Truman Road bike lanes will stay in place for now. Kansas City, listen to the people | Opinion

The people spoke. Kansas City leaders listened. That’s how democracy works.

For now, bike lanes on Truman Road will remain in place. But city leaders must take a hard, long look at why they failed to follow their own policies before laying down 3 1/2 miles of protected multiuse lanes along the street.

The implementation of the bike lanes did not meet city standards, according Melissa Robinson, 3rd District City Council member. Because the city failed to engage nearby business owners and residents in a timely manner, recent change has impeded business and stagnated economic development in the area, Robinson said. Adjustments along the commercial corridor are needed.

“We missed an opportunity to speak to residents and their needs,” she said. “We did not follow the policy. Businesses are fighting for survival.”

Robinson’s plan to remove new infrastructure from the north side of Truman Road was delayed until Feb. 15. A compromise we all can support is in the works, according to city officials. A two-way bike track could be installed on the south side of Truman. Robinson is also pushing for covered KCATA bus stops with trash bins and other needs residents in the area lobbied for — another idea that city officials must consider.

Reducing street lanes is known as a “road diet,” and they’re essential to reducing crashes and traffic fatalities, advocates say. But traffic safety concerns along Truman Road remain real for all street users, and should be addressed immediately. Worrying about it “keeps me up at night,” Robinson said Wednesday during a City Council committee meeting on the issue.

“We are putting pedestrians at risk by the way we design,” she said.

Public transportation advocates largely agree that traffic calming measures were needed on Truman Road. But did the city do enough to engage residents and nearby business owners before constructing bike lanes on Truman from Holmes Street to Hardesty Avenue?

No, according to Robinson. Truman Road is a major east-west thoroughfare. Newly-installed bike lanes along the corridor are hurting small businesses, she said. That news is unfortunate. Kansas City’s East Side can’t afford to lose its mom and pop operations.

In its previous design, the six-lane street was considered one of the most dangerous roads in Missouri, according to Kansas City Public Works department officials. But change has come with a consequence, nearby business owners testified during Wednesday’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee meeting.

Others opposed to removal of the bike lanes were generally pleased that the city had reached a possible solution. More details are needed, road safety advocates said. We agree. Earlier plans presented by Robinson were promising, though, and the compromise seems reasonable.

“We asked that we continue to find ways to ensure our most vulnerable road users are safe,” said Michael Kelly of BikeWalkKC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for new transportation solutions.

Most folks are confused by Truman Road’s new parking rules, which are becoming common occurrences in cities such as Kansas City, where the automobile rules. Truman isn’t the only street with a bike lane that carries restrictions on parking and traveling at the same time. It’s just the latest, thanks to Kansas City’s Complete Streets ordinance and the City Council’s Vision Zero Action Plan.

In response to public outcry, Robinson introduced an ordinance to remove traffic-calming measures on one side of the busy street. For good reason, the proposed measure was held in a council committee for a couple weeks. Listening to the concerns of constituents is how good government works.

The process of notifying nearby property owners began three years ago, Kansas City transportation planning officials have said. Mailers detailing the project’s scope were sent too late, critics contend. Some addresses may have been missed, city officials told us in December.

Under a city ordinance, public engagement is required for any public project. On the Truman Road bike lanes project, outreach was minimal, Robinson and others contend.

That omission cannot happen again. Kansas City cannot afford to ignore its own public participation policy.