Skip the yack--go to the maps:
It is possible to cycle from La Benita Park on the Missouri River all the way to Longview Lake--a distance of over 40 miles--entirely on roads comfortable to cyclists who can tolerate only the lightest traffic. It may not be the fastest, least hilly, or most direct route--but it can be done!
It is possible to cycle from Truman Medical Center East in Lee's Summit all the way to Research Medical Center in Kansas City--a distance of about 15 miles--using entirely cycle-friendly roads.
It is also possible to cycle to most all shopping areas and business districts in Jackson County, using mostly or only calm neighborhood streets. Experienced vehicular cyclists will likely prefer to stick to higher traffic routes that are faster and more direct. The possibility of getting lost is much lower if one needn't consult a map every few blocks. But even the most timid cyclist can get there, if the cyclist doesn't mind a little map-reading and an interesting detour of a few miles.
In fact, most all of the streets and roads in Jackson County can be safely ridden by experienced vehicular cyclists. The purpose of this map, however, is to indicate routes that will be enjoyable and comfortable for cyclists who are most comfortable on low-traffic neighborhood streets.
If you examine the map you can see that there are many possible alternative routes besides the ones I have indicated. The purpose of this map is to show a network of interconnecting through routes on "easy" streets.
I live in Raytown, so the most detailed routes are in that area. But the map covers Independence, Raytown, Grandview, parts of Lee's Summit, and most of Kansas City, MO, south of the river.
I have personally cycled most all of the routes indicated on the map. The route ratings reflect my own experience, judgement, and memory of the routes involved.
As a novice cyclist myself, I felt very comfortable on Green Routes and pretty comfortable on Light Blue Routes. I felt quite uncomfortable on Dark Blue Routes.
Typically on these routes, you need only ride a few hundred feet on Dark Blue routes. If you don't feel confident riding these streets, you can always dismount and walk the short distances involved.