[Cyclelicious] New comment on Overland Park transportation and bicycling.

Noah has left a new comment on your post "Overland Park transportation and bicycling":

I like metcalf south of 143rd street. It's pleasant, has a shoulder as big as most (pathetic) bike lanes out here, and people are used to seeing bicycles on the road. Any further north of that and you're in for a surprise. I've never ridden on the parts of Metcalf that they're talking about -- and for good reason! I've ridden on some parts of Metcalf that were out of my comfort zone, but only once in the daylight. The other time was almost midnight and there was no traffic to speak of.

I agree, though. Metcalf is a huge problem. I, myself made some passing comments on the state of suburban Kansas City's love affair with arterial roadways. The goal seems to be to make them wider, faster, and use them to make sure there's an interstate-accessible mini-highway within half a mile of anywhere.

The end result? Six or eight lanes of traffic with a posted limit of 45 (or sometimes 55) miles per hour, actual speeds averaging 50-60 miles per hour, and some people pushing the pedal for little 70 MPH jaunts between stop lights. Metcalf isn't just hell for bike/ped traffic. It's hell for everyone, including businesses and residential areas within half a mile either side.



Posted by Noah to Cyclelicious at 8/19/2007 07:06:00 PM