Mile 10 Campaign - BikeWalkKC Celebrates its 10th Anniversary!
This year, we celebrate our 10th anniversary! BikeWalkKC was officially launched in April 2011 as a nonprofit organization with a mission and purpose to serve the bi-state Kansas City metro area. We were Kansas City’s first professional advocacy and education organization dedicated to bicycling and walking.
For 2021, we plan to spend time celebrating accomplishments and, most importantly, focusing on a vision for Mile 20 and beyond. Through blog posts, e-news articles, and social media stories, you will learn more about BikeWalkKC and how your support was - and is - vital to our work.
Mile 5 (2015): Partnership seeks public funding for sidewalks
By Eric Rogers, Executive Director & Co-Founder
2018 progress on walkability improvements Sidewalks KC began advocating for in 2015.
Turning our focus to KCMO’s billion dollar sidewalk backlog
The City has a backlog of $1 billion to fix all of its crumbling sidewalks and to build new sidewalks where none exist today. In 2015 we began convening a group of stakeholders concerned about walkability in Midtown KCMO, including The Whole Person, NEAT Northeast Alliance Together, and the Midtown KC Post. The group evolved into a city-wide project and made a report with several action items for improving walkability across all of Kansas City, MO. From there, former Councilman Scott Wagner took the baton and created a new sidewalks task force inside City Hall.
Eventually the Sidewalks KC would go on to secure $150 million in new funding for sidewalk repair, and remove the financial burden from homeowners - still one of BikeWalkKC’s biggest policy wins ever!
2015 Walk to School Day with J. A. Rogers Elementary
Youth Programs Continue Growing
Our collection of youth programming continued to serve more kids in more parts of the community. The Wyandotte County Walking School Bus program doubled in size and we served a total 3,000 kids across the metro area in 2015.
The Jazz District is a busy area for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit
Bike Share Grows again
Thanks to the support of former Councilmembers Jermaine Reed and Scott Taylor, new bike share stations were added at the 18th & Vine Jazz District and along the Harry Wiggins Trolley Track Trail. We were also awarded $1 million in federal funding for future phases of bike share expansion.
Progress in Johnson County
The Cities of Leawood and Overland Park both adopted new transportation plans in 2015. Overland Park’s new bike master plan was one of the most ambitious in the region, and they continue to build out a new bike network at a faster pace than any city in Greater KC. Leawood’s Active Transportation plan included both walking and biking, and centers the plan on Safe Routes to School more than any other plan in the area.
Growing into a new home
BikeWalkKC’s growing team moved into our third home in 2015, a newly renovated building in Midtown KC’s Hyde Park neighborhood that used to house the local drug store and soda fountain.
Help Provide Bike Racks to Local Schools & Nonprofits!
Mile 10 Gift Opportunity
“Where do we park our bikes so they don’t get stolen?”
BikeWalkKC staff hear this question a lot from kids. Lack of adequate bike racks at schools and nonprofits that serve youth is a big issue. The fear of theft is one of the top reasons why kids don’t ride more to school and to afterschool programs.
There’s a pretty easy solution to the problem. Help buy the bike racks for those who need them!
Will you give a $10 (or more!) donation to improve bike parking at schools and nonprofits in the metro that want to offer bike parking, but don’t have the financial resources to do so?
Do you know a business or volunteer group that would be interested in helping purchase a set of bike racks? For as little as $600, you can help provide safe and secure bike racks for an entire school.
Make a gift today, or contact Amy Scrivner, Director of Development & Communications, to find out how you or your company can help!
Did you know BikeWalkKC is celebrating its 10th anniversary? Read more about our Mile 10 campaign here.