It’s possible to put bike lanes where KC cyclist was killed. Here’s what it would take
A number of bicyclists are calling on their local governments to install a bicycle path on a stretch of Kansas City road where a father of 10 was recently killed while out on a ride.
But the city of Kansas City says it would need the help of the city of Lee’s Summit to make it happen.
Longview Lake loop is a bicycle path that runs about 10 miles around Longview Lake, and through Kansas City, Grandview and Lee’s Summit. Much of Kansas City’s stretch of the road either has bicycle paths already installed, or has bicycle lanes in the works.
But one 0.7 mile stretch of View High Drive heading into Lee’s Summit has not been included in plans to create better bicycle infrastructure.
As cyclists approach the intersection of SW Longview Road and SW 3rd Street from the north, along View High Drive, the bicycle lane runs out just past the intersection of East 109th Street, forcing cyclists to merge onto the road with drivers just before leaving Kansas City and entering Lee’s Summit.
It was on this stretch, void of a bike path, that husband, father, deacon and middle school math teacher Charles Criniere, 43, was struck by a car and killed in late August. Now, in light of Criniere’s death, some cyclists are trying to bring awareness to what they believe may be a fatal flaw in the road’s design which forces cyclists to exit the existing bike lane and merge with traffic where the bike lane ends.
In response to some of these concerns, Sherae Honeycutt, a spokeswoman for Kansas City’s Public Works Department, said that the city would be open to a conversation with the city of Lee’s Summit about the possibility of installing more bicycle lanes on that stretch of View High Drive.
“The City of Lee’s Summit does not have bike lane infrastructure on SW 3rd Street or continuing onto SW Longview Road,” she said in an email Wednesday morning. “To install bike lanes in this area would require the roadway to be engineered for safety transitioning between the municipalities.”
Honeycutt said the public works department “is open to and available for a collaborative discussion wherein bike lane upgrades could be implemented with the City of Lee’s Summit.”
Cheryl Nash, a spokeswoman for the city of Lee’s Summit said they’re also open to a conversation, but that it’s not as simple as building protected bike lanes once View High Drive becomes SW Longview Boulevard once it hits the Lee’s Summit border.
A signed bike route with shared lanes already exists through a few roundabouts on SW Longview Boulevard, which helps naturally slow down traffic, contributing to safer driving, Nash said. But because the road was built before Lee’s Summit implemented its Bicycle Transportation Plan, the city doesn’t have the space or ability to add dedicated bicycle lanes to the street.
“The lack of dedicated or buffered bicycle lanes south of Third Street or along Third Street in Lee’s Summit do not negate the continuation of bicycle routes in Kansas City to and throughout Lee’s Summit,” Nash said.
Not all bike routes need bicycle lanes, nor need to look the same; and bike routes can commonly, and safely, transition between types of bicycle facilities. The City of Lee’s Summit intends to follow its adopted Bicycle Transportation Plan which is part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, for bike routes and welcomes conversation with Kansas City as Kansas City seeks to implement their bike plans too.”
Need for safe bike lanes on Longview Loop
Athol Barnes, a senior pastor at Grace Point Baptist Church, where Criniere was a deacon, has been riding the Longview Loop for a decade. Even before Creiniere’s death, the merger on View High Drive made him nervous. Plus, some cyclists said, there’s a spot of pavement near the merger that’s uneven, creating an additional hazard for bicycle tires.
”What’s it going to take for the resources to be allocated to fix that?” Barnes asked Tuesday. “We want a community that’s healthy, we want a community that’s exercising.”
Ryan Corrigan, an avid cyclist from Grandview and a close friend of Criniere’s for the past 16 years, frequents many trails in the metro. But he said Longview Lake remains one of the best and most trafficked paths, and that’s made obvious by how many cyclists of all ages and experience levels are riding around the lake on any given day, with one cycling site listing the Longview Lake loop among the top 10 cycling routes in the metro.
But the View High Drive merger also gives him pause.
“I would think that a tragedy at this level would push this to the very forefront of conversations related to roads, to road safety,” he said. “I know there’s a lot going on, but this is a massively trafficked area and something really needs to be done about it very, very soon.”
Weather in the Midwest is hard on the roads, making it difficult for cyclists to find routes without potholes. While the Longview Lake circle had its fair share of potholes in the past, the pavement is still nicer than most other places, Corrigan said. Plus, the recent addition of protected bike lanes on 109th and Raytown Road was a big deal.
“That’s why people keep going back to the loop,” he said.
How Kansas City is planning for bikes
Kansas City is in the process of building more bicycle lanes as part of Vision Zero, a city initiative with the goal with ending traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
The improvements are set for all over the city. A five-year “conceptual” bike facility implementation plan posted by Public Works suggests improvements to the area around Longview Lake. Included in this was the recent installation of protected bike lanes on View High Drive, north of the East 109th Street intersection. Protected bike lanes are also in place along East 109th Street from Raytown Road to View High Drive.
And more bicycle paths are still in the words, Honeycutt said. This year, the city is also working to install protected bicycle lanes on the on Raytown Road stretching south to the Grandview city line. All-in-all, Kansas City is looking to put in 30 additional miles of bicycle lanes across the city. When possible, these lanes are added as part of capital road projects, Honeycutt said.
Jeremy “JC” Van Deventer, a middle school teacher in Kansas City, Kansas, who commutes to work by bicycle every day from his Lee’s Summit home, said while the city is figuring out a path forward, other safety measures can also be considered.
This includes more frequent street sweeps, to keep debris off the roads, giving more space for both vehicles and bikes. He’s also eyeing sections of View High Drive where he said some crevices line the side of the road, making for an obstacle that cyclists have to dodge in order not to snag their wheels on the uneven ground and risk crashing.
But he’s hopeful some action will come of concerns arising in the cycling community following Crienere’s death.
“I would be shocked if they didn’t do something because of how traveled that road is,” Van Deventer said. “Because of the level of dangers that some components of that road have on them, I think they’re going to have to do something because the alternatives in that situation are not very good.”
But the future of the stretch of road where Criniere lost his life is still unknown.
“It would be a huge statement to the cycling community, to Charlie’s family, that we’re taking this really seriously,” Corrigan said in response to the city’s statement. “I think there’s thousands of cyclists that have fear in their hearts about cycling because of people texting and driving and things like this.”
Memorial ride for Chris Criniere
As they await answers, members of the cycling community and Criniere’s loved ones are planning a memorial ride for Criniere, hoping to raise money for his family while also raising awareness of road safety and encouraging riders to equip their bicycles with lights.
The ride, called “Bright Lights for Charlie,” will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.
It’s estimated to bring about 500 cyclists together to ride the Longview Lake loop anywhere from one to 10 times, event organizers said. The route will begin at Longview Lake Beach, at 11101 Raytown Road.
Donations are being accepted in lieu of a registration fee. The money will go toward expenses such as mortgage, utility bills, maintenance and food, said Van Deventer, who is organizing the ride. A GoFundMe has also been set up to help the family, for which Criniere was the sole financial provider.
