According to Patterson Legal Group, nearly 300 Kansans are injured in bicycle accidents each year, and 21% of those accidents are caused by failure to yield by motorists. To combat this, the City of Lawrence has introduced a plan to increase spaces for biking and other recreational activities away from traffic. 

As part of the 2023-2027 Capital Improvement Plan, the City plans to complete the remaining sections of the Lawrence Loop, a continuous 22 mile loop around Lawrence for walking, biking and other recreational activities. The plan proposes adding longer segments to the loop, annually through 2027 including bike lanes, walking paths and more. 

The plan also uses community input about where bikers are most comfortable riding. The data showed that most prefer bike lanes away from noise and speedy traffic. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of bicyclists killed in traffic have been steadily increasing from 2010-2021, with an average of 800 casualties per year.

Spanish teacher Stuart Strecker said that he supports adding bike routes away from major roads and highways for biker safety. 

While ceramics teacher Jacob Lewis said that bike lanes near high-speed traffic can pose serious risks to bikers, he believes having more bike lanes will allow Lawrence to be more bike friendly. Without bike lanes on major roads, bikers are forced to take longer routes, illegally ride on sidewalks or risk riding with traffic.

“Not everybody has a car or wants to drive a car, and I think that having bike accessible transportation is important to include every member of our community and give them access to the things that those of us that drive regularly take for granted,” Lewis said.