If you want to see how policy can shape safer streets, just follow the work of Michael Kelley, the Policy Director for BikeWalk Kansas City (BikeWalkKC). In his role, he has been an instrumental figure behind the organization’s efforts to make walking, biking, rolling, and public transit safe and more accessible across the Kansas City region and beyond. He’s worked on efforts to develop a Complete Streets policy template based on national best practices that works to explicitly integrate equity throughout the Complete Streets process. That template has since helped cities across Missouri adopt some of the strongest Complete Streets policies in the country. Michael also played a key role in the movement to decriminalize jaywalking and other low-level offenses in Kansas City—a push that not only changed local laws but also inspired other cities, like Denver, to follow suit. His work continues to serve as a blueprint for communities striving to build streets that work for everyone.
We are excited and honored to learn from Michael and appreciate him taking the time to share more about his work and his lessons learned in advancing safe AND equitable streets.
Vision Zero Network: You’ve been deeply involved in shaping policies like Kansas City’s Complete Streets ordinance and legislation decriminalizing mobility. How do you keep equity centered within this context of mobility and roadway safety planning, especially when this is being discouraged at the federal level?
Michael Kelley: Beginning with the important acknowledgement that we’re still trying to figure this out ourselves, I think it’s critical to let the data tell the story. Even if the administration says we can’t talk about equity, the data will speak (and it will speak clearly). That provides a key advantage at the state and local level, especially in the aftermath of a crash. We can still use existing data to prompt action on our most dangerous streets. The way we talk about mobility and roadway safety planning will likely change, but the clear indications of where we need to invest won’t change, and it’s our job to make that clear for staff and elected officials.
Michael Kelley (right) talking with a resident (left) during a walk audit in Kansas City.
Vision Zero Network: What advice would you give to others working to keep equity front and center?
Michael Kelley: Be explicit about having an expansive definition of what equity means. When it comes to transportation, I think there’s a misconception that equity narrows who or what we should focus on. Equity, when truly embraced, recognizes and brings into the fold people and modes that have historically been confined to the margins. If you’re really about equity, you can’t say “except for cyclists” or “except for scooter users”; an equitable transportation system has to work better for everyone.
Vision Zero Network: What lessons have you learned from advocating for vulnerable road users that could help advocates working to advance Vision Zero in other communities?
Michael Kelley: I think it’s important to recognize (especially under the current administration and broader political climate) the importance of making a strong economic argument. I firmly believe that the work of advocating for vulnerable road users is “bikepartisan”, meaning that everyone should be able to get behind the idea of creating safer streets, regardless of your political affiliation. That’s especially important for advocates like me in more conservative states where decision makers often ask questions about how a sidewalk or a bike lane will impact the bottom line. The economic piece, presented effectively, can bring more folks of different political stripes to the defense of our priorities; it also serves as a map for deeper connections and more lasting improvements beyond the next four years.
Vision Zero Network: You’ve helped cultivate advocate coalitions. Can you share an example of a collaborative effort you’re most proud of? What made that collaboration effective, and how did it contribute to real progress on the ground?
Michael Kelley: One of the suburbs on the Kansas side of the metro, Fairway, had a pedestrian tunnel under a major thoroughfare that had fallen into disrepair. A council member from Fairway reached out and asked if we could build enough community support to keep it from being closed. So we worked to spread the word with residents, businesses, school children/parents and the Kansas Department of Transportation to show support for the project. At the next meeting, the City Council experienced their highest turnout for public comment in over two decades -- and ultimately voted to allocate funding to preserve the tunnel.
Vision Zero Network: What’s a project or policy change you’re especially excited about right now—either in Kansas City or beyond?
Michael Kelley: One project we’re working on now with our Missouri partners is pushing the state to develop a statewide active transportation plan. The Show-Me State is one of just four states in the country that has never developed such a plan, and we believe it’s a big reason why they’ve seen an increase in pedestrian fatalities. It’s an exciting project because it’s a chance to work with our partners across the state (in Columbia, St. Louis, Springfield, and elsewhere), and because we’ve really been able to use this lack of a plan to force a bigger conversation within the Missouri Department of Transportation about what it means to create a safer, more equitable transportation system. There’s real energy that is generated from being able to speak truth to power that way.
Check out BikeWalkKC's guide, Taking on Traffic Laws, which serves as a tool and road map for other groups and communities to use as they advocate for a safe mobility environment for Black and Brown travelers.
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