Lane changes are coming next year to a section of 103rd Street that Leawood parents say is dangerous for children walking or biking to Brookwood Elementary School.
The Leawood City Council on Monday approved a plan to convert a section near the school to three lanes from four and to continue looking into the possibility of an upgraded crossing signal at the school.
The city council unanimously accepted the proposal from the public works committee for work that would begin next spring.
“While this may not be as convenient and expeditious for drivers on 103rd I think this will greatly improve the safety of the children,” walking to school, said Councilmember Mary Larson.
Street safety has been on the minds of many parents, who for months have told councilmembers that the protections along some of Leawood’s major roads are inadequate to protect pedestrians, bicycle and scooter riders. Parents recently packed a city council session to relate stories of close calls and of children who have been hit on 103rd and other streets.
Their requests became more urgent after Duke Ommert, 10, died after a crash between his e-scooter and a car in October on Lee Boulevard.
What will the changes look like?
The changes to 103rd Street are coming after weeks of public input and study by traffic engineers, city staff.
The street is currently a four-lane with no separation between sidewalks and the curbs. The plan approved by the city council would change the configuration on the part of the street from Pawnee Lane to Sagamore Road. It would keep an outside lane in each direction and create a left-turning lane down the middle. That would allow space for a 4-foot bike lane on each side, which would also create separation between vehicle traffic and the sidewalks, said Addison Miller, traffic engineer for Affinis, the company advising the city.
Engineers and staff will also continue to look into upgrading the pedestrian crossing at the elementary school, as many parents have suggested. The current signal is a constantly flashing yellow Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon. The upgrade would change it to a High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) signal, which changes to red to stop drivers when a button is pushed.
The plan does not call for widening the street. Miller said the change should not increase congestion because the left turn lane will allow those drivers to get out of the way of non-turners. Rear-end collisions with left-turning cars has been a common crash pattern on the road, he said.
Councilmembers also asked that ample signs and messages go out to the public far in advance of the lane changes.
