Kansas Metropolis is contemplating eradicating one facet of its bike lane after weeks of opposition from a bunch of enterprise house owners on accident-prone Truman Street.

Town started building of a motorcycle lane alongside Truman Street final fall, however final month suspended building, citing a scarcity of involvement from metropolis officers after enterprise house owners expressed dissatisfaction with the challenge. Did. Those that personal companies alongside Truman Street claimed in earlier public conferences that it was hurting their enterprise.

Advocates for safer roads in Kansas Metropolis say bike lanes make harmful roads safer for drivers and non-drivers by slowing visitors.

Final week, District 3 Rep. Melissa Robinson and Brandon Ellington proposed eradicating all bike lanes from Truman Street. The Council is at the moment contemplating compromises. Including different security enhancements, equivalent to eradicating solely the bike lane on Truman’s north facet and making the remaining south lane two-way.

Robinson mentioned the town can help each pedestrian security and small companies, including that District 3 cannot afford to lose enterprise.

“We want to ensure the roads are safer for everybody – pedestrians, cyclists, motorists,” she mentioned. “I’ll by no means go away the facet of small companies and I’ll by no means go away the facet of weak street customers. Collectively we are able to thrive.”

bike lanes got here out of an effort to scale back collisions

In 2018, the town Studied How one can make Truman Street (which metropolis officers say is considered one of Kansas Metropolis’s most harmful streets in terms of visitors accidents) safer.

When the town council handed its first-year bike plan final 12 months, it selected Truman Street and 12 different roads as protected bike amenities primarily based on crash information. Building of the competing lane he started in October.

There at the moment are bike lanes on the south and north sides of Truman Street, shielded from vehicles utilizing tall white bollards. Bike lanes scale back his crash-prone six-lane street to his 4 lanes for vehicles and a middle right-turn lane.

Robinson mentioned at a committee assembly Wednesday that the present implementation of motorcycle lanes is unsafe. As a result of, Truman mentioned, street drivers who park their vehicles subsequent to bike lanes are uncovered to oncoming visitors after they get out of their vehicles.

She mentioned the bike lanes south of Truman might be transformed into two-way cycle tracks, related to people who exist alongside Gilham Street.

4th District Councilman Eric Bunch mentioned the proposed change was an inexpensive resolution.

“A giant motive we bought to the place we’re with this explicit design and public dialogue is that it is a complicated and seemingly harmful design,” he mentioned. I believe.”

Town council will take up and probably vote on proposed modifications to Truman Lane later this month.

Most of those that have publicly testified wish to preserve the lane

Greater than 80 residents filed public testimony in compliance with the ordinance, with a majority opposing elimination of Truman’s bike lanes.

David Dye is a resident of District 3. He instructed metropolis council on Wednesday that Truman Street bike lanes are an essential a part of the town’s plan to enhance street security for all.

“I needed to relax by some means,” Dai mentioned of Truman Lord. “The put in mobility lanes appear to fulfill that want.”

Raella Zaidi, a member of the Kansas Metropolis chapter of the Dawn Motion and a resident of District 3, mentioned the six-lane street was unsafe.

“As younger folks, we do not have companies. We are sometimes seen as not contributing to the economic system, however we wish to be everlasting members of those areas,” she mentioned. “And a part of that’s having bike lanes the place we’ve a voice about making them everlasting, the place we’ve a say in making them everlasting.”

Nonetheless, some Truman Street enterprise house owners proceed to oppose bike lanes, saying they’re damaging their companies.

John Mika owns the Venus Restoration Heart, Truman’s auto restore store. He mentioned it has change into nearly not possible for purchasers to return into the shop and drop off their vehicles for the reason that bike lanes have been put in.

“Supply guys doing 10 to fifteen deliveries a day must park in flip lanes, cross lanes, roll tires and herald components,” he mentioned. “Somebody will get harm.

Carlos Moreno

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KCUR 89.3

Atomic Collision Physique Store proprietor Shawn Arcidino exhibits off considered one of his latest “Avenue Tweets” and shows it exterior his store alongside Truman Street.

Shawn Arcidino, who owns one other auto store on Truman Street, Atomic Collision, is without doubt one of the strongest voices in opposition to bike lanes. Throughout his public testimony earlier than the town council, he learn on-line feedback directed at him and his enterprise.

“I believe the bicycle crowd is a hate group that’s directing their hate at me,” he instructed the town council.

He mentioned he doesn’t help the compromise of eradicating one facet of the bike lane and prefers the entire elimination of motorcycle lanes from Truman Street. He mentioned he plans to push for a referendum to take away all bike lanes from Kansas Metropolis.