North Kansas City Bicycle Master Plan
What: Bicycle Master Plan
When: 2019-2020, adopted by City Council July 2020
Team: BikeWalkKC (lead consultant), WSP, Hoxie Collective
Client: City of North Kansas City, MO
Funding: MARC Planning Sustainable Places program, local match
North Kansas City’s award winning Bicycle Master Plan outlines a comprehensive network of bicycle facilities that connects and serves all parts of the community, and details strategies to implement this network over time in coordination with other City priorities, infrastructure improvements, and economic development.
Research and case studies across the country demonstrate that more people will bicycle when they have safe places to ride. The North Kansas City Bicycle Master Plan uses an assessment of “Level of Traffic Stress” to formalize this concept of comfort and safety, and to provide a way to evaluate the usefulness and accessibility of recommended improvements.
The engagement process included innovative online tools for mapping and cataloguing public perceptions and experiences related to cycling. Programming including classes, pop-up demonstrations, and bike rides were used to not only raise awareness and participation in the Bicycle Master Plan but to gradually build a shared understanding of the purpose and promise of bike infrastructure in North Kansas City.
