Kansas City to change selected traffic lights to stop signs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Some residents in Kansas City will see changes coming to their neighborhoods. City crews are replacing stoplights with stop signs in more than three dozen locations.

According to the Public Works Department, the change is coming because there has been a significant change in traffic patterns at the intersections. The department said traffic has decreased in the areas affected.

A spokesperson for the department said the four-way stops with stop signs are safer than lights, because drivers who wait too long at signals can become desensitized to lights and will often disobey the traffic laws.

According to the department, motorists will just run the light rather than wait for the signal to turn green. They said the studies are done every three years to make sure traffic lights are still in compliance with federal standards.

The department plans to change 37 lights in total.

The map below shows each intersection scheduled for changes.

View Intersections recommended for stoplight removal and added stop signs in a larger map