CONTACT: Amy Scrivner
Director of Development and Communications, BikeWalkKC
513-919-9613
amy.scrivner@bikewalkkc.org
Kansas City, MO (June 11, 2024) — BikeWalkKC will launch a free Community Transportation Academy this August. Participants will learn about the history of the Kansas City region’s transportation system and how it was built; explore what has worked and what has not; identify who the decision makers are and how to connect with them; and understand the many ways everyday people can shape the future of our region’s transportation network.
This 10-week course will include in-person and virtual sessions featuring guest speakers and hands-on activities. The academy will take place every Tuesday evening from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, from August 20 through October 29 (no class will be held on September 17). Light refreshments will be provided. Stipends to help with child care and transportation costs are available on a first come, first served basis. The location for in-person sessions is to be decided and details will be updated on BikeWalkKC’s website.
This course is relevant to everyone: residents, local elected leaders, business owners, city and county staff, and college students. No previous knowledge or experience is required. Applications are open now and space is limited. Prospective participants can learn more and apply here: https://bikewalkkc.org/advocacy/academy/. Applications must be submitted by July 18.
“We often say that advocacy is a team sport, and the Community Transportation Academy will help us to make that idea a reality," said BikeWalkKC policy director Michael Kelley. “In offering this course, we hope to begin developing a bench of more informed and engaged stakeholders who can take their ideas for a better transportation system from the paper to the pavement.”
The Community Transportation Academy is made possible with support from the RE-AMP Network Administrative Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation.
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Founded in 2010, BikeWalkKC is a nonprofit organization and a recognized leader for improving multimodal transportation options in the greater Kansas City region, offering a variety of planning, policy, and education services. Its mission-based, nonprofit model makes it more affordable for urban, suburban, and rural communities to access high quality planning, advocacy, and policy assistance, such as Complete Streets policy work, Safe Routes to School planning, community engagement strategies, traffic calming demonstrations, and advocacy workshops. More than half of its policy and planning services are offered pro bono to communities. For more information, please visit www.bikewalkkc.org.
