead at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, will run to downtown. The Sunflower Foundation provided a $49,775 matching grant (20%) and the City allocated $136,825 from a sales tax reserve fund.

Although this trail is just five blocks from downtown Lawrence, it is worlds away in terms of leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind for a lush forest along the Kaw River.

Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. and Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.