KANSAS CITY, Missouri — About three months ago, bike lanes were installed along Truman Road in Kansas City, Missouri.
November, KSHB 41 saw the bike lane Confusing drivers, blocking traffic and almost causing several crashes.
On Friday, the Missouri-Kansas City Department of Public Works acknowledged the problems and said it was trying to make changes.
More than 120 people came to the Gregg Klice Community Center for a community meeting on the issue.
The meeting was called at the request of Atomic Collision owner Shawn Arcidino and KCMO Councilwoman Melissa Robinson.
They said it was a problem-solving session to find a way forward or an ordinance to remove bike lanes from Truman Way.
“By a show of hands, how many business owners on Truman Way are opposed to the bike lane on Truman Way?” Arcidino asked at the meeting.
At the meeting, Robinson wrote about business owners’ concerns about safety.
“It’s just as dangerous to put a park lane and a drive lane together,” Robinson said. “If you’re parked in a park lane and there’s a bus behind you, that’s very dangerous.”
Several business owners on Truman Road talked about loading and unloading flatbeds in the industrial area surrounding the bike lane, with fewer lanes.
“Service in and out of Truman Road is a nightmare,” said one business owner who attended the meeting.
Steve Leighter of Kansas City Screw Products agrees.
“If I can’t use steel for parts, they’re going to put me out of business,” he said. “I can’t have my driver put in there with a bull’s-eye on his back.”
Business owners say parking for customers is a safety hazard, profits drop, drivers are fast, there are no signs and cars parked correctly risk being hit.
“They should have had this meeting before installing the bike lanes,” Robinson said.
Michael Shaw, director of public works at KCMO, said he was here to protect people and to hear feedback.
“We have to take responsibility for certain issues,” Xiao said. “As a director, I’ll tell you that in terms of how we put it down, the implementation could have been better.”
The few people who support the lane are also there
“A lot of it comes down to not having enough engagement with the city,” said Michael Kelly of BikeWalkKC. “This is new infrastructure, and it takes sitting down and explaining how it works, and who benefits from it.” .”
After Friday’s meeting, Robinson said the solutions considered were to remove the bike lanes entirely or adapt them to allow for permanent parking.
Robinson said an ordinance would be needed and seven votes from the KCMO City Council to eliminate the bike lanes.
Shaw said the new bike lanes are not yet complete, but will not go ahead due to safety concerns.
In the meantime, Shaw said signs would be added to show drivers how to use the road before a decision was made.
“Because it’s new, I think people are a bit confused,” Shaw said. “As a driver, the rules of the road remain the same — the lines dictate where you drive.”
Shaw and Robinson said more details on how the city will move forward will be released within a week.
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