By Ric Anderson for the Topeka Capital-Journal
There were a lot of things I loved about moving from Lawrence to Topeka, including being able to hang out at a nightspot after 8 p.m. without feeling like Kirk Douglas at a Justin Bieber concert.
But I never would have imagined that Topeka would become a bicyclist’s paradise.
Oh, I can hear the cycling snoots now.
“You stupeed leetle man, you call zees a paradise? Why, zhere are not even biceecle lanes on zee streets, just some trails zat zee cycleests must share weeth — ack! — walkairs and runnairs.”
What, you didn’t know that all cycling snoots had French accents? It’s true.
But I digress. Despite what hardcore cyclists might tell you, what Topeka has done with its trail system is nothing short of remarkable for regular-Joe bicycle riders like me. I went out Saturday to ride both the Shunga, Landon and Curtis trails, and I ended up being gone for about two hours.
If you haven’t been on the Landon Trail lately, you should know the paved portion now extends nearly to S.W. 37th Street. If you want to get a little adventurous and don’t mind riding on some bumpy surfaces, you can make it just south of S.W. 45th Street before coming to a bridge that, in my layman’s opinion, didn’t look safe to cross.
The Shunga Trail has been extended to east of S.E. Golden Avenue.
Quietly but persistently, the city of Topeka has created a community jewel with the trail system.
Granted, the fiscal hawks in the community probably see it as a testament to wasteful spending, but those of us who don’t mind directing tax dollars to projects that improve the quality of life will find a lot to like. Compared to some other recreational or infrastructure upgrades — aquatic centers, downtown clock towers and such — it seems like a pretty cheap way to make the community more attractive.
True, Topeka’s no Boulder, Colo., where there are bicycle lanes on practically every public street, and it’s not even Lawrence in that respect. I know there are proponents of adding a lot more bike lanes to the city’s roads, which was one of the key components of the Complete Streets push a couple of years ago.
I’m neither a strong opponent nor supporter of bike lanes. If they can be added with limited expense, I wouldn’t squawk. And by the way, I know that not everybody who supports bike lanes is a cycling snoot. I was exaggerating with the whole French accent thing.
But as a recreational cyclist, I’m more than happy with what we’ve got. There hasn’t been much fanfare, but the trail construction project has been a success worth celebrating.
And you just got started on the Landon Trail. That spooky little bridge just south of 45th can be easily walked while carrying your bike. That opens up the rest of Landon which us country folk use, all the way to 89th & Ratner (close to our home). The wife and I can catch Landon there, peddle up to the Landon/Shunga Round-about (a neat feature in itself!) and head west to catch a cup of coffee at World Cup at Washburn. We’ve traveled all of both trails and find them to be hidden treasures from a recreational biker’s perspective.