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Kansas City is considering removing a bike lane on one side of Truman Road after weeks of protests by a group of business owners.
The city began building a bike path on Truman Road last fall, but halted construction last month after business owners complained about the project and a lack of communication with city officials. Business owners on Truman Road have argued at previous public meetings that it would negatively impact their businesses.
Advocates for safer streets in Kansas City say the bike lane will reduce traffic speeds and make the dangerous road safer for drivers and riders.
Last week, Third Ward Council members Melissa Robinson and Brandon Ellington proposed removing all bike lanes from Truman Road. Now, the council is considering a compromise — just removing the bike lane north of Truman and adding other safety improvements, making the rest of the South Side lane two-way.
Robinson said the city can afford to support pedestrian safety and small businesses, saying the 3rd District can’t afford to lose businesses.
“We need to make sure our roads are safe for everyone, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists,” she said. “I will never side with our small businesses, and I will never side with road users who are hurt. We can grow together.”
Bike lanes go out of their way to reduce crashes.
In 2018, the city He studied How to make Truman Street – which city officials say is one of the most dangerous streets in Kansas City when it comes to traffic accidents – safer.
When the City Council passed its one-year bicycle implementation plan last year, it selected Truman Road and 12 other streets for protected bicycle facilities based on accident data. Construction on the disputed lines began in October.
Now, there are bike lanes on the south and north sides of Truman Road that are protected from cars using long, white bollards. The bike lanes will reduce the once traffic-prone six-lane road to four cars and a center turn lane.
Robinson said during Wednesday’s committee meeting that the bike lane’s current implementation is unsafe, because drivers on Truman Road who park near the bike lane are exposed to oncoming traffic when they get out of their vehicles.
She said the bike lane south of Truman could be turned into a two-way cycle track along with the one on Gillham Road.
4th Ward Councilman Eric Bunch said the proposed changes are a logical solution.
“A big reason we’ve gotten to where we are with this particular design and the public discussion is that it’s a design that looks confusing and dangerous,” he said. I think we need to expand the conversation to all avenues.
The City Council will take up — and possibly vote on — proposed changes to the Truman Line later this month.
Most of the lines that have been testified in public want to stay
More than 80 residents submitted public testimony in response to the ordinance, with the majority opposing the removal of bike lanes on Truman.
David Dye is a resident of the 3rd District. He told the City Council on Wednesday that the bike lane on Truman Road is an important part of the city’s plan to improve road safety for everyone.
“He needed to be calmed down in some fashion,” Dye said of Truman’s path. “Mobility lines seem to meet the demand as installed.”
Laila Zaidi, a member of the Kansas City Chapter of the Sunrise Movement and a resident of the 3rd District, said the six-lane roads are not safe.
“As young people, we have no business. “We often see that we don’t contribute to the economy, but we want to be permanent members of these neighborhoods for the rest of our lives,” she said. “Part of that is getting bike lanes so we can have a voice.”
But some Truman Road business owners opposed the bike lane, saying it would hurt their businesses.
John Micah owns Venus Restoration Center, an auto body shop on Truman. After the bike line was installed, it became almost impossible for customers to walk into the store and drop off their cars, he said.
“People who drop off 10 to 15 deliveries a day have to park in the turn lane, walk in the traffic lane, roll tires or fetch parts,” he said. “Somebody’s going to get hurt out there. I mean it’s very dangerous. There is no loading zone now. They have nowhere to stop.”
Carlos Moreno
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KCUR 89.3
Sean Arcidino owns Atomic Collision, another auto shop on Truman Road, and is one of the most vocal opponents of bike lanes. During his public testimony before the City Council, he read online comments against him and his business.
“I see the bike crowd as a hate group directed at me,” he told the city council.
He said he does not support a deal to remove one side of the bike lane and wants the bike lanes removed from Truman Road entirely. He said he intends to move forward with a referendum to remove all bike lanes from Kansas City.
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