LTE: Bike lanes are good for Kansas City

I enjoyed reading the LTE in the November 16 edition of the Northeast News regarding bike lanes on Truman Road. I don’t blame business owners for reacting to a change on the street outside their stores, and I understand concerns about parking. However, I think bike lanes on Truman Road, and many roads in Kansas City, are beneficial for everyone, including business owners.


Bike lanes are being installed all over the country and all over the world. And almost everywhere a bike lane is being installed, you will find business owners complaining about the change. Again, I’m not blaming them. But the good news is, if other cities can serve as any indication, five years from now nobody will be complaining.


And there’s good reason for this. According to a study in Toronto, after installation of bike lanes along a major road, there was no significant drop in the numbers of merchants arriving by car. And overall visitor frequency actually rose following the installation. This makes sense, because there existed more opportunities for people to arrive by other modes than just by vehicle.


A more comprehensive (but more dated) study by CityLab studied the impact of bike lanes from New York to LA to Dublin. Overall, the study concluded that bike lanes do not have a negative impact on economic viability for businesses. And I think the economic impacts of bike lanes can be positive, and reach far beyond individual businesses. Bike lanes allow people to travel safely and affordably. They also lower maintenance costs for the city, since bikes cause less wear and tear on a street than vehicles do.


With Truman Road specifically, I don’t see any reason why bike lanes aren’t a win for everyone. First of all, there will still be street parking.

Additionally, Truman Road is one of the most dangerous roads in the city and has among the most traffic deaths. There are too many lanes and not enough traffic, which is a recipe for disaster. By taking away a lane of traffic and adding a bicycle lane in each direction, we will see not only calmer traffic but a major east-west bicycle lane corridor which has been severely lacking in the city.


As someone who likes to get around by bike (when it’s warm enough!), I’m incredibly thankful to call Kansas City home, and I can’t be more excited about our city’s future. I commend city staff for their work making KC a more pedestrian-friendly, bicycle-friendly, and most importantly, safer city for everyone.

Sincerely,

Adam Rossi
Northeast resident

Want Northeast News articles sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
Enter your email address and click on the Get Instant Access button.
We respect your privacy

Comments are closed.

  • Letter to the Editor

    October 18th, 2023
    by

    I was very disappointed to learn that the city is closing off public access to the Concourse fountain, putting up […]


    LTE: Prolonged fireworks frustrate neighbors

    July 12th, 2023
    by

    First, I will just say good evening to all of you who work at Northeast News and also I want […]


    A letter from the Editor

    May 31st, 2023
    by

    This month the Northeast News celebrated its first year at Historic NorthEast Media (HNE Media), a step toward our goal […]


    LTE: Run for KCPS School Board!

    April 12th, 2023
    by

    I am writing to encourage members of our community to consider running for school board in Kansas City Public Schools […]


    LTE: Autos vs Bicycles

    February 22nd, 2023
    by

    I have read the many articles in the Northeast News about this subject. Here is my view and thoughts about […]


    LTE: Bike lanes hurt small business owners

    November 16th, 2022
    by

    As a business owner on Truman Road I am extremely concerned about the construction of protected bike lanes in front […]


    LTE: No cierren las escuelas

    November 10th, 2022
    by

    En una reunión comunitaria reciente en la escuela primaria James, la superintendente interina del Distrito de Escuelas Públicas de Kansas […]


    LTE: Don’t close schools

    November 9th, 2022
    by

    At a recent community meeting at James Elementary, Kansas City Public Schools District Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier stated, “Neighborhood […]


    LTE: KCPS Blueprint 2030 is exciting

    October 19th, 2022
    by

    This is one of the hardest things I have written because I know that what is best for all, will […]


  • LTE: Call 9-8-8 for suicide prevention

    August 31st, 2022
    by

    A couple of weeks ago you published an article (July 27 issue) about the new suicide number #988mentalhealth. I am […]


    LTE: Don’t let the election pass you by!

    August 24th, 2022
    by

    Be Prepared Election laws have changed in Missouri. They go into effect on August 28, so if you voted in […]


    LTE: Responsible Pet Ownership

    August 10th, 2022
    by

    We adopted two shelter dogs during the pandemic. One is a beautiful (but jealous) Red-Heeler mix named Rosie. The other […]


    LTE: Fireworks are illegal in city limits

    July 6th, 2022
    by

    Thank you for giving the people of Northeast an opportunity to express their views on fireworks! They have been illegal […]


    LTE: The Construction Industry Has a Solution for College Debt

    June 15th, 2022
    by

    The construction industry has a skilled workforce shortage of 650,000 and desperately needs new talent. For those who pursue a […]


    LTE: Chief Rick Smith was great

    May 4th, 2022
    by

    I want to commend Michael Bushnell for his recent article taking a stance on behalf of former Kansas City Police […]


    LTE: “Neighborhoods” issue is a hit

    March 30th, 2022
    by

    Dear Editor, I was fascinated with the March 16 issue of the Northeast News that I just had to have […]


    Letter to the Editor: Correction

    January 26th, 2022
    by

    Following the publication of our story “Eagle Carving Takes Flight” on January 12, we received this letter from the artist, […]


    Letter to the Editor

    December 22nd, 2021
    by

    Teachers. In so many ways they represent who we are as a humanity. Sometimes that’s not the best. We all […]


  • Want articles sent directly to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
    We respect your privacy and will not distribute your information.