KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Leawood City Council, after hearing testimony from dozens of residents, voted Monday night meeting for a six-month test period to study the effects of lowering the speed limit on a section of Lee Boulevard to 30 miles per hour.
The vote for the six-month study on lowering the speed limit was part of several roadway safety initiatives the council approved Monday night.
Councilman Alan Sunkel proposed the lower speed limit. The speed limit will be lowered on Lee Boulevard from W. 81st Street to W. 103rd Street. The speed limit in that stretch of roadway had been 35 mph.
Residents who live and drive along Lee Boulevard from West 81st Street to 103rd Street shared their concerns Sunday with KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne.
Ledonne reported the proposal comes after five pedestrian crashes have happened on Lee Boulevard in the last six years, including a crash that took the life of a 10-year-old boy in October.
On Wednesday, message boards will be up along Lee Boulevard to notify drivers of the imminent change in the speed limit, according to a news release from the city.
The city's public works crews will put up the 30 mph speed limit signs on Friday morning.
The project along the 83rd Street corridor received approval from the council for updates to improvement plans, the city's news release states. Updates include wider sidewalks, pedestrian-friendly signal upgrades and work on design features "to improve safety and comfort" for people who walk or bike along the corridor.
“City staff were agile in working creatively and efficiently to adjust the scope of the 83rd Street project in direct response to public feedback, ensuring the final design better reflects community priorities while still advancing critical safety improvements,” Mayor Marc Elkins stated in the city's news release.
The council also approved installing a new traffic signal at Pawnee Lane to help improve safety for parents, students, teachers and staff at Broookwood Elementary School.
The signal will show an "all stop'' message to make it easier to cross W. 103rd Street near the school.
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