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Bike MS – Kansas Day One Ride Overnights in Lawrence’s South Park Saturday 9/13

September 12, 2014 /

Bike MS passes through the Kansas City Metro into the back roads of Kansas’ finest countryside. The routes include fully-stocked rest stops every 10-15 miles, a great lunch stop each day and safety provided by volunteer EMT’s, HAM radio operators, the police department and bicycle repair from their partner bike shops.

The ride will conclude the day at South Park in Lawrence, KS, where riders and local bikers will be treated to a fun Gears & Grooves Festival featuring musical entertainment, food and Boulevard beer. Everyone will be up early on Sunday for a pancake breakfast by Chris Cakes and back out on the road to Olathe, KS for a finish line celebration.

More info about the ride at http://bikeksg.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_KSG_Kansas_City_Ride

Your Help Is Needed For Lawrence’s Safe Routes to School Planning Initiative

September 3, 2014 /

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are sustained efforts by parents, schools and community leaders to improve the health and well-being of children by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department has been working in conjunction with Lawrence Public Schools, the City of Lawrence and the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization to launch a SRTS planning initiative.

The project seeks to involve schools in Lawrence, both public and private, that serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The goal of the Safe Routes project is to develop a comprehensive, citywide SRTS plan that enables and encourages children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bike to and from school.

The public is invited to participate in two upcoming opportunities to learn more about the Safe Routes project and to get involved.

Why Safe Routes to School Matters: Public presentation by the National Center for Safe Routes to Schools
7-8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29
Community Health Facility, Second Floor Meeting Room, 200 Maine Street, Lawrence
Safe Routes to School National Course
Register at saferoutescourse.eventbrite.com
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 30
Community Health Facility, Second Floor Meeting Room, 200 Maine Street, Lawrence

Join community leaders, school officials, public health workers, transportation and public works professionals, law enforcement officers, parents and neighbors for this opportunity for all elementary and middle schools in Lawrence, Kansas.

The course is offered free of charge, with refreshments, snacks and lunch provided.

Overview of course agenda:

Why safe routes to school matters: Safety, health and transportation issues
Field exercise of school campus and surrounding area
Perspectives from local stakeholders
Engineering strategies
Pick-up and drop-off area strategies
Identification and education strategies
Enforcement strategies
Action steps to develop a comprehensive, citywide SRTS Plan

Please register in advance at saferoutescourse.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Charlie Bryan at 785-856-7357 or [email protected].

A Huge Win For Biking In Lawrence: Sunflower Foundation Awards Grand To Develop Community Trails

August 29, 2014 /

Thanks to a grant from the Sunflower Foundation Lawrence residents soon have an ADA friendly path in Burcham park.

The Sunflower Foundation Board of Trustees has awarded $290,879 to seven communities and one school district to build new public trails or enhance existing ones.

“It’s a pleasure to grow the Sunflower Trails family, creating more and more outdoor space for communities to share,” said Billie Hall, President and CEO of the Sunflower Foundation.

“What started as a way to help communities enhance their built environment has evolved over ten years into a dynamic way to engage people around health and wellness,” Hall said. “Each project reflects its unique community, and it’s exciting to see the creative ways each trail is used.”

So far, the program has helped fund more than 125 trail projects across the state. You can find Sunflower Trails near you with this trail finder: http://SunflowerFoundation.org/TrailFinder.

Lawrence is one of the recipients where a popular footpath along the Kansas River in Douglas County will soon be much more accessible thanks to this community driven project. The city plans to open the new 10 foot wide, ADA friendly trail by spring of 2015. The improved trail — located in Lawrence’s Burcham Park — will connect several existing trails, including a recently completed one behind Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.

Other recipients include:

City of Derby – Madison Avenue Central Park
City of Roeland Park Volunteers in Roeland Park are working to restore an urban green space called “R Park.”
Riley County The Riley County Parks Department is creating new green space for the people of Manhattan to enjoy.
City of Conway Springs Conway Springs in Sumner County plans to build its first community trail this fall.
City of Paola This seven-mile trail will encircle Lake Miola just outside of town.
City of Tonganoxie The popular Chieftain Trail in Tonganoxie will be enhanced.
USD #233 Olathe Public Schools Sunnyside Elementary School will build a ¼Zmile asphalt trail loop just inside the school yard.

Since its inception in 2005, the Sunflower Trails program has helped more than 125 trail projects in more than 45 Kansas counties. For additional information about the Sunflower Trails program, please contact Sunflower Trails program officer at Elizabeth Stewart [email protected] or (785) 232Z3000.

The mission of the Sunflower Foundation is to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans, which it supports through a program of grants and related activities. Further details about the foundation’s programs and grants are available at SunflowerFoundation.org.

Fall Community Bike Ride Set for September 20th

August 25, 2014 /

Lawrence Central Rotary Club is hosting the fall 2014 Lawrence Community Bike Ride on Saturday, September 20th, at the Haskell University stadium parking area and using the Burroughs Creek Trail .

The event is open to anyone and there is no cost to participate.

There will be a three mile ride along the Burroughs Creek Trail.

Other activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. include:

A Training Wheel Takeoff. Experts will help children who are ready to take off their training wheels in a safe environment.
Bike Rodeo. Kids can practice and improve their riding skills
Bike Helmet Fitting and Giveaway. Safe Kids with LMH will help outfit kids with helmets, while supplies last, along with providing cycling safety tips for kids of all ages – and for adults too!

“We hope more and more people discover cycling as a fun and healthy activity,” said Steve Lane, a member of Central Rotary Club. “This event is a great opportunity for families and individuals to enjoy cycling in a safe and scenic area of Lawrence.”

Participants should wear a bicycle helmet and they are encouraged to bring water and wear sunscreen. This is the third year for the Community Bike Ride. The first event in 2011 drew 50 participants, followed by 125 in 2012. Last year’s event was rained out.

If it is raining September 20th, the ride will be rescheduled for on Sunday, September 21, at 1PM.

Registration for the event is required and can be done before the event. For more information, visit ridelawrence.com.

Releases will be available at the event or you can download one HERE.

LCBR-Flyer-2014-2

2014 Bicycle and Pedestrian Count – Volunteers Needed!

August 12, 2014 /

Your help is needed!

Lawrence, Eudora & Baldwin City use the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project method to count bicyclists and pedestrians annually throughout our area. Although this effort is led by staff, it would not be possible without the many community volunteers who help during the month of September to count at various locations for two-hour periods.

Data collected on bicycling and walking will assist City and Regional Leaders with estimating usage and demand for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The counts will also be used to track the region’s progress on increasing biking & walking, strengthen grant applications to leverage additional funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, evaluate existing projects, and help determine the location of future investments. The more people who participate, the more locations get counted. The local counts will also become part of the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project’s national database of biking and walking trends.

Volunteer with us to conduct a bicycle and pedestrian count!

Volunteer expectations:

New volunteers need to attend a 30 minute training and collect their supplies (see flyer for details),
Participate during one of the follow count times(see flyer for details),
Stay for the entire count time, and
Record the number of bicyclists and pedestrians passing through the area.

If you would like to participate in this project, sign up online at http://lawrenceks.org/mpo/volunteer or contact Jessica Mortinger at [email protected]