KANSAS CITY, Mo — In response to recent tragic incidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians, two prominent local bike advocacy groups have continued to raise their voices for change to make city streets safer for vulnerable road users.
The two advocacy groups leading this initiative, "BikeWalk KC" and "Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation" have long been active in championing the rights of bicyclists and pedestrians in the city. Recognizing the urgent need for a coordinated response to address this critical issue. Michael Kelley, Policy Director of BikeWalk KC said someone's life should not be taken for change to happen.
“We want cities to adopt more policies, more plans and implement more projects that make it safer and easier for people to move along without having to worry about being injured or killed, whether that be sidewalks, trails, improved bus routes. People deserve dignity and safety, and how they move through our community throughout our region," said Kelley.
Their efforts seeks to prevent further accidents, promote cycling and walking and encourage the development of more sustainable urban transportation systems.
"We want to see a bigger investment," said Kelley. "In mult-imodal infrastructure, we again, the reason why we see so few of these things is because we, as communities, as people, putting people in positions of power, choose not to prioritize those modes.”
According to the Kansas City Police Department, their records indicate three bike fatalities and 15 pedestrian fatalities have occurred in 2023. In 2022, two bike fatalities and 22 pedestrian fatalities were recorded. Numbers Brent Hugh, Executive Director of Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation said show a need of improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
"We had those [numbers] down to 35,000 people killed. Now we're back up to 45,000, right? So I mean, every one of those. And think about that. What is that like? That's like fighting a war, right," said Hugh.
As groups efforts like "BikeWalk KC" and "Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation" gain momentum, the hope is that the tragic incidents that have taken lives in our city will serve as a turning point, leading to a safer and more bike- and pedestrian-friendly urban environment for all residents and visitors.
“You’ve been doing such a great job; you’ve been making some real improvements. We’ve seen the benefits of those. Now it’s time to take it to the next level, let’s take throughout the entire city and the entire metro area; I mean let’s really make it happen now," said Hugh.
