Topeka, Kansas: “Kansas is sneaky cool.” So says the friend we’re staying with in rural Kansas, about midway through our Dinner & Bikes tour. The state’s capitol, Topeka, certainly proves this to be true.

It’s obvious that at some point in recent decades, downtown Topeka was left for dead. Less obvious is that it’s now bouncing back. It’s doing so in a “sneaky,” quintessentially Kansan way — without any flashy showcasing, but with unyielding determination. And bikes are playing a quiet but starring role in the city’s renaissance.

Getting ready for a sold-out Dinner & Bikes show in downtown Topeka

The few rough characters we saw riding around downtown Topeka on bicycles on a Wednesday afternoon chose, understandably, to stick to the wide and even emptier sidewalks. But it apparently doesn’t take much to fill the streets with bikes. We were floored when the organizers of our event here told us they had sold 90 tickets. People came out of the woodwork from all walks of life to fill a vast, dusty former department store building that was saved from being turned into a parking lot when the founders of the nonprofit Topeka Community Cycle Project asked to rent it out.

For the past year and a half, Cycle Project volunteers have taught bike repair skills and provided bicycles to the community for free, work trade, or affordable prices. The project is right down the street from a homeless shelter, and there’s a strong transportation equity component to its work.

“A wide diversity of people volunteer,” said Meredith Fry, a biology student at Washburn University and one of the organizers of our event. “It really brings everyone from everywhere, and seeing people be able to work together is really great. I think it’s been a big change for the community.”

The Topeka Community Cycle Project saved this former department store from the wrecking ball.Photo: Elly BlueDowntown has long been seen as a bit of a wasteland. Many of those who could afford to leave fled to the suburbs. But thanks in part to the biking community, that's changing.

“In the last two or three years, there’s been a whole change in mentality,” Fry said. “You have people coming downtown for an art walk, and you have a homeless shelter at the end of the road, and it’s like, yeah, you’re going to see them. You can’t hide them — you don’t want to hide them. We’re all people.”

The bike project “crosses so many different barriers,” Fry told me. “That’s why we charged only $5 for the tickets tonight.”

“Rethink Topeka” is the rallying cry around here of late. And it seems to be working. The city, like many we visited, is working with a consulting firm to develop a bike master plan, spearheaded by a bike-friendly city council member. We were given a draft of the new bike map and as I rode around I could almost see the future bike lanes on the downtown’s wide, one-way streets.

In three years, I predict that Topeka will be among the country’s most bike friendly small cities — and if the Cycle Project is any indication, bicycling will be available to everyone, not only those with money.

The Craftavists are passionate about merging art and activism. The Topeka Community Cycle Project is a volunteer-run community bike shop that is committed to the recycling, repurposing, and distribution of bicycles.

The Craftavists and TCCP have partnered to upcycle bicycle parts and materials in order to create handmade bicycle inspired art. Over the past several months, the Craftavists and TCCP have been holding Craft Parties at the TCCP work and learning space in downtown Topeka. The events have engaged members of both organizations in creating art and community. The artwork will be available for sale during the Rethink Art Walk on April 9th at 423 S. Kansas Ave.

Proceeds to benefit the efforts of both organizations.

Upcoming Events:

April 16th: TCCP Spring Bicycle Sale
1pm-4pm

All bicycle prices 15% off during sale. Click here for photos and prices.

Check out the event on Facebook to see who else is riding!

http://cycleproject.org/files/BikewayPoster.pdf

The Landon Trail can use your help. As you know the City of Topeka approved the plan to build the Landon Trail in Topeka from 25th Street to about 34th Street. The City match for the funds would be $100,000.

The Kansas Department of Transportation recently announced that they were increasing the funding for the Landon Trail from about $450,000 to $1,100,000. The city match would stay the same at $100,000. This will finish the Landon Trail and the 3 remaining bridges inside town. It would directly link the city section with where the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy Volunteers section begins.

The Topeka City Council must approve this Landon Trail Project. It is already engineered, so the funds will go toward construction. It will make the Landon one of the most important public recreational trails in the midwest.

The Landon will connect and be open to the Clinton Lake Wildlife Area and Wakarusa River this fall. Volunteers are making progress weekly.

We need you to telephone and email each Topeka City Council member and ask them to support this project. It will greatly enhance Topeka and northeast Kansas. It will pump money directly into our local construction economy and result in a facility which will be visited by many many people.

To email or phone the city council go to their site at Topeka.org and go to the link for city council. The item comes up tomorrow night, Tuesday August 17th at about 5pm. Please attend if possible to show your support.

If you or your organization would like to have someone speak in support of the trail you should call the City Clerk by 5PM on Tuesday to put your name on the list. You don’t have to say a lot. Just saying you support it, helps.

Pass this on to other trail supporters and ask their help also. It is a win-win for all of us.

Thanks,
John Purvis,
Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy
785-263-9994

Click here to view!
http://wibw.videogenesis.net/watch?v=10764

The following was prepared by Fitzgerald in advance for the interview, but time goes fast – so not all of it was addressed.

What is a community bicycle workshop?

we’re a completely volunteer-run learning and workspace in downtown where people can use our shop stands and tools to repair their bicycles, to learn about bicycle repair, and to talk about cycling.

What is earn-a-bike?

e-a-b is a program where anyone can earn a bike by volunteering 10 hours down at the shop (sorting parts, cleaning tools, sweeping – general shop duties) at which point they can pick out one of the donated bicycles and then work with a shop mechanic to refurbish the bicycle, learning bicycle repair along the way. once completed, they will have earned a bike and learned bicycle repair. the individual makes an investment in the shop by volunteering and then the shop makes an investment in that individual to teach them how to maintain their bike.

How can people get involved (volunteer)?

stop down at the shop during “open shop” on thursdays from 5pm to 7pm and saturdays from 10am – 1pm and let the shop “greeter” know you are there to volunteer. we generally have projects that we’re working on, but sometimes it’s just a chance to meet other volunteers and build community.

What types of donations can you use?

we can use all kinds of things down there. the community has been great in donating bikes – over 300 to date – of which we’ve sent dozens of refurbished bikes back into the community. we can continue to receive bicycles in any state (bikes that can not be salvaged for earn-a-bike are used as donor bikes to provide parts to earn a bikes). we could use some storage solutions. if people have metal filing cabinets or metal or plastic shelving units we can use those. parts bins, storage bins, and the like are also useful. we have a donate page at cycleproject.org/donate that lists in more detail some of the items that we can continue to put to good use including tools, shop storage, and miscellaneous items. financial contributions are always welcome as well. it takes on average approximately $10 per bicycle in parts, grease, and other consumables that we can’t salvage from other donor bikes to refurbish an earn-a-bike. people can go to the website to donate online or get our po box where they can send financial contributions.

How is cycling in Topeka?

it’s great riding bike in topeka. there are great trails and several great routes that can effectively get a person across town without having to deal with too much traffic. the most important thing to remind your viewers is that bicyclists are encouraged to ride on the road, have a legal right to be there, and that drivers should give at least three to four feet, ideally getting over a lane, when passing cyclists. if you’re driving on a road and you see a cyclist, give them space when passing, don’t crowd them and appreciate that there’s one less car on the road which translates to less traffic congestion overall. when it comes to collisions between bikes and cars, bikes always lose. if you’re driving please be aware of cyclists, yield the right of way, and get to where you’re going safely.

SHOP HOURS
Thursdays 5pm – 7pm
Saturdays 10am – 1pm

Once we get overhead lights installed we’ll expand our Thursday hours. Donations are accepted any time the shop is open. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here: http://bit.ly/d6cADg