As we turn the page to a new year, BikeWalkKC is continuing efforts to advocate for the policies, plans, and projects that make it safer and easier for people to walk, roll, and bike, and use public transit in the Kansas City region and beyond.
Each year, we develop a policy platform. The policy platform is a list of priorities we've identified to work on at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. We typically identify the priorities on this list based on two key criteria:
1) Ongoing Efforts: The first criteria speaks to the idea that "Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint." Sometimes the priorities we've identified can take several years to accomplish. This is due in large part to the unpredictability of policy work: systems are slow to change, it takes time to build support, and there's rarely a reliable map to help you navigate all the obstacles that arise.
2) Emerging Opportunities: The second criteria speaks to the changing nature of policy landscapes. Oftentimes, getting a policy adopted is only the first step. Afterwards, there are plans and projects that usually need to be developed and implemented. There are also emerging issues today that weren't issues five or 10 years ago.
The policy platform is our best guess at what multimodal transportation issues can move from the paper to the pavement. It's not an exhaustive list, but it helps us, our members, and our partners understand where most of our focus will be in the year ahead. Especially given the changes afoot in Washington DC, it is important to note that our policy platform is a living document that can and will be adjusted based on our best assessment of what we know and don't know.
Kansas City, MO (KCMO)
Walkability Plan Update - In the 2024 budget, BikeWalkKC successfully pushed for the inclusion of funding to update the city’s walkability plan (something which hasn’t happened since 2003). Over the course of 2025, BikeWalkKC intends to work with city staff and others to create a forward-looking document to guide efforts to make our streets safer and easier for pedestrians to navigate.
Vision Zero Implementation - An ongoing priority for BikeWalkKC is pushing the city to implement portions of the Vision Zero Action Plan adopted in 2022. The key pillar of that is ensuring funding for Vision Zero in the city budget. In 2024, BikeWalkKC successfully advocated for a $4 million line item for Vision Zero, and we hope to build upon that for 2025.
Organizing Efforts - Last year, BikeWalkKC was able to bring on a new community organizer! She has hit the ground running, working with residents and neighborhood groups, and contributing to our inaugural Community Transportation Academy. Those efforts will continue in 2025.
Street Design Guide - Another element of the city’s traffic safety efforts will be the development of a street design guide. In short, a street design guide provides key recommendations for how the city can or should build a street to support the needs of drivers, pedestrians, people with disabilities, cyclists, transit users, emergency vehicles, and more. Having the guide in place (and one that more explicitly calls for the consideration of non-drivers) makes it easier for the city to incorporate multimodal elements into new construction and road resurfacing efforts. BikeWalkKC is eager to see this document finalized over the course of the year.
Speed Limit Reduction Policy - It has long been known that speed plays a major factor in the traffic violence we see across the metro. Less attention, however, has been given to speed limits set by local and state leaders. Cities such as New York City, Seattle, Atlanta, and Chicago have either implemented changes or are considering them. BikeWalkKC sees an opportunity for this in KCMO as well.
Road Diet Policy Implementation - Last October, the KCMO City Council adopted Ordinance #240584, creating a road diet implementation policy to support the city’s broader Vision Zero goals. 2025 will be the first real opportunity to use the measure, and BikeWalkKC will advocate for the city to apply the legislation to streets that are on the resurfacing list and on the city’s High Injury Network.
Kansas City, KS (KCK)
Reverse Funding Cuts for Health & Transit - The budget adopted by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas cut services across the board, including for public health and transit services. BikeWalkKC opposed the reductions then, and will work with our partners in KCK to push for a reversal of those cuts during the budget process this year.
Vision Zero Action Plan - The Unified Government is beginning the process of developing a Vision Zero Action Plan to guide their efforts to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. BikeWalkKC will serve on the steering committee and will support efforts to develop and promote the plan throughout the course of 2025.
Mayoral Election (November 2025) - Last November, Mayor Tyrone Garner announced he wouldn’t seek reelection. The coming election means an opportunity to elevate multimodal transportation issues on the campaign trail.
Regional
Transit Funding - The current funding system for transit in the Kansas City region isn’t working. This has been evidenced by the rollback or full elimination of routes in communities such as Raytown, Grandview, Gladstone, Independence and elsewhere. BikeWalkKC will work with the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance and other partners to chart a path for a more reliable alternative.
Transportation for All Coalition - BikeWalkKC has been working to build a Transportation for All Coalition that seeks to bring together nonprofit organizations, public health agencies, business groups, and others to address our region’s transportation challenges. We were able to make considerable progress, including the development of a policy platform. Much of our focus for this year with the coalition will be building upon those efforts.
Community Transportation Academy - Last year, BikeWalkKC received funding from the RE-AMP Network to organize our first Community Transportation Academy (CTA). The course is meant to help participants better understand our region’s transportation system and how they can use their voice to create change within it. Thanks to additional support, we’re planning to host another cohort this fall. Stay tuned!
Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committees - Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committees (BPACs) are formal groups within communities intended to advise city leaders on ways to support multimodal transportation. Members of several BPACs in the region are interested in organizing some sort of convening to learn from each other, and BikeWalkKC will work to support those efforts. We’ll also look for opportunities to assist local champions in efforts to help communities without such committees organize them.
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grants - SS4A grants have supported both planning and implementation projects that create safer transportation systems across the country. Many of those projects (including several in our region) accomplish this through the creation or expansion of multimodal transportation elements. Given the uncertainty about this program, most of BikeWalkKC’s efforts will likely focus on getting clarity on the program’s future at the federal level and working to implement portions that have already been funded at the local level.
World Cup - While it’s clear that there’s lots of excitement about the World Cup coming to Kansas City in 2026, what’s less clear is how our transportation system will serve everyday residents while moving visitors for the games. With 2025 being the last full year to plan, design, and build infrastructure elements before the games, a big focus for BikeWalkKC will be pushing for multimodal transportation priorities to support peoples’ needs before and after the matches occur.
Suburbs
Independence GO Bond (April 2025) - The City of Independence will have its first-ever vote on a general obligation (GO) Bond in April. The proposal before voters includes several items, including $55 million for street reconstruction and overlay, bridges, and school sidewalks. BikeWalkKC supports the measure and will look for opportunities to inform the public about the measure before Election Day.
Overland Park SS4A - Overland Park was one of several local communities to receive SS4A funds in the most recent round of grant awards. BikeWalkKC hopes to work with city leaders to help move parts of that grant forward in 2025.
Statewide - Missouri
Update to the Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment - With the adoption of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, every state DOT is required to develop what’s known as a Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment (VRUSA). The VRUSA shows how a state understands the issue of traffic violence among people who walk, roll, or bike, and what they’re doing to address it. Thanks in part to a comparative analysis BikeWalkKC conducted last year, MoDOT is planning to update their VRUSA ahead of schedule. BikeWalkKC will work to advocate for a new document that is stronger than the original.
Drivers Education - An overlooked piece of the traffic violence we experience in the Show-Me State and elsewhere is the limited support for driver’s education. This is especially alarming, given that recent data suggests that Missouri has one of the highest rates of failed driver’s license tests in the country. BikeWalkKC hopes to work with our partners across the state to raise awareness around this issue and potentially push for legislative solutions.
Statewide Active Transportation Plan - Missouri remains one of only five states without a statewide active transportation plan, and the rest of the country is taking notice. When the League of American Bicyclists released their Bike Friendly State rankings last year, Missouri dropped from 45th in the nation to 49th and the lack of a statewide active transportation plan was a key reason why. BikeWalkKC intends to continue working with our statewide partners to push MoDOT to address this.
National/Federal
Work with RE-AMP - The RE-AMP Network is a collective of sustainability-focused organizations in the Midwest. As a member, BikeWalkKC has been able to collaborate with RE-AMP on several initiatives, including our recent report on Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessments. We hope to focus on items related to public transportation this year.
Reauthorization - The main transportation policy on Capitol Hill will be the start of the reauthorization process. This is when Congress renews the surface transportation program -- setting in place all policies, priorities, and funding for multiple years. BikeWalkKC will be following this process and working to preserve the gains made in recent years for multimodal transportation.
Support our advocacy work
As we often say, advocacy is a team sport. This means we need YOU to help us advocate for the policies, plans, and projects that make it safer and easier to walk, roll, bike, and use public transit in our region. If you do not already subscribe to BikeWalkKC's general newsletter or to our advocacy alerts, please sign up and stay informed!
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