The City of Wichita is being recognized for its master downtown plan to improve bicycle and walking opportunities.
The Kansas Public Health Association named the Wichita as the 2015 Public Health Policy Maker of the Year for implementing master bicycle and pedestrian walkway plans.
The city has completed the 1st and 2nd Street Bike Lanes Phase II project, about four miles of bike lanes and shared lane markings along 1st and 2nd Streets to provide a transportation connection to and through downtown.
"That really allows people to bike more, walk more in a safer environment and to really be able to use biking and walking as safe and alternative forms of not only recreation but also transportation," says the Kansas Public Health Association's Becky Tuttle.
She says the city was recognized because of its commitment to planning, policies and projects that improve conditions for walking and bicycling.
The improved bike lanes along 1st and 2nd Streets create a cross-town bikeway from Delano to Crown Heights.
The Wichita Bicycle Master Plan and "Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita" span ten years.
The city of Wichita will hold a ribbon-cutting event for the 1st and 2nd Street Bike Lanes at the Old Town Plaza at 6:00 p.m. Thursday.
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