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City of Leawood. Bicycle Friendly Community The Year in Review. What are traits of a Bicycle Friendly Community?. Welcome cyclists by providing well-engineered bicycle facilities. Creates new places to ride. Educates motorists and cyclists on the rules of the road.
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City of Leawood Bicycle Friendly Community The Year in Review
What are traits of a Bicycle Friendly Community? • Welcome cyclists by providing well-engineered bicycle facilities. • Creates new places to ride. • Educates motorists and cyclists on the rules of the road. • Encourages people to bike for transportation and recreation.
How did BFC start in Leawood? • A Goal of the Green Initiative Task Force is to improve green mobility. • GITF presented the idea of becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community to the Park Advisory Board. • Park Advisory Board recommended the city apply for the award to the City Council. • The City Council directed staff to apply for recognition.
The Bicycle Friendly Community Program • is administered by the League of American Bicyclists. • Has four different levels of recognition: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. • Applications are reviewed by national experts and local cyclists to determine recognition and provide feedback.
HOWdo you become Bicycle Friendly?(The 5 “E’s”) • Communities are judged in 5 categories: 1. Engineering 2. Education 3. Encouragement 4. Enforcement 5. Evaluation & Planning
BFC Feedback… Our Strengths: • Over 200 children were provided bike safety instruction through rodeos. • Bike officers are Safety Ambassadors and active in Share the Road Safety Task Force with MARC. • The City has improved intersections with traffic signals capable of detecting cyclists.
BFC Feedback… Two Most Important Items to do: • Adopt a complete streets policy that would ensure that new or major reconstructed roads accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and motorist alike. • Increase bicycle education opportunities for adults. Find ways to deliver education to motorists. Set annual education participation goals with an eye to increase participation each year.
WHY should Leawood become a BFC? • For Our Health • For Our Community • For Our Future
For our Health • 1 out of every 5 children are considered obese. • The average person loses 13 lbs. the first year of commuting by bike. • Three hours of cycling per week can reduce risk of heart attack or stroke by 50%.
For Our Community • 25% of all trips are made within a mile of the home. • 40% of all trips are made within two miles of the home. • 50% of the working population commutes 5 miles or less to work. • It takes the average cyclist 15 minutes to travel 3 miles.
For our Future • Bicycle Friendly Communities have a high quality of life that translates to sustainable development, business growth, and even increased property values. • Notification of Grants and Funding. • Recognition and Promotion. Only 2 Kansas Cities have been awarded Bicycle Friendly Community status.
WHAT have we done? • Bike lane on 123rd street-State Line to Mission Road trail entrance.(Engineering) • Facilitate a Bicycle Rodeo(Education) • Provide multi-use trails(Engineering) • Provide Bicycle Officers(Enforcement) • Provide bicycle helmets at cost for resale to the public.(Encouragement) • Establish a Bicycle Friendly Citizen Committee.(Encouragement)
Goals for the future to improve Bicycle Friendliness: • Encourage employers to become Bicycle Friendly by providing secure bike parking and showers for employees.(Encouragement) • Provide bike racks at all businesses and public facilities for customers and visitors.(Encouragement) • Provide classes to first time riders to teach safe riding in traffic.(Education) • Provide Safe Routes to Schools program at all schools.(Encouragement) • Review our Bicycle Master Plan Map annually.(Evaluation) • Adopt a Complete Streets Policy.(Engineering)
Let’s go for the GOLD… as we continue to “Grow with Distinction.” Leawood, Kansas 1948-2010