Mode #1 was our Honda Civic. One could fly to KC from Springfield if one wished to pay more than $600 to do so (according to my search of Expedia for a booking with 5 days advanced notice). Driving time is just a bit over three hours driving at the speed limit.

One could also take a bus, but the arrival and departure times are apparently designed to ensure that only disparate and/or economically-disadvantaged people use the bus. There are only two buses per day each way. You can leave Springfield at 8:15 p.m. and arrive 3h 55m later. Or you can leave at 11:25 p.m. and arrive 6h 25m later. From Kansas City you can leave at 12:45 p.m. and arrive 3h 55m later (a bit more reasonable) or leave at 11:20 p.m. and arrive 6h 40m later.

Further, on both ends of the trip, there is inadequate public transportation to help you along your way.

I have a difficult time believing that the bus companies couldn’t make money with KC-SGF express service — one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

So I drove our car and took my Brompton. My folding bicycle allowed me to park in a central location — The Plaza. From there it was an easy ride to UMKC for my appointment with one of my former professors to discuss a book project I’m working on (not bicycling related). Afterward, I rode back across The Plaza into Wesport for lunch. I also checked out the bicycling scene in the three areas.

In short: Lots more people on bicycles than I remember from my 20 years in Kansas City

I earned my Ph.D. at UMKC. Over those years I do not recall anything like the number of bicycles I saw on campus yesterday. Part of the reason is the Clean Commute program that offers students the free use of bicycles. Bikes were parked everywhere and locked to all manner of fixed objects, including railings, building signs, and small trees. The university is adding parking, according to the U-News. From what I saw, they need to hurry

I estimate I covered almost five miles on my bicycle riding “like I mean it” — a smooth experience on city streets. No honks. No problems.

Technorati Tags: bicycle culture, bicycle infrastructure, cycling, green transportation, intermodal transportation, public transportation, transportation, utility cycling

My daughter and I walked to school this morning because it’s sprinkling. I’m good to go in the rain on my bicycle. But I don’t make her ride in the rain. It’s a teenage hair thing.

Ah, I thought, a blogging opportunity!

But more, it was also an opportunity to talk with my daughter about the price of gas, why I didn’t know what it was, and how things might be different if we taxed it in such a way that 1) we could somewhat control the price fluctuations, and 2) we could pay for a modern, civilized public transportation system.

It occurred to my daughter that with such a system she could go to Kansas City (to shop) anytime she wanted. Just ride her bicycle to the station, hop on the high-speed train, be there in an hour and a half. That’s a reality for many teenagers in Europe.

“I still don’t understand why we think we have the world’s highest standard of living,” I said.

Technorati Tags: cycling, intermodal transportation, public transportation, sustainability, transportation

This one is just too easy. Everything I’m about to say is stating the obvious. But the obvious apparently needs to be stated.

1. The man is driving backwards in a parking lot while talking to a pedestrian.

2. The man is doubly distracted because he attempts to show the pedestrian his underwear.

3. A crash occurs. It was the predictable result of the behavior, so it cannot be called an accident.

4. No one cares! In fact, the main characters find it totally hilarious. The driver is chagrined but in no way reacts as if this weren’t a completely normal occurrence. The bystanders, at least, are properly startled.

5. The parking attendant is far more concerned with the entertainment value of the crash than with the safety of other bystanders. The last thing we hear him say is “awesome.” He should have said “irresponsible dumbshit.”

So, is it the case that I don’t have a sense of humor? Certainly not. I chuckled the first time I saw this commercial. But I should not have. None of us should.

This commercial demonstrates the cavalier attitude too many of us have about operating a big, dangerous machine around other human beings. We drive as if our tender convenience is the most important freaking thing in the entire world. Everyone else? Well, they are simply objects in our way.

And all those traffic deaths? Well, that’s the price of personal freedom (just as long as someone else pays it).

Technorati Tags: crazy drivers, intermodal transportation

I went to the Mudhouse for a muffin and coffee. I hang out there a lot. It’s a great place to read the paper and socialize. I’m something of a regular.

Now you don’t lock a Brompton outside. No. You fold that sucker and take it in. And everyone notices.

“Is that a bicycle”?

“Yes.”

And away it goes. If you’re not careful it could take 10 minutes to finally get seated

A guy driving on South Street even stopped in the middle of traffic and asked about it.

So downtown and back is about a 5-mile trip. It’ll take some time to get used to the Brooks saddle. I understand there is a break-in period. But, at that distance, the Brompton was quick and comfortable. Really very nimble. Maybe too nimble in some circumstances.

I took along a detachable mirror. That worked OK. The biggest problem is the quality of these mirrors. I have two different models by two different companies– Schwinn and Bell. Neither is as stable or clear as the one affixed to my Redline — a Mirrycle.

I tested the utility of the Brompton Bag this morning, too. It is possible — even reasonably comfortable — to ride and carry the bag with the shoulder strap worn across the chest. So my plan for a first multi-modal use of the Brompton on a trip to Kansas City will be to check it in the bag on the bus and carry a backpack with my riding gear and overnight stuff. Then when I arrive in KC, I’ll take the bicycle out of the bag and put the backpack in the bag. And away I’ll go.

Stay tuned for that…

Technorati Tags: bicycle, bicycle equipment, cycling, intermodal transportation

It’s nearly 100 degrees today and humid. So for most of the two hours that it’s been here I’ve been inside getting used to the fold and reading the manual.

The fold is very easy and very fast. Two tries and I’m a pro. Anyone would be

I took it out for a quick spin. Smooth. Nice.

First tour of duty: A bus trip to Kansas City to check out some of the proposed bicycle routes. I’ll also be doing some visiting and networking.

Technorati Tags: bicycle, cycling, intermodal transportation