Vote Yes on Questions 1-2-3 for sidewalks and bike lanes

BikeWalkKC supports Yes  on Questions 1-2-3 to make KC more walkable and bikeable.

Kansas City, MO voters will decide April 4th on investments to repair and rebuild city infrastructure and public buildings via a package of three General Obligation (G.O.) Bonds totaling $800 million. Among those investments are ground-breaking opportunities to improve walking and biking over the next twenty years.

Show your support by signing onto the Healthy, Sustainable Neighborhoods Coalition.

March 27th Postcard Writing for Voter Turnout
Help us remind voters to go to the polls on election day.

March 23rd Sidewalks Town Hall (past event)
Join BikeWalkKC to learn more about the $150 million sidewalk investment at stake on April 4th. 

March 15th Mayor's Town Hall with Sly James (past event)


BikeWalkKC spent much of 2016 working with community stakeholders and City officials on solutions to the city’s $1 billion sidewalk backlog, and this infrastructure package is an important first step.

We urge voters to vote YES on 1, 2, 3 for:

  • $150 million for neighborhood sidewalks
  • Ending sidewalk assessments and lifting the financial burden from homeowners
  • $450 million to rebuild local streets, including sidewalks and bike lanes
  • ADA improvements to make city streets and public buildings more accessible
  • Workforce development and job training opportunities for local residents to do this construction work

Visit www.progresskc.com to learn more about the election.

Visit kcmo.gov to learn more about the infrastructure projects being planned.


Why BikeWalkKC is endorsing Questions 1, 2, 3
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, BikeWalkKC endorses policies and investments that make walking and bicycling safer and more accessible. One of the greatest obstacles to doing this in KC is our built environment – the condition of sidewalks, the lack of crosswalks and bike lanes, and the physical barriers to those with disabilities.  As a community we have neglected investing in the infrastructure to provide all citizens with mobility options. The April 4th election is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stop falling behind and to start catching up.

Next Steps
Our work won’t stop on April 4th. BikeWalkKC is actively working with City Hall and our community partners to make sure the benefits of this investment truly make our neighborhoods safer, healthier, more livable, and more prosperous. We are proposing several policy and planning actions over the next year create a framework for investing in sidewalks and prioritizing the areas of highest need.


Details of the sidewalk and mobility improvements at stake on April 4th

$150 million for neighborhood sidewalks
Repair and replace sidewalks in residential areas not on the main streets, mostly in front of individual homes. This will provide $7.5 million a year in brand new funding for sidewalks. BikeWalkKC is working with city leaders to develop a process for prioritizing sidewalk repairs over the next 20 years, focusing on criteria like poverty, access to bus stops, and Safe Routes to School. $150 million is a small but important first step towards the city’s $1 billion sidewalk backlog.

Sidewalk funding policy change
The city will take over a significant portion of the cost of sidewalks, lifting a big burden off of homeowners – especially those on lower or fixed incomes. Homeowners currently paying assessments on sidewalks repairs will have that debt forgiven. This is a fundamental, positive shift in philosophy and policy.

$450 million for street repairs, including Complete Streets
Dozens of main arterial streets will be repaired, resurfaced, or rebuilt. This work will include repair of adjacent sidewalks on the main roads, and the inclusion of bike lanes on many streets. Most of this money will be spent on repairing existing streets. Only a couple new streets are on the list of potential projects.

ADA Improvements
Both city streets and public buildings like community centers and parks will get additional funds to speed up the city’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, improving mobility for people of all abilities.

Workforce development
Construction projects in this program will include significant job training and workforce development opportunities for local residents, following the model recently established when the construction of new sidewalks at Maplewood Elementary trained new workers in the construction trades. The sidewalk projects in particular will have a positive impact on small, family, and women/minority owned construction companies.

Other parts of the plan include flood control improvements, a new animal shelter, and other improvements to city buildings.

 

Upcoming Neighborhood Meetings

Attend an event to learn more, ask questions, and speak up for sidewalks and bike lanes.

March 14 - 6:00 p.m.
Councilman Scott Wagner at Carriage Hills Estates Neighborhood Association
Northland Neighborhoods, Inc.
4420 NE Chouteau Traffcway

March 14 - 4:30 p.m.
City Manager Troy Schulte at Greater KC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
107 West 10th Street

March 14 - 7:00 p.m.
Councilwoman Jolie Justus at Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association
KCU Alumni Center 1750 Independence Ave.

March 14 - 7:00 p.m.
Councilman Lee Barnes and City Manager Troy Schulte at Marlborough East HOA
KCPD Metro Patrol, 7601 Prospect Ave

March 16th - 11:30 a.m.
MainCor annual luncheon at 3215 Main

March 16th - 6:30 p.m.
Sulgrave/Regency Condo Association with Mayor James and City Manager Troy Schulte
121 W. 48th St

March 18th at 2:00 p.m.
Key Coalition neighborhood
Bluford Library at 3050 Prospect