KWCH and the Wichita Eagle both have news articles pertaining to local cycling and yesterday being “Bike to work day”.

For anyone that is interested…

More on the Tour De Cure here

In addition to it’s new intersection at Broadway, Mt Vernon street is also getting dedicated bike lanes in each direction from Broadway to the river. The West end of this stretch will give easier access to the Arkansas River path and the East end Tom Sawyer Bicycle Shop.

Built on abandoned Missouri-Pacific railroad right-of-way, the 10-foot wide path stretches 1.5 miles from Wichita Street & Central Avenue to 15th Street at Broadway. Features include:

?Victorian-style pedestrian lighting;
?Brick columns and steel archways spelling out ?Midtown? at 15th & Broadway and at 8th & Wichita Street;
?A plaza at Otis Park in the form of a railroad turntable;
?Sunken planting beds (?rain gardens?) at Otis Park and Park Elementary School (9th and Main Street);
?Benches, drinking fountain, trash receptacles, and bike racks also carry out the turn-of-the-century look of the path.

The project got its start in late 2004 as a result of a grant for which the Historic Midtown Citizens Association applied. Nearly 80% of the $1.35 million project was funded by KDOT Transportation Enhancement Funds from that grant.

Several Coasters attended the ribbon cutting ceremony this evening. After the ceremony we rode the new path to it’s southern end and some of us continuing on into Delano.

More photos here.

May is National Bike Month and Friday May 15th is National Bike To Work Day. A new website has been set up to promote Bike to Work Day here in Wichita.
For more information on Bike To Work Day visit BikeWichita.com.

Work is being done on a new East/West path that once finished will connect the south ends of 3 existing North/South paths. The Arkansas River, Canal and Gypsum Creek.
The segment that connects the Canal to Gypsum Creek paths should be completed soon. This path will pass by historic Joyland park and through several parks and neighborhoods including Plainview and up and over 135 (canal route).

Click here for a map of Wichita’s existing and future bike paths.

From Kansas.com…

The Wichita area will receive $16 million for road projects to be selected by the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and an estimated $6.6 million for transit projects.
Wichita plans to use the transit money to buy replacement buses, add bicycle racks to buses, and build new bus shelters, said Mayor Carl Brewer.

Here are some progress photos of the new Midtown bike path. Construction of the path seems to be moving right along and should be completed in the Spring. More on the path here.

You may have seen “Bicycle Bob” around town.
From ncbeat.com Wichita’s lifestyle and entertainment magazine…

also known as Bicycle Bob – because of his backyard collection of bicycles. He says he has about 75 in all, many are tucked away in his garage and shed. Dozens of bikes are lined up beneath a tarp, ready to be ridden, repaired or salvaged for parts. His current ride, a red Schwinn Le Tour, is decked out with a U.S. Postal Service mail bin to hold whatever he might need on a trip around town.

Read the entire article here

From www.wichitagov.org

“The Midtown bike path will run more than one mile, from the intersection of Central and Wichita Streets, north along Wichita Street to 9th Street, and then northeast in the former Union Pacific Railroad Corridor to 15th near Broadway. The $1.35 million project will provide a 10-foot wide bicycle path with decorative entrance arches at both 8th and 15th Streets, and a plaza with clock tower and drinking fountain in Otis Park at 13th and Market. More than 300 trees and shrubs will be planted along the path. Minor storm sewer work will also occur at various points along the path.”

Read more here.

Construction work at North end of path near Otis Park.