Trek Biker from St. Joseph, MO on 7/16/2007 2:41:32 PM:
Response to my email to MODOT to clarify this issue a time back resulted in the following:
Hello ………,
The current southbound bridge was originally designed to accommodate pedestrian traffic and included two sidewalks. Those were later removed to provide space for an additional travel lane. When the northbound bridge was constructed, two five-foot shoulders were included. These were later reconfigured as a seven-foot outside shoulder and a three-foot inside shoulder to provide space for bicyclists to ride north on the seven-foot part.
See State Statute 307.191 regarding bicyclists riding against traffic in the travel lane and on the adjacent shoulder...
It reads as follows:
307.191. Shoulder Riding, Allowed But Not Required For Bicyclist Operators(1) A person operating a bicycle at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic upon a street or highway may operate as described in section 307.190, or may operate on the shoulder adjacent to the roadway. (2) A bicycle operated on a roadway, or the shoulder adjacent to a roadway, shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to be driven upon the roadway. (3) For purposes of this section and section 307.190, “roadway,” means that portion of a street or highway ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder.
There is currently local effort to construct a separate bridge attachment along the northbound bridge to accommodate for two-way bicycle and pedestrian travel across the river.
Caryn Giarratano, Ph.D.
Transportation Planning Specialist
State Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Coordinator 573-522-9297, caryn.giarratano@modot.mo.gov POB 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0270