This program will be presented in-person at Kansas City Public Library-Central Library in the Helzberg Auditorium.
The beginnings of BikeWalkKC go back to 2008 when the BBC came to town. Kansas City, Missouri, had just ranked dead last in the League of American Bicyclists’ list of bike-friendly cities. The BBC wanted to know what it was like to bicycle in the worst cycling city in America, so they came to Kansas City and did a half-hour radio documentary.
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The unwanted notoriety got the attention of local leaders. They set a goal for Kansas City to move out of last place and achieve bike-friendly status. It also spurred advocates to address the fact that Kansas City was the largest US city without a professional bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization.
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Meet Eric Rogers, executive director and co-founder of BikeWalkKC, to learn about the progress Kansas City has made, and the challenges we continue to face, 15 years after the BBC story. Eric will discuss current and proposed infrastructure projects. He will share findings from BikeWalkKC’s 2023 study of the Gillham cycle track, and offer ways to advocate for safer biking and walking in your community.Â
Note: The Central Library is located at 14 West 10th Street in Kansas City, MO 64105. The Central Library parking garage is located directly west of the Central Library building on the northwest corner of 10th & Baltimore.
Eric believes walking and biking are simple solutions to complex problems related to health, climate, the economy, and community building. Eric has worked on many campaigns to give Kansas Citians better transportation choices, including Complete Streets, Missouri River crossings, development code reform, transportation policy, and trail funding.
He serves on the Mid-America Regional Council’s Total Transportation Policy Committee, and was founding Chair of the KCMO Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee from 2008 to 2015. Eric has been recognized as Advocate of the Year by the Alliance for Biking and Walking and has received the regional leadership award from Mid-America Regional Council. He is a member of the board of directors for Nonprofit Connect.
Eric earned a Masters of Public Administration in nonprofit management from the Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
