What's the deal?
This section is about biking in the central city area of Kansas City, Missouri - either for recreation or commuting. Contrary to the image many people have of the Midwest, Kansas City is actually quite hilly and can make for some challenging bike rides. Most streets are fairly wide and there are usually quiet side streets parallel to the major roads. For info on suburban routes check out the Midwest page.
Update!
Riverfront Heritage Trail now
under contstruction.
Bike racks now available on city buses.
City Bike
Plan.
Where to Ride
Overview of the street grid and numbering system.
A great weekend ride is to Downtown and the City Market. Traffic is light and the farmer's market is a great place to take a break, grab some lunch, and people watch. Grand St. now extends from the Market to the new Riverfront Park.
The Old Northeast district is another pleasant place to ride. Old Northeast includes the neighborhoods east of Downtown, from the Missouri River south to I-70. Historic mansions and houses - plus Kessler Park, Cliff Drive, and Gladstone Boulevard are the highlights. There is plenty of Italian, Asian, and Mexican food available throughout the area.
The West Bottoms is the city's old warehouse/stockyard area just below the bluffs downtown.
KCMO has a vast boulevard system which can be a great place to ride. Most are very wide and also have broad shoulders or sidewalks. The boulevards connect most of the major attractions such as Downtown, Westport, the Plaza, museums, the Zoo, 18th & Vine, neighborhood shopping districts, etc.
The Country Club Plaza and surrounding areas are nice, scenic rides. There's a short riverwalk on both sides of Brush Creek. Loose Park is just south of the Plaza at 51st and Wornall, which runs up a decent hill. The Trolley Track Trail runs along Brookside Blvd. and connects from the Plaza south to the Brookside and Waldo neighborhoods.
There are some good hills in Midtown. Union Hill is next to Crown Center, north of 31st St. between Main and Gillham. Dutch Hill and Hospital Hill are on the east side of Crown Center. The ascent along Main St. from Crown Center to Linwood St. is pretty good. Kessler Blvd. climbs up from Union Station into Penn Valley Park and the Liberty Memorial. Further north, Broadway ascends a steep bluff from Southwest Boulevard to the Downtown loop.
Currently there is one good trail in the city itself. The Trolley Track Trail is an old streetcar line that has been turned into a crushed-rock trail. It's a great ride though the swank residential areas of South Plaza, Brookside, Waldo. The northern end is on the south side of the Plaza at Volker and Brookside Blvds., behind UMKC's Twin Oaks apartments. The south end is on 85th St., between Holmes and Wornall Roads.
Safety isn't much of problem, especially during the day. Downtown, Crown Center, and the residential areas of Midtown are quite safe. The East Side is also pretty safe, even if many suburbanites give it a bad rap. Don't let that deter you from Swope Park and the Zoo, Brush Creek Boulevard, or The Paseo - they are all nice rides.
Commuting to Downtown KCMO
This can be a bit of a challenge, as downtown sits atop a high bluff over the Missouri River and is surrounded by a huge loop of Interstate highways. Approaches from the south and west are uphill into downtown. Approaching from the north requires crossing over the river on one of the heavily trafficked bridges. Only the easterly approach is relatively straight.
From the south I'd recommend Baltimore, or McGee - as the ascents are less severe than Broadway or Main. From the west take West Pennway up out of the West Bottoms to the River Market area. I have yet to risk the trek across the Missouri River, so I can't really recommend a route from the Northland, The Heart of America Bridge (a.k.a. Burlington/Oak Streets) is the only option I can see. Whatever your route, just be sure to take it nice and slow and watch for traffic. The Quality Hill YMCA has showers, on Washington Street just west of Broadway.
Other Resources
Bike to Work - http://www.biketowork.com
Resources for urban bike commuters.
Open Directory bike commuting/advocacy category - http://dmoz.org/Sports/Bicycling/Bicycle_Commuting_and_Advocacy
Many great links for the beginner to the seasoned expert.
Paul Dorn's bike commuting tips