BikeWalkKC and Bike Walk Wichita are leading a new strategic planning project with active transportation and recreation stakeholders across the state of Kansas, with the goal of developing a unified voice for organizations across the state, cultivating an accessible wealth of data and information for all, and strengthening the ability of local organizations to work for change at the local, regional and state levels.
The Need
Kansas ranks towards the bottom on several measures of walking and biking outcomes, which are key indicators of healthy, active living. A critical measurement is the capacity of local organizations working in the areas of education, advocacy, public policy, and outreach for active transportation. This includes not only work at the local level, but also the capacity for local organizations to cooperate on and influence statewide public policy, legislation, and rule-making in state government.
Some of the main indicators that demonstrate this need for change are described below:
- League of American Bicyclists: 2017 Bicycle Friendly State Rankings: #47 / 50
- Safe Routes to School National Partnership: 2016 State Scorecard: 81 / 200 points
Project Goals
- A unified voice – we want to build a coalition that can not only serve as the unified representative for active transportation across the state on policy and legislative topics, but also as a universally recognized group ready to partner with elected officials, government agencies, health advocates, business leaders, academic institutions, and others to expand transportation choices for all Kansans.
- An information hub – we envision a coalition that actively collects data and other reliable resources for the purpose of educating and empowering our members, our partners, and the public on the importance of supporting active transportation and related endeavors throughout the state.
- A tool for capacity – we aim to use our resources to identify the necessary components that our members need to enhance their overall capacity and more effectively work for change at the local, regional, and state level.
Get Involved
We invite all interested stakeholders to join our efforts and help us craft a statewide strategic plan for improving the health, safety, and mobility of all Kansans. Contact BikeWalkKC Executive Director Eric Rogers at eric.rogers@bikewalkkc.org or Bike Walk Wichita Executive Director Kim Neufeld at kim@bikewalkwichita.org to learn more and join the effort.
Steering Committee Members
Our steering committee includes representation from both rural and urban communities, advocates, government, public health, and transportation.
- BikeWalkKC
- Bike Walk Wichita
- Garden City and Finney County
- Healthy Harvey Coalition
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Kansas Department of Transportation
- Lawrence Bicycle Club
- Live Well Lawrence
- Thomas County Health Department
- Thrive Allen County
- Topeka Community Cycle Project
This strategic planning collaboration is supported by the Kansas Health Foundation
The Kansas Health Foundation is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans. For more information about the Kansas Health Foundation, visit www.kansashealth.org.