Updated, 10:53 a.m. Tuesday: The Prairie Village city council approved the bike and pedestrian plan on Monday evening by a vote of 7-5. City leaders said that the plan was still conceptual and that details of the new sidewalks, trails and lanes would be worked out with public input in future stages of planning and development.
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Years of planning by Prairie Village, Kansas, cycling advocates have led up to a vote Monday evening by the city council.
On the agenda is a plan to greatly expand Prairie Village’s cycling and pedestrian infrastructure with 36 miles of new shared lanes, 4 miles of new bike lanes, 1.6 miles of new sidewalks and 2 miles of new trails.
The plan, developed in conjunction with TranSystems, a Kansas City-based engineering consultant, and funded in large part by the Mid-America Regional Council, would also connect with trails and lanes in neighboring cities.
Cycling advocates say Prairie Village is falling behind other parts of the metro area in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
Opponents to the plan say it would be disruptive to neighborhoods and that residents haven’t been given ample notice.
Planners have held two public meetings and other outreach efforts.
Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR. You can reach him alexs@kcur.org.
