KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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The Leawood City Council will meet Monday night to discuss solutions aimed at making streets safer for pedestrians.
The effort comes with renewed urgency after 10-year-old Duke Ommert was killed while riding his e-scooter near Lee Boulevard and W. 103rd Street in October. His death has prompted parents and city officials to accelerate discussions about pedestrian safety improvements throughout the city.
"We know that we could be better. We know that we could be safer," said Jaclyn Penn, a Leawood parent and member of the city's Bike/Walk Committee. "Unfortunately, it's taken tragedy to bring this to the forefront of the conversation."
Penn and other committee members are advocating for pedestrian improvements across the city, with a particular focus on school zones and the busy 83rd Street corridor.
"We want to try and maximize the pedestrian safety that's on that project. But we also want them to address all school zones," Penn said.
The City Council already had a project in place to make improvements to 83rd Street. The Monday night meeting will focus on additional suggestions for 83rd Street improvements, an area known for heavy traffic that poses challenges for pedestrians.
"The tragic death of Duke Ommert has just brought a heightened public awareness to all this," said Ward 1 Councilmember Alan Sunkel.
Sunkel said widening city sidewalks near 83rd Street is now a major focus for the council, but he emphasized conversations aren't stopping there.
"While we're talking about 83rd Street, specifically here, we are looking all over the city," he said.
Penn understands that infrastructure changes take time, but when it comes to protecting children, she believes immediate action is necessary.
"The e-bikes and the e-scooters are all new in the last 5 to 10 years; we don't know what's going to come out in the future," Penn said. "There's action and there's movement. But I want more."
Some parents also say they hope Monday's discussion marks the beginning of comprehensive safety improvements. They are calling for additional education programs, new city ordinances, and expanded infrastructure improvements to protect pedestrians throughout Leawood.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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