The Wichita City Council approved an updated bicycle master plan, addressing bicycle infrastructure, policies and programs, while providing safe, comfortable and convenient bicycle facilities.
By approving the plan, the council did not agree to more spending. Any future motions for that would be approved on a case-by-case basis. However, the plan says the city will expand the bike network by more than 70 miles over the next 10 years. Council member Dalton Glasscock voted no, highlighting some of the fiscal challenges the city faces.
Mayor Lily Wu also voted no on the plan, citing those future fiscal concerns. A one-mile long, 10-foot wide concrete shared-use path costs around $250 thousand to construct.
There are currently 133 lane-miles of pathways around the city, including shared-use paths like the Redbud Trail, bicycle boulevards and on-street bike lanes.
The city paid $460 thousand to Toole Design Group to update the Bicycle Master Plan, which was originally crafted in 2013.