Living between Ward Parkway and State Line Road, I had an up-close view yesterday of the first Cycle in the City event.
It proved, in my view, to be an event well worth the inconvenience of not being able to drive on Ward Parkway, for several hours, from Meyer Circle to Gregory. And, by the way, Gregory was open to traffic all the while, as was 63rd Street, just north of Meyer.
I’ve got a nice cruising bike with a high handlebar and comfortable seat. I don’t ride it often — just when the mood strikes, mostly — but it was ideal for Cycle in the City. I dusted it off, filled the tires with air and shortly after the official 2 p.m. start of the event, I peddled about 50 yards from my driveway to the parkway.
Of course, I had my camera around my neck, and here’s some of what I saw…
Lots of bikes, of course…
Many activities and games were offered, including a bean-bag toss.
The “moon bounce” catapulted this boy into a state of ecstasy.
Golf…without cups.
I saw plenty of people I knew, including longtime friends G. Fred and Rosanne Wickman. (Like me, both are former KC Star employees.)
…neighbor Henry Lane
…our “block captain,” A.J. Miller, and her Great Dane, Rocky
Before the event, as Kansas City Public Works and Parks Department employees were making preparations, I happened to meet Deb Ridgway, the city’s bicycle pedestrian coordinator. The event was her idea.
Back to the action…The BMX exhibition was pretty amazing. These guys — professionals — took our breath away.
These four boys volunteered to lie on the ground for a stunt…and one mom gave her son what could have been a final squeeze of the hand.
Made it! The boys lived to tell about it, as did one final volunteer — one of the demonstrators, who positioned himself at the end of the row of bodies.
But a lot of this event was simply about chatting and enjoying an afternoon on the parkway, without that annoying traffic.
The “linchpin” of our neighborhood is Meyer Circle Fountain…I say, let’s make Cycle in the City an annual event.
It looks like it was very fun event. If only I still lived in Waldo. Hope they do it next year.
I love that Meyer Circle fountain — and think that dog should be a permanent part! Haven’t read the paper yet today; was there much kvetching about the road being closed? It was only a mile, for goodness sake!
The Star devoted several paragraphs to the pre-event complaints, but nothing new. By the time the event rolled around, I didn’t hear any complaining.
Loved this event. I wish they’d do it again in the fall.
You should let Deb Ridgway know how you feel…deb.ridgway@kcmo.org