In August, an intrepid crew of wheeler-dealers finally convinced the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council -- among them bike antagonist Ed Ford, who could clearly use a little exercise -- to pass Bike KC. From now on, new or rebuilt streets in Kansas City are supposed to be bike-friendly. In the next year, the city will paint bike lanes onto dozens of streets and put up signs marking bike routes. City Hall has also promised to get rid of bike hazards such as storm grates. Eventually, ubiquitous bike racks and public showers might even signal that Kansas City has turned the corner and joined other bike-loving big cities. Despite federal grants that'll help give the city a push, our own observations of City Hall lead us to believe the bike initiative may be in for an uphill ride -- but Bike KC supporters are in for the long haul. We give them a tip of the helmet.
