In October 2004, the League of American Bicyclists recognized the city as a bicycle-friendly community. The award was based on the city’s continued efforts to promote bicycling for recreation and transportation, to educate the community on bicycle safety and to provide residents with safe facilities for bicycling.

The city boasts:

• 53.5 miles of designated on-road bike routes.
• 11.6 miles of on-road, striped bicycle lanes.
• 22 miles of paved recreational paths.
• 10 miles of designated off-road paths on the Kansas River levee, located in East Lawrence.
• 29 miles of trails at Clinton Lake and additional off-road trails east of North Lawrence (along the Kansas River).

The article also discusses the heath benefits of recreational and transportational bicycling, as well as the support system of local bicycling clubs and groups. All in all, it’s a good overview of bicycling opportunities in Lawrence.

You can read the article by clicking these images to view larger versions:

Or you can view the PDF of the Activities Guide here (warning, it’s a large file!).

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In the spirit of “The Golden Age of Bicycles” the Groody Bros. Bicycle Restoration Project cordially invites you to participate in the first annual Kansas City Tweed Ride – Velocipede & Tweed Indeed! Please join us on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 at Loose Park in Kansas City, MO for an afternoon of sophisticated social revelry upon the most marvelous machines ever devised by man.

We will congregate under the shelter located at 52nd and Wornall Road at the hour of 12, with the ride to commence at approximately one o’clock. Dress in your finest turn of the century era wools, tweeds, silks and argyles*. Riders, and their machines, will have the opportunity to be judged and awarded prizes based on appearance, authenticity, originality, and creativity. Categories to include, but are not limited to:

• Most Flattering Female Finery
• Most Dashing & Debonair Male
• Most Period Authentic Machine
• Most Handsome Mustache (Masculinely Male)
• Most Delicate Mustache (Fictitiously Female)
• Most Intriguing Accessory upon a Person
• Most Intriguing Accessory upon a Bicycle

Our route will pass through some of the finest and most elegant neighborhoods in the Kansas City area with regrouping locations allowing for fine refreshment. The length of our journey will be no greater than ten miles and at a speed of the most casual nature. This is about style not speed, elegance not exertion. This is to be considered a family affair to be enjoyed by the young and old alike. Light refreshments of tea and biscuits will be provided. We invite you to bring your own picnic fare to share.

While at the event you can expect to have your image captured in candid fashion by none other than world renowned urban cyclist photographer, Chris Thomas.

Another local artist of the brush and canvas variety, Kevin Nierman, whose works have graced the covers of such esteemed and prestigious publications as Dirt Rag Magazine and Bicycling Times has generously donated an original painting created just for this event. This work of art will be made available to one fortunate member of the general populous through a chance drawing. Raffle tickets will be available for a nominal donation on the day of the event. The proceeds will benefit a local youth cycling endeavor and assist to defray a portion of the event expenses.

Current sponsors include Groody Bros. Bicycle Restoration Project, Poindexter Recruiting, Boneshaker: A Bicycling Almanac, Kevin Nierman Graphic Design, Chris Thomas Photography, Chipman Creative Design, Family Bicycles, LLC, other sponsors still at large…

Contact us if you wish to volunteer, donate prizes or become a sponsor. Please feel free to direct your comments, suggestions and inquiries to TweedRideKC@gmail.com . Any and all R.S.V.P. to this address would be greatly appreciated so that we might properly prepare for the onslaught of participants.

This event does not include rider support by those infernal internal combustion machines. All riders should arrive with a bicycle in proper working order and be aware that their participation is purely and completely at their own risk. Riders are expected to observe and obey all rules of the road and behave in a dignified and civilized manor during the course of the event.

*The sporting of denim, spandex or lycra is to be highly discouraged. The organizers of this event consider these fabrics to be in exceedingly poor taste. The wearers of such apparel can expect to be openly scorned, chastised and run the risk of being “tarred and feathered” by an angry mob.

You can learn more about the event on their web site or Facebook event page.

“Tweed Rides” are popping up in cities all over. Here are a few more you may want to check out: Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and many more around the world.

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• develop trail standards and require easements for trails on all new plats where appropriate and/or feasible
• include bicycle shoulders on all county road where appropriate and/or feasible

In reading that, I was initially confused by the term “bicycle shoulder”, since I don’t recall ever seeing that phrase before.

According to additional info from the Leavenworth County Planning & Zoning Commission, the term “bicycle shoulder” is apparently a colloquialism, and there’s no standard definition associated with it. What they’re referring to as a “bicycle shoulder” is a 6-to-10 foot paved shoulder adjacent to and connected to the road.

So it’s apparently just an everyday shoulder that bicycles happen to be able to use (and hopefully designed with bicycle-friendly rumble strips). And since the shoulder would not be for the exclusive use of bicycles, the state’s “sidepath” law would not apply — that is, bikes would not be required to use the shoulder.

As for the “appropriate and/or feasible” language, here’s what that apparently means:

Commissioners J.C. Tellefson and John Flower said it would be up to staff and the board to decide if the additions of bike lanes or trail standards would be appropriate or feasible and cost would be considered in that decision.

There’s obviously plenty of gray area there for the county to decide that trails or shoulders are not appropriate or feasible anywhere, but still, this seems to be a step in the right direction!

Read more from the Tonganoxie Mirror.

Thanks for Dale Crawford and John Garlinger of KanBikeWalk for helping research this.

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Although it seems work on transforming former railroads near downtown into hiking and biking trails has been in progress since 2005, the real work dates back decades.

There are numerous obstacles to the project, making it difficult to turn rails into trails from First and Georgia streets to 11th and Broadway streets.

As designed years ago, the project has received plenty of financial support. The project has netted grants through the Skubitz Foundation, the Sunflower Foundation and the Pritchett Trust.

Further adding to the progress is help from Pittsburg State. Students in the Department of Construction Management are working on designs and implementation plans for creating a trailhead for the Rails to Trails project.

Ultimately, Kennemer couldn’t put a timeline on when the project would be completed, but said things are moving in the right direction. “It’d be nice to have it done by the spring or summer, but I thought that would be the case last year,” Kennemer said. “We’ve got four to five different groups involved. A lot of the problem is just getting everyone on the same page at the same time.

“We’ll just have to piecemeal it at a time. We’ll do what we can when we can and where we can.”

Read more from the Pittsburg Morning Sun:

• Rails to Trails making progress
• Pittsburg receives grant for hike, bike trail (Nov 19, 2008)

I’m not sure what the name is of the Pittsburg Rails-to-Trails project; it’s not listed in the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy directory. I’m also not sure if this is the same project described in Hike-and-Bike Path Coming To Pittsburg, or a different one…

According to the Sunflower Foundation, they awarded a $10,000 to the City of Pittsburg “to build a 5,400′ long, 10′ wide compacted gravel and asphalt trail from Georgia Street to Broadway Avenue.”

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This photo shows delivery agents for The Daily Free Press in Winfield, Kansas, taken about 1914.

It’s hard to see much detail, but it’s interesting to note that, with the exception of the way the riders are dressed — jackets, ties, and hats — the bicycles themselves wouldn’t look all that out of place nearly a hundred years later.

Incidentally, here’s some interesting commentary on the effect of automobiles on Winfield:

By 1910 Winfield paved the downtown streets with brick, horses were no longer welcome. The mule drawn trolleys were upgraded to electric streetcars. Eventually the automobile changed the face of small town America. Main Street went from a gathering place for people and horses and wagons to a parking place for the ubiquitous automobile. The Trolley Cars were displaced to make room for more cars. The brick streets were covered with asphalt to provide a smoother ride for the automobile.

Courtesy of the Cowley County Historical Society Photo Archives.

Here’s a similar photo, this one from Topeka, showing delivery boys for the Topeka Daily Capital, circa 1900:

Courtesy of Kansas Memory, from the archives of the Kansas State Historical Society.

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The tour leaves Syracuse, near the Colorado border, on Saturday, June 5th, and arrives in Leavenworth, on the Missouri river, on June 12th.

The route covers about 478 miles, with overnights in Goodland, Colby, Hill City, Osborne, Minneapolis, Herington, Osage City, and Eudora.

Learn more at the Biking Across Kansas web site.

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It’s more than just how and where you drive your car everyday. Rather, it’s a holistic approach to how you move about the community. We need to plan for other modes of travel so that all members of the community can move about safely and conveniently. Garden City should continue to implement elements of “Complete Streets”.

The City should continue to enact policies that will reduce demand on existing infrastructure by promoting shorter commute time between citizens and their employers with more compact, pedestrian oriented designs, such as multi modal commute alternatives (i.e. extension of existing walking trails, and bike paths).

More info:

• Comprehensive Plan Home Page
• 2010 Comprehensive Plan (PDF)
• Comprehensive Plan Blog
• Comprehensive Plan Facebook Group

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The trail is built on the railbanked right-of-way of the Beatrice Branch line of the Union Pacific Railway, and will eventually stretch north 12 miles to the Nebraska state line, where it will connect with that state’s Homestead Trail, which runs through Beatrice to Lincoln, where it connects with the Mopac Trail east to Omaha and beyond (see graphic). The total distance between Marysville and Lincoln will be approximately 68 miles.

The initial segment of the trail was built by private donations plus funds from a $14,686 grant from the Sunflower Foundation. The next steps include a link to downtown Marysville through the old Union Pacific rail yard, and advancing the trail further north to the town of Marietta, then beyond to Nebraska, where the Homestead Trail is being expanded southward to meet it at the state line.

The trail is 10 feet wide and surfaced with crushed limestone screenings over the original railbed. The trail runs along the banks of the scenic Blue River, which offers a lush natural environment with abundant wildlife and birds to enjoy. The trail also has a small covered, red-roofed bridge over a small creek, which was built by a local volunteer group, Marshall County Connections. “It’s kind of a fun surprise when you come around the corner and there it is,” said board member Maureen Crist.

Judging from the local newspaper, the community is enthused about the new trail: Railbed project is exciting prospect:

A pedestrian and bike path on the former Union Pacific railbed from the Pony Express sculpture park downtown to City Park would continue to build on Marysville’s image as an inviting place to visit and live.

What a pleasant place to take a walk after shopping or eating downtown. What an attractive setting this could be for Marysville’s new farmers market and what a great walkway for our senior citizens going to and from the Helvering Community Center. What a boon this could pose for our quality of life.

See also: Rail Trail’s first stretch open for walkers, cyclists

Photo courtesy the Marysville Advocate.

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This is episode 16 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, and this episode features an interview with Keith Gates, a bicycle commuter, Randoneer, and blogger, as well a short conversation with Chris Carr, the director of “Wheels for Wells”, a cross-country tour that is raising money for clean water in Africa.

Keith Gates lives in Olathe, Kansas, and has been a long-time bicycle commuter, earning the handle “commuterDude”, and has been sharing his commutes via his blog for many years. commuterdude.com offers a wealth of advice and information about bicycle commuting, including choosing a bike, selecting gear, finding a route, and conquering the mental blocks that often keep us off our bikes and locked in our cars.

Keith is also an accomplished long-distance cyclist, participating in the midwest randonneuring scene. Randonneuring is a non-competitive sport in which one rides to test oneself against the clock, the weather, and a challenging route – but not to beat the other riders. The ethos of randonneuring is self-sufficiency and mental toughness. Randonneurs USA is the governing body of randonneuring in America, and the local chapter, Kansas City Ultra-Cycling, organizes a number of local events, including Brevets of 200km (about 125 miles), 300km (186 miles), 400km (249 miles) and 600km (373 miles).

In 2008, Keith earned an R-12 Award by riding a 200km (or longer) randonneuring event for 12 consecutive months, which, as daunting as that sounds, is even tougher given the unpredictable and sometimes brutal — wind, rain, cold, snow — weather conditions in the midwest. Way to go, Keith!

You can follow Keith’s commuting and randonneuring tales on his web site at commuterdude.com, or via the Facebook fan page.

Next up, we talk with Chris Carr, director of Wheels for Wells, a cross-country tour that is raising money for clean water in Africa. The ride begins in California on June 27th and ends in New Jersey on August 7th. It passes through Kansas July 12th through 18th. They’re still looking for cyclists to ride week-long legs of the trip; if you’re interested read more here. You can also follow Wheels for Wells on Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s a quick summary of the rest of the podcast, with links to more information:

• Stafford, Kansas Cyclist Killed
• Wichita Cyclist Dies From Hit-and-Run Collision
• The U.S. Bicycle Route System in Kansas
• Winter Bike To Work Day 2010
• 2010 Cottonwood 200 Honors Bob Frederick
• Guru’s Gravel Grinders
• Trail News: Big Creek Trail, Wyandotte County Lake Park Trails and the Trail Masons Association

And finally, thanks again goes to Mark Franzke for providing the original music you hear on the Kansas Cyclist Podcast.

As always, we hope you’ll listen to the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, and consider subscribing to future episodes. We welcome your feedback, so please send in your comments or suggestions or call 913-938-6855 to leave a voice message.

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Rail-Trail Building Seminar Scheduled

A “How to Build a Trail” seminar will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday February 6 in the McPherson Public Library located at 214 W. Marlin St. John Purvis and Doug Walker of the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy and others have been invited to present “best practices” for building rail-trails quickly and cheaply despite opposition. Purvis has been building the Landon Nature Trail and Walker has been building the Flint Hills Nature Trail. Central Kansas Conservancy is sponsoring the free seminar which will be held after the SRT meeting (see below).

Sunflower Recreational Trails Meeting Feb. 6

All trails enthusiasts are cordially invited to attend the next meeting of Sunflower Recreational Trails, Inc. at 11:00 a.m. on February 6 in McPherson at Tres Amigos, 121 W. Marlin. Items of discussion include the status of the state’s rails-to-trails program; legislative matters; fundraising, and a possible organization name change. A field trip on the Meadowlark Trail will be held following the meeting.

KC’s Riverfront Heritage Trail Gap Closed

The following editorial was published in the Kansas City Star (1-15-10)

One of Vincent Gauthier’s dream projects opens today, when Kansas Citians on the Riverfront Heritage Trail get a new opportunity to stroll oh-so-close to the Missouri River.

Gauthier, the Port Authority’s executive director, watched large ice chunks flow down the river on Thursday while showing off a long-needed connecting walkway under the ASB Bridge.

“Look, you can almost touch the water,” he said while standing at one of the lookout points on the new pedestrian underpass. OK, the river was actually about 50 to 60 feet away. But it is winter, and the river is low, so during many other months people on the trail near downtown really will be tantalizingly at the water’s edge.

The opening of the $3 million project is a key victory for pedestrians, bicyclists and all other users of the trail. Finally, people headed west from Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park will be able to continue on the pathway to the River Market area. And vice versa.

The project, overseen by the Port Authority and mainly financed by Ameristar Casino funds, will help people get around the gates that for years have kept them off a sliver of property controlled by BNSF Railway where its tracks enter the ASB Bridge. The gates blocked people from full use of the trail.

The underpass includes wide concrete pathways that meet accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A small resting area near the tracks will let kids (and their parents) stand just feet away as trains go by on the ASB tracks. Ipe — a light red hardwood from South America — has been used as a decorative railing and a flooring material on parts of the underpass.

Tall, thin black poles hold lamps that will light the trail at night; landscaping will be completed in the spring.

Kansas City’s system of trails still requires major improvements, including construction of hundreds of miles of bike paths. But completion of the ASB trail underpass does provide a crucial connection for an important path in the city.

Topeka Approves Landon Trail Extension

The following is excerpted from the Topeka Capital-Journal (1-13-10)

The council on Tuesday also voted 8-1 to override Mayor Bill Bunten’s veto of the proposed construction of an extension of the Landon Trail. Woelfel dissented, saying he couldn’t justify authorizing the project at a time “when money’s pretty tight.”

The council had voted 8-1 on Dec. 15, with Woelfel dissenting, to approve the project to issue $100,000 in general obligation bonds to build an extension of the trail, with that amount being matched by $429,600 from federal transportation enhancement funds.

Total debt service over 20 years is estimated at $144,389 for the project, which will extend the trail from a point just east of 25th and S. Kansas Avenue north to a location near S.E. 32nd, just west of the Hi-Crest neighborhood.

Bunten vetoed the project Dec. 18. Council members initially considered seeking to override the veto last week but deferred action for one week after legal questions about the trail were raised.

Assistant city attorney Braxton Copley told council members Tuesday he studied the matter and felt convinced the city has a right and a duty to develop the trail.

KRTC president John Purvis, J.D. reports that “The language of the present lease agreement requires development by the city and the assistant city attorney told the council that specifically. He also told them that the Kansas Recreational Trails Act required them to develop the trail also.”

The City is also going to apply for federal Transportation Enhancement funds to do the next section between 34th and 45th Streets. Plus, the City and KRTC are going to revise the current agreement to expand the trail corridor lease to the new city limits at 53rd St. which has a trailhead.

Legislative Watch

This legislative session is expected to be a contentious one due to the recession triggering budgetary problems (caused by reduced tax revenues). Agencies have already made steep cuts and now parks, recreation, wildlife protection and environmental protection could face additional cuts. During this highly-charged atmosphere, legislative attacks on rail-trails could be used to divert attention away from other issues. So, state officials are recommending that trail groups keep a low profile until May.

Cold/Snow Slows Trail Projects

Several trail construction projects are on hold due to the snow and extremely cold temperatures. In Lawrence, the Burroughs Creek Trail project has been delayed by several months. With the current frost level in the ground, it will be well into spring before it is dry enough for work to resume (construction of the 10-foot-wide concrete path south of 19th Street). However, the City is working on landscape plans for the linear park and park and recreation staff has been discussing signs and an official name for the trail and linear park.

Kansas Trail News is published monthly by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Recreational Trails, 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.

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Unsafe water and a lack of sanitation cause 80% of sickness and disease in Africa. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from diseases in dirty water. The statistics are both alarming and concerning, and also what motivate us to make a change in the world. The reality is, the disease and sickness that result from a lack of clean water are totally preventable. That’s why Wheels for Wells is committed to bringing clean and safe drinking water to developing nations in Africa.

The Wheels for Wells ride is a cross-country bicycle tour, starting in Dana Point, California on June 27th, and ending in Ocean City, New Jersey on August 7th.

Here’s the route map:

The ride is split up into six weeks:

• Week 1: June 27 to July 2, 592 miles from Dana Point, CA to Cameron, AZ
• Week 2: July 3 to July 9, 487 miles from Cameron, AZ to Walsenburg, CO
• Week 3: July 10 to July 16, 485 miles, from Walsenburg, CO to Emporia, KS
• Week 4: July 17 to July 23, 476 miles, from Emporia, KS to Mt. Vernon, IL
• Week 5: July 24 to July 30, 529 miles, from Mt. Vernon, IL to Martin’s Ferry, WV
• Week 6: July 31 to August 7, 421 miles, from Martin’s Ferry, WV to Ocean City, NJ

Wheels for Wells is actively seeking riders for the tour. There are slots for 10 riders for the full route, and 15 riders for each week of the ride.

If you’re looking for a well-supported bike tour for this summer, and would like to take a trip that would not only be fun and challenging, but can help to make an important difference in people’s lives, please check out wheelsforwells.org. Rider slots are still available.

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The 2010 edition of the Cottonwood 200 will honor Dr. Bob Frederick, avid cyclist and longtime Cottonwood participant who died in a cycling accident a few weeks after the 2009 ride. Bob was a longtime educator, former athletic director at the University of Kansas, and a great humanitarian. Five dollars of all full entries will go to scholarship funds in memory of Bob Frederick.

The Cottonwood 200 is a three-day bicycle tour on paved roads through the Flint Hills of northeast Kansas. The ride covers approximately 200 miles (75 miles day one; 50 miles day two; 75 miles day three) over the Memorial Day Weekend. It is a loop tour that starts and ends at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.

This is the 34th year for this annual tour, and this year the event runs from May 29th through the 31st.

Registration for the 2010 ride is now open.

You can learn more, and sign up, at cottonwood200.org.

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This is great news! KTKA in Topeka has the story:

Taxpayers in Emporia will be happy about a free perk coming to the downtown area. Twelve bike racks are in the plans for Commercial Street between 4th and 12th Street.

Emporia Mainstreet will pay for them and welding students at Flint Hills Technical College will build the racks. The Emporia Trails Board is donating 400 dollars to the project to improve the health of the community and environment.

It’s also a safety feature. Rachael LeClear of Flint Hills Technical College says, “It’s not very safe because of the way the cars are parked at an angle and back out into traffic, it’s not safe for bikes to ride on the street there, so a lot of them do end up riding on the sidewalk. I think that if we had places for them to park, they can come up the side streets and park, and then walk to where they need to go. So I think it will be very helpful.”

Each rack will include a Kiosk on the side, to show a map of downtown Emporia and a schedule of upcoming events for the town. The racks will have a special powder coating to make them virtually maintenance-free.

Read more and watch the video: 12 new bike racks coming to downtown Emporia

But one phrase from that piece kind of jumps out: “It’s not safe for bikes to ride on the street.”

The concern about angled-in parking is well-justified, but bicyclists are safer riding in the street than on the sidewalk (Bicycling on the street is >20 times safer than riding on the sidewalk), and the street is the proper place for bicyclists to be. And beyond that, if it’s safe for a car to drive down a street with angled parking, why wouldn’t it be safe to ride a bicycle down that same street?

Instead, perhaps we should provide bicyclists with some tips about the best way to ride on a street with angle parking:

• Ride in the center of the lane, where you’re most visible. Speeds in downtown areas with angled parking are typically low; you’re not impeding traffic. Don’t ride near the parked cars.
• Watch for brake lights from parked cars, indicating that they may suddenly pull out.
• Watch carefully for any movement of parked cars. Often, as a person sits down in a car, starts it, or shifts it into gear, the car will visibly jolt.
• Watch for heads in parked cars. If you can see a head, there’s a person inside, and they may move the car suddenly!
• If the weather is cool, watch for car exhaust, which is often most visible immediately after an engine is started. The driver may simply be keeping the car warm while they wait for someone in a shop, or they mat be planning to back out.
• If a car is stopped in the street, and you’re coming up behind, don’t pass them on their right. They may be waiting for a parked car to exit, or they may be planning to pull into a parking space themselves. Wait patiently for the street to clear before proceeding.
• Watch out for cars that may pass you and then right-hook you as they attempt to enter a parking space. Again, this is another reason to ride in the center of the lane, not on the right.
• Be prepared to stop!
• If you’re slowing or stopping, be sure to use the appropriate hand signal (extend your left upper arm out to the left, parallel to the road and angle your forearm vertically downward) to indicate your intentions to any following traffic.

Or, how about considering converting the street from angled-in parking to back-in parking? Back-in angle parking: what is it, and when and where is it most effective?

By adding the bike racks, Emporia is encouraging its citizens to ride their bikes more, and that’s a wonderful thing. But let’s not discourage bicyclists from riding in the street!

By the way, the winning bike rack design has not yet been chosen. You can vote here.

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The notably bicycle-unfriendly town of De Soto (De Soto Reaffirms 83rd Street Bicycle Ban), located in eastern Kansas between Lawrence and Kansas City, is welcoming Bill Hancock, author of “Riding with the Blue Moth,” to be the featured speaker at their dinner. The book relates the story of Hancock’s cross country bicycle trip after the death of his son, where the “blue moth” is Hancock’s metaphor for the grief and depression he felt after the loss of his son.

Bill lives in Prairie Village, Kansas and is director of the NCAA’s Bowl Championship Series, and he will speak Saturday at De Soto VFW Post 6654, where the dinner takes place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. The cost for the event is $35 per person.

Here’s hoping that the Chamber of Commerce understands the negative reputation the community has earned through the bicycle ban fiasco, appreciates the positive economic impact that bicycling can bring to their town, and is willing to work to persuade the De Soto city council to address the situation.

Learn more from the De Soto Explorer: De Soto Chamber annual dinner Saturday

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The U.S. Bicycle Route System is intended to be a national network of bicycle routes that span multiple states and are of national and regional significance. The routes are nominated by the State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and designated and cataloged by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The Adventure Cycling Association is spearheading the effort to plan and implement this national bike route system, and is enthusiastically working towards that goal. (Click on the map to the right to view a full-sized U.S. map of proposed routes.)

The following map shows the proposed corridors in the state of Kansas:

A “corridor” is not a route, but a 50-mile swath where a route might be developed. The “prioritized corridors” are highlighted, and have already been assigned bicycle route numbers. The lighter-colored lines indicate “alternate corridors”, and have not been assigned route numbers.

Here’s a quick rundown of the prioritized corridors in Kansas:

• The main east-west route across the state is Bicycle Route 76, and should roughly follow the route of the TransAmerica Trail, which was first established as the “Bikecentennial” route in 1976 in honor of America’s bicentennial.
• The north-south route in the western part of Kansas is Bicycle Route 65, which runs from approximately Lubbock, Texas to Pierre, South Dakota.
• The north-south route in the eastern part of Kansas is Bicycle Route 55, which runs from approximately McAllen, Texas through Fargo, North Dakota, spanning the U.S. from Mexico to Canada.
• The route in the extreme northeastern part of Kansas is Bicycle Route 50, from Washington DC to San Francisco, California. Although this is another cross-country route, the portion in Kansas appears to follow the path of the Lewis & Clark Trail route.
• The route in the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas is Bicycle Route 66, which follows the famous Route 66 Highway from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California.

The alternate routes appear to follow Highway 36 in the northern tier of Kansas, Highway 56 across the central part of the state, and Highway 160 across the south. The north-south route in the central part of the state would seem to follow Highway 281. And the route running from southwest Kansas to Kansas City appears to follow the old Santa Fe Trail route.

This all sounds great (and it is!), but is the Kansas Department of Transportation actually willing to participate?

Last year, a short survey was sent to the bicycle and pedestrian coordinators for each state Department of Transportation. The results of the survey were compiled into a report (Implementation Preparedness: Survey of State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinators), and you can read more about that on the ACA blog.

So what was the response from the Kansas Department of Transportation? Did they recognize the potential for tourism? The importance of bicycle routes to Kansas citizens? The possibility of making Kansas a model state for bicycle friendliness and hospitality?

Nope: Silence.

The Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator for the state of Kansas, Becky Pepper, apparently didn’t bother to respond to the survey at all.

Kansas wasn’t alone in their neglect, unfortunately. Of the fifty states (plus Washington, D.C.) that were sent surveys, only 35 states responded.

Still, the report indicates a fairly high level of enthusiasm for the U.S. Bicycle Route System, with 32 states showing at least some interest in working to put together the national bike routes.

Regionally, Iowa and Missouri were definitely interested, Arkansas and Colorado were interested but don’t consider it important. Nebraska and Oklahoma, like Kansas, failed to even take the time to respond to the survey.

If you’re interested in the U.S. Bicycle Route System, please pressure your state’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator (which you can find listed on your state’s Department of Transportation web site) to participate in the planning and implementation of this important (and long overdue) network of national bike routes.

In Kansas, the Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator is Becky Pepper. Her email address is rpepper@ksdot.org.

If you’re on Facebook, you may also want to join the U.S. Bicycle Route System fan page on Facebook, which will not only show your support, but keep you informed.

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St. Joseph To Wathena Rail-Trail Underway

Efforts are underway to build a rail-trail from St. Joseph, Missouri five miles west to Wathena, Kansas. The trail would go over the Missouri River, through Elwood, over Browning Lake (an oxbow lake), and on to Wathena. Reportedly, the former Union Pacific line has been fully abandoned, the bridges removed and the land has reverted to adjacent landowners. The original Elwood and Marysville Railroad (1859) was the first railroad built in Kansas. Since the land has reverted to adjacents, the corridor is being acquired from them and the bridges re-built. A possible name of the trail is the Pony Express Trail as it follows the general route of that famous historic trail.

Kanza Receives Grant

Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy has received a $16,000 grant from the Lattner Family Foundation. Pending upon a final decision by the Board of Directors, these funds are likely to be used to match challenge grants for the Flint Hills Nature Trail and/or Landon Nature Trail. KRTC President John Purvis says, “We appreciate the Lattner Foundation’s continued support for our trail development. It shows that they have confidence in our ability to build rail-trails.”

Conservation Easements For Trails

Experts say that conservation easements can be used to provide for recreational trails. A former landscape architect from the City of Olathe states: “The City of Olathe has one conservation easement which was written to allow a number of recreational uses, including a trail, within the easement as long as it did not damage the overall natural character of the area the easement is intended to protect. It’s all in how the easement is written. It also allows historical and interpretative signs, markers and even allowed a sanitary sewer to be built through the corridor, but it set the precedent to assure environmental impacts were of the highest priority through the conservation easement.” An official from the Kansas Land Trust also confirms this.

Trail Gap Closed On Flint Hills Trail

Doug Walker, Superintendent of the Osawatomie Division of the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, reports that an 0.6-mile gap in the Flint Hills Nature Trail southeast of Rantoul (east of Ottawa) has finally been closed. In early December crushed limestone was installed by the Osawatomie Division on the half-mile section. This means that trail users can now travel unimpeded all the way from Osawatomie to three miles east of Ottawa.

Lawrence Residents Support More Trails

A survey conducted in October and November by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department has found that the development of new recreational trails has broad support. Questionnaires were distributed at three public meetings and via online from the City’s website. A new recreation center received the highest votes at 248 top votes. The following recreational trails also received a high number of votes:

• Baldwin CreekTrail (from K-10 to Kasold Ave.)
• North-South Trail (linking Clinton Pkwy Bob Billings Pkwy with 6th St.)
• Southeast Trail (from the Naismith Path to the trails at Lawrence Prairie Park/Mary’s Lake)

Making Trails Interesting

Although Kansas landscapes have a subtle beauty, some residents and visitors need to be encouraged to explore the state’s trails. That’s why trail builders in the Sunflower State are developing attractions alongside trails. Ideas for making recreational trails exciting and adventurous include:

1. placing old farming implements (pre WW II) along trails
2. building tunnels in railroad cuts
3. constructing unusual bridges such as covered bridges or using rail flatcars or boxcars for bridges
4. restoring old train depots to serve as trailheads or visitor centers
5. placing old cabooses (way cars) at trailheads to serve as visitor centers or restrooms
6. installing signs pointing out historical and natural features (such as large or old trees, caves, springs, waterfalls, Indian raids, historic trail crossings, etc.)
7. placing covered wagons along trails
8. planting native shade trees or fruit trees or native prairie wild flowers or edible wild plant gardens
9. establishing attractive picnic or camping areas or scenic overlooks
10. placing sculptures or statues of Kansas explorers or Wild West figures along trails

Kansas Trail News is published monthly by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Recreational Trails, 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.

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I’ve been receiving this via email for some time, and occasionally passing along news here on Kansas Cyclist, but I’d like to see the group and their newsletter get wider exposure. To that end, I proposed to Clark Coan, the newsletter’s editor, that I re-publish the trail news here on Kansas Cyclist, and then push it out to my followers on Twitter and Facebook, with the purpose being to get their newsletter in front of more people who are interested in trails in Kansas.

Clark graciously agreed, and so that’s what we’re going to do, starting with the last newsletter of 2009 (here).

So look for the Kansas Trail News on Kansas Cyclist, starting today!

And, if you have any trail news you’d like to share, please pass it along, either to me, or to Clark Coan directly. And if you appreciate the great trails in Kansas, be sure to support their work with your generous donations; all contributions to Sunflower Recreational Trails are tax-deductible.

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If you’re feeling a bit of cabin fever after all the snow and cold, this is a great opportunity to break free and ride!

The name of the route is “Paola Gravel ‘n’ Hills ‘n’ Trail”. It starts in Paola’s Wallace Park, then rolls west through some hilly country — not really long hills, but more the short-and-steep variety, but there are plenty of them. This section is known, according to local lore, as “The Devil’s Backbone”. The route takes us through the tiny, almost ghost-town of Peoria, named for Baptiste Peoria, leader of the Peoria Indians. Peoria was one of Franklin County’s earliest towns, established in 1857.

We’ll then take a short jog south and across the Marais des Cygnes river, near where an early wagon and stagecoach trail forded the river. From there, we’ll hop on the Flint Hills Nature Trail, a rails-to-trails project that will eventually stretch 117 miles. We’ll be riding the eastern-most section of the trail, first crossing a historic railroad bridge over Middle Creek, then passing through the small town of Rantoul, and then following alongside the Marais des Cygnes for several miles. I think this is one of the most scenic sections of the trail, with the path situated between the river and the bluffs, and nice little creek crossing (this is the one damaged by vandals last August).

Eventually, the trail will intersect with John Brown Highway, which we’ll follow into Osawatomie. There’s a great little park here, home of the John Brown Museum State Historic Site. John Brown, in case you don’t know, was a famous abolitionist who played a central role in keeping slavery out of Kansas during the mid-1800’s, a period of time known as “Bleeding Kansas” due to the frequent, and often bloody conflicts between free-staters in Kansas and pro-slavery factions from Missouri. John Brown lived in Osawatomie, and there are a number of historical sites in the area related to that time period.

Also in Osawatomie you’ll have a chance to re-supply at a convenience store before we head off on the last leg, crossing over the Marais des Cygnes once more, on a structure known as the Creamery Bridge, a beautiful triple-arch bridge built in 1930 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

From there we’ll get a few miles of flat roads before we attack the steep hill leading up to John Brown Lookout Park, a high point which provides a great view of the surrounding countryside — you can see Paola, Osawatomie, and look out across the river valley. According to legend, this is where John Brown directed the escape of slaves by his Underground Railroad. From there it’s just a few short miles (and several hills) back to Paola.

Now, a word about the weather: Yes, it’s likely to be a little cool. The forecast is calling for a temperature around 40°F. But that shouldn’t be a problem; bundle up and you’ll be fine. But don’t bundle up too much — all those hills will make you work, and you’ll generate plenty of internal heat!

Roads are likely to be a mixture of gravel and snow-covered gravel. This may sound treacherous, but in my experience, it’s not a problem. You’ll want tires with aggressive knobs, though. These are not the conditions for road tires or slicks! As for your bike, either a mountain bike, a cross bike, or a road bike with knobby tires will do fine. Here’s a glimpse of what the road surface may look like:

And here’s a map and elevation profile for the ride:

This ride is part of the Guru’s Gravel Grinders series of rides organized by Chris Locke. The rides are free, but no support is provided. There’s also a Facebook page for the series here, with more details. An RSVP is appreciated, but not required. If you want to ride, just show up.

So join us, won’t you, for this fun little tour of rural Kansas!

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In the early 20th century, the bicycle was often the SUV of choice, able to travel long distances, move quietly, and haul all you needed for a day afield. These three duck hunters look like they’ve had a successful hunt!

And yes, people are still hunting by bicycle yet today (as you can see here and here and here): “Hunting by Bike can be very rewarding if done right. It allows the hunter to quickly and quietly travel long distances. It allows the hunter to get farther away from crowds. It also allows the hunter to haul larger loads than can be carried with just a backpack.”

Photo courtesy of Kansas Memory, from the archives of the Kansas State Historical Society.

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The purpose of the meeting with the stakeholders will be to discuss work on the Plan completed to date; potential projects to be listed in the Plan; and to get additional input, feedback, and other pertinent information or concerns regarding MTP 2035.

January 12, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Director’s Conference Room – WAMPO Offices
10th Floor, Wichita City Hall
455 N. Main Street
Wichita, KS 67202

Please RSVP to Mary Malone at Wilbur Smith Associates: mmalone@wilbursmith.com to let them know if you plan to attend.

Here’s your chance to let your voice be heard for better bike/ped facilities in Wichita — speak up!

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