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Central Standard

A Check-In On The State Of Kansas City Metro Bike Infrastructure

Paul Kruger
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Flickr/CC

When you pull onto a street in a car, you have certain expectations. The road will be smoothly paved, with clearly marked lanes, and the network of streets will not end without warning, leaving you stranded before you’ve reached your destination. But, if you’re riding a bike in the Kansas City metro, finding a safe, continuous route can be challenging.

On May 16, Kansas City announced a lofty goal: to qualify for silver status in the League of American Bicyclists Bike Friendly Community ranking program by 2015. And by 2020, the city wants to qualify for platinum status -- the highest ranking a city can achieve. By the city's estimation, the metro is less than one third of the way to the 600 miles of on-street bike paths needed to meet that qualification.

On Wednesday's Central Standard, we explore whether Kansas City is any closer to that goal now than we were this time last year. Plus, we venture beyond the city limits, getting an overview of the best places to bike in the suburbs.

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People don't make cameos in news stories; the human story is the story, with characters affected by news events, not defined by them. As a columnist and podcaster, I want to acknowledge what it feels like to live through this time in Kansas City, one vantage point at a time. Together, these weekly vignettes form a collage of daily life in Kansas City as it changes in some ways, and stubbornly resists change in others. You can follow me on Twitter @GinaKCUR or email me at gina@kcur.org.
Matthew Long-Middleton has been a talk-show producer, community producer, Media Training Manager and now the Community Engagement Manager at KCUR. You can reach him at Matthew@kcur.org, or on Twitter @MLMIndustries.