Alerts and warnings come our way in different forms. The weather forecasters tell us of impending snow and cold. A red light on our car dashboard may foretell of a visit to the repair shop. But some warnings are not as obvious. So it is with one coming out of Kansas City from south of the river that Platte County should heed. Public streets and thoroughfares now and in the future need to be able to safely accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists as well as motorized vehicles.
Graham
The older parts of Kansas City are struggling with this. A tragic death of a bicycle rider on Christmas Eve at a dangerous intersection, a beloved person well-known in the cycling community, has prompted calls for better accommodation for and protection of bicycle riders in the city. The issue is being raised before the Kansas City council. How that relates to Platte County is this: much of our open land will be developed into subdivisions and commercial corners in the decades to come. It is easier to build safe ways for pedestrians and bicyclists to be part of the transportation infrastructure from the start than it is to retrofit narrow streets and old roadways.
We need not only good sidewalks but as well safe road crossings for pedestrians. Bicyclists need some extra lane room on the roadways that is well marked. Signage needs to remind drivers to share the road, be observant and be aware of bicycle riders and pedestrians.
More than the news prompts me to raise this issue.
I live in central Platte County but commute for my day job into the heart of the city, just east of the Country Club Plaza. Driving there requires extra awareness. Pedestrians are common and you must watch for them at corners and for people crossing in the middle of blocks. Some are going from home to shop or for appointments on foot and will return the same way. Others are walking to and from bus stops. Walking used to be the common way to get to jobs or commerce when our county’s small towns were built. Thus a person can get around on foot where you need to go pretty well in Platte City, Parkville and Weston — if you live in the old part of town. Out on the edge of town, where commerce is locating along the busiest streets and highways, not so much.
Bicyclists are common in the city, too. Two of my co-workers commute on bicycles, one even in winter. I envy them, except for them having to cross busy intersections and ride on wide streets that suddenly become very narrow with intermittent cars parked near the curb. More such travelers are expected soon. We have the rise of the bicycles with battery power to assist pedaling, and the new fad of electric scooters. Motorists are often impatient with them. Bicycle and the scooter riders are also at times impatient at intersections or perhaps a little too bold. Just like with autos and semi-trucks sharing the road, it is a recipe for tragedy.
Our transportation planners have made great progress in making highways and streets safer for motorized vehicles. They’ve got plans and ideas for accommodating foot traffic and bicycles, too. Let’s not forget parents pushing child strollers and people with mobility challenges traveling in motorized wheelchairs. But keeping abreast of progress takes commitment from the community, from developers and from the elected officials who manage tax-and-fee-supported purse strings.
The accident that killed bicyclist Pablo Sanders Jr., 31, on Christmas Eve has prompted advocates to push for passage by the Kansas City Council of the Bike KC Master Plan. The plan has languished without action in committee. But, the hitch is that it is a $400 million plan. If the plan passes, Northland citizens and neighborhood groups need to make their voices heard to make sure streets and intersections in Platte County get attention, too.
But our county’s communities better not wait for an expensive plan to pass. We are a combination of small towns and medium-sized cities, and developed but unincorporated areas that no city wants responsibility for, and a large and developing chunk within Kansas City boundaries. A fully funded and fully professional Platte County Parks and Recreation Department can play a key role in planning and funding transportation improvements that include ways for pedestrians and bicyclists to travel.
My generation worshiped the automobile like our grandparents admired fast horses. The current young generation uses cars but is open to alternatives, especially if alternatives are healthy and will save money. What future generations will want remains unknown. But we know for certain there will soon be many more people living in the county and increased traffic congestion. Accommodating alternatives as the county grows will not only save lives, it will also provide monetary savings and add value to our community.