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.

HOW do 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: 1.Over 200 children were provided bike safety instruction through rodeos. 2.Bike officers are Safety Ambassadors and active in Share the Road Safety Task Force with MARC. 3.The City has improved intersections with traffic signals capable of detecting cyclists.

BFC Feedback… Two Most Important Items to do: 1.Adopt a complete streets policy that would ensure that new or major reconstructed roads accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and motorist alike. 2.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 123 rd 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