Improved Billboard?

I don't endorse graffiti, but give credit for creativity.

League of American Bicyclists Recognizes Bike-Friendly Companies

The League of American Bicyclists has honored those Kansas City area businesses and organizations that are the most bike-friendly.

Fall 2010 Kansas City Area Bicycle Friendly Businesses
Silver Level

• 360° Architecture
• Family Bicycles, LLC    

Bronze Level

• Foth Infrastructure and Environment — Kansas City       

Honorable Mention

• City of Mission, Kan.
• City of Shawnee, Kan.
• Mid-America Regional Council 
• Sprint Nextel
• UMB Financial Corporation

MoBikeFed Hosts Bike Safety Course

MoBikeFed will be holding a Traffic Skills 101 course to educate bicycle riders on bicycle safety tips, including "bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student text book."

Bicyclists can do their part by becoming safer, more aware riders who legally follow traffic signals. But it will also take drivers becoming safer, more aware drivers who legally follow traffic signals if we can avoid awful incidents like this one. Integrating bicycle safety and rules on bicycles as part of driver's education courses may not be a bad idea in getting drivers to at least acknowledge sharing the road.

Walk-Friendly Communities Program

 "Walk Friendly Communities" will be giving grants in November to communities that establish or recommit to a high priority for supporting safer walking environments. This is similar to the "Bike Friendly Communities" program which of course awards grants to communities that support safer biking environments. Our own Lee's Summit earned "honorable mention" in the most recent award.

This is a terrific program that Kansas City communities should be aggressively applying for. While receiving an award may take several applications, the process can still help communities guide their plans for developing more walkable, bike-friendly communities.

Delaware to protect cyclists and pedestrians with new law

Delaware will soon enact a new law that will toughen penalties against drivers that hit and injure pedestrians and cyclists. The penalties include completion of a traffic safety course, community service, fines, and suspension of driving privileges. As Streetsblog points out, it helps to give prosecutors tools that are not as severe as vehicular manslaughter, but more of a deterrent than a traffic citation. Oregon and New York have similar laws, and even Texas, the libertarian, truck-driving capital of the nation, passed a similar bill, only to have it vetoed by the Governor.

Meanwhile in Kansas, we get no charges filed against an inattentive driver that paralyzed a world class international cyclist.


Delaware S.B. 269 - "The Vulnerable Users Law"