The opportunity for the public to speak up about the 2018-2019 budget for Kansas City, Missouri got off and running this past Saturday at Christ the King Church in Waldo. Like many religious organizations in the region, the church is seen by many not only as a space to be shared with the public for important topics, but also as a haven from all manner of the world’s ills.
This idea of safety, and the pursuit by the city to protect its citizens, is reflected in the proposed budget (check it out here).
The City of Kansas City, Missouri defines public safety in the budget as protecting “Kansas City residents, visitors, and employees by providing comprehensive, high quality public safety and public health services, including strategies to prevent or significantly reduce public safety and public health problems and threats in a timely manner.”
BikeWalkKC has been working a great deal to provide the city with the resources to make this goal a reality, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians. We’ve partnered with Kansas City Public Schools to plan Safe Routes to School. We’ve educated people, young and old, about bicycle safety. And we organized a coalition that successfully passed a Complete Streets ordinance late last year.
We still need your help to ensure that the City Council ultimately approves a budget that will maintain our push to improve public safety for those who choose to walk and bike on the city’s streets.
Residents have 3 remaining opportunities to attend public events concerning the 2018-2019 budget:
Saturday, February 24 from 9-11 A.M. at Guadalupe Centers (5123 E. Truman Road)
Saturday, March 3 from 9-11 A.M. at RB Doolin Center (1900 NE 46th Street)
Thursday, March 8 from 12:30-2:30 P.M. at the KCPD Community Room (1111 Locust Street)
In addition to these meetings, let your councilmember know that public safety should remain a priority. You can reach out to them here.
Regardless of how you move around the City of Fountains, you deserve to feel safe while doing so. Now is your chance to let your elected officials know that the budget should reflect that.
#BudgetForBikes #PushForPublicSafety