In Your Community > Central and South KC

KCMO South of the River, including Downtown, Midtown, East Side, Brookside, Waldo, South KC

BikeWalkKC Programs and Activities

Youth Education and Safe Routes to School
Our four Local Spokes youth programs teach kids the skills they need to bike and walk safely and confidently to school or around their neighborhood. Since 2012, we have served nearly 20,000 kids at dozens of schools in the KCPS and Hickman Mills districts. Learn more.

Bike Share
Our RideKC Bike program features smart, electric-assist bikes and classic pedal bikes operating in a "lock-to/dockless" system all around KCMO and beyond.

Current Campaigns and Public Projects

Decriminalize Walking and Biking
In 2021 we are working to remove laws that allow for over-policing of people walking and biking, especially Black and Brown Kansas Citians. Learn more about the issue and how you can get involved.

Build the Bike Lanes!

BikeWalkKC is monitoring several big bike lane projects that have been delayed for years. We continue to meet with city leaders to press for continued progress. Check the KCMO Bike KC page for updates.

• Gillham Plaza:- this project will install Complete Streets improvements including a two-way cycletrack and pedestrian enhancements.
• Lexington/Gladstone: Expect 6.6 miles of bike lanes through several Northeast neighborhoods.
• Charlotte/Holmes: Bike lanes on both Charlotte and Holmes connecting midtown to downtown.
• Armour: Parking-protected lanes from Broadway to Paseo- success! Still ironing out street-sweeping/plowing/sight lines.
• Grand: Buffered bike lanes between Grand and 20th- success!

Replace the Buck O'Neil Bridge

The Buck O'Neil Bridge (formerly Broadway Bridge) has reached the end of its expected lifetime, and we have recommended replacing the bridge in order to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. State and local officials agree! The bridge will be replaced using federal funds allocated through the Mid-America Regional Council, a federal BUILD Grant, KCMO sales tax, and funds from the state of Missouri.  Learn more about the history of the Buck O'Neil Bridge debate and BikeWalkKC's position.

Imagine "Beyond the Loop"

The Buck O'Neil Bridge project is part of a larger effort to reimagine the Buck O'Neil Bridge, the Heart of America Bridge, and the North Loop of I-70. The communities surrounding these facilities have changed dramatically since their construction, and residents are requesting better-connected neighborhoods with more consideration for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as safer and smoother-flowing vehicle traffic. Read possible plans, see project updates, and find out more about this vision for the metro.

Updates are Needed to the Walkability Plan

City Council adopted the Kansas City Walkability Plan in 2003. It found that "Unsafe streets are discouraging people from walking," and may be contributing to poor public health. The City has been working from that plan ever since, making some progress towards a pedestrian-friendly Kansas City. Together with The Whole Person, the Front Porch Alliance, the Midtown KC Post, and the Mattie Rhodes Center, we launched SidewalksKC in 2015. We investigated public dissatisfaction in sidewalk construction and maintenance and released the SidewalksKC Report in 2017, detailing our many interviews, public meetings, planning sessions, and surveys.

Later that year, voters approved $800 million in infrastructure funding to fix sidewalks, bridges, streets, and other public projects. This means that sidewalk repairs are now publicly funded and property owners are no longer charged for expensive repairs to broken sidewalks adjacent to their property. The city is currently working through a large backlog of projects and establishing a systematic inspection process.

• Learn more about KCMO's sidewalks program
• Read our SidewalksKC report
• Read the KCMO Walkability Plan
• Report a problem sidewalk to 311

Adopt and Fund the Bike Plan

After a 2016 audit of the original KCMO bike plan criticized the City for its lack of progress on the document adopted in 2001, city leaders took action to refresh the plan. The draft plan is awaiting consideration by the new City Council.

• Visit the City's Bike Plan webpage
• Get details of BikeWalkKC's involvement
• Read our Bicycle Network Demand Analysis

Armour Boulevard Bikeway

Independence Avenue Pedestrian Safety Study

Local Resources in Central and South KC

2008 Trails KC Master Plan

2003 Walkability plan

RideKC Streetcar

Car-Free Weekends on Cliff Drive

How you can get involved

KCMO Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Fourth Mondays at 4:30 p.m. KC Health Department, 2400 Troost Avenue

BikeWalkKC Advocacy Mailing List
Get email alerts about important news in your community. This is a low-volume list.

City Hall Information

Find your City Council members
Each district has two representatives at City Hall. 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Districts include the Jackson County part of Kansas City.