Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Active Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council endorses 2024 Bicycle Plan after debate over costs and maintenance (5-2)
Summary
The City Council voted 5-2 to endorse the 2024 Wichita Bicycle Plan, which outlines a 10-year vision and a 33.5-mile priority bikeway network; supporters cited safety and equity, while dissenters raised concerns about costs, maintenance and use of sidewalks.
The Wichita City Council voted 5-2 on Jan. 16 to adopt a resolution endorsing the 2024 Wichita Bicycle Plan, a policy document that updates the 2013 master plan and identifies priority bikeways, programs and implementation steps for the next 10 years.
Public Works presented the plan, noting it was developed with consultant Tooele Design Group and extensive community engagement — two public surveys, eight pop-up events and presentations to advisory boards — and that safety, comfort and equity were guiding principles. Paul Gonsalman, the city's project lead, told the council the plan identifies 33.5 miles of "priority bikeways" and a long-term bikeway network, and recommends short-, medium- and long-term actions along with policy and program items for staff.
Key planning and funding points discussed: - The plan is a policy document; staff said no automatic funding is attached and any project will return to council for design and construction approval. - The city's 2025 CIP contains $1 million earmarked for bikeways; additional local CIP entries were noted for 2029, 2031 and 2033. - A minimum implementation cost was discussed during the meeting: council members and staff referenced a rule-of-thumb of roughly $250,000 per mile for a 10-foot multiuse path; applying that to the plan’s approx. 73 miles discussed in the long-term network led one council member to cite a minimum of about $18.25 million (council member Glasscock performed that calculation during debate). Staff cautioned costs vary widely by facility type and location.
Supporters at the dais and among public commenters emphasized safety and access: doctor Amy Seery, a pediatrician, said active-transportation options reduce household transportation costs and improve health outcomes; Bike Walk Wichita and other advocates urged adoption to guide future projects and help secure grants. Speakers from community-based programs described how bicycles are essential mobility for residents without cars.
Dissenting council members and some public commenters urged caution because of maintenance backlogs for existing infrastructure and the budgetary outlook for the next several years. Several speakers asked for clearer counts and baseline data; staff said WAMPO and city efforts can expand counting and monitoring, and that an annual reporting structure and path-condition assessment are part of the implementation recommendations.
Council Member Johnson moved to adopt a resolution endorsing the plan; the motion passed 5-2. Staff emphasized that any specific designs, funding commitments or construction proposals would come back to council for approval before work begins.
