KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Share your story idea with Daniela.
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Families along W. 103rd Street in Leawood will see major changes starting this spring as the city works to ease traffic and add a layer of safety for the nearby Brookwood Elementary School.
"It's very busy and loud," Brookwood parent Betsy Kersten said.
Kersten walks her children to school as part of the family’s morning routine, and part of their walk includes crossing 103rd Street. Before the school bell rings, walkers, bikers, and scooter riders are in constant motion along the sidewalks, while an endless queue of cars waits to drop off students.
For Kersten, the chaos is hard to ignore, and she admits she often finds herself on edge as she drops off her children at the front entrance of the school.”
"I'm constantly having to corral my kids and make sure that they're on the other side of me," Kersten said.
It’s a problem Leawood leaders have been trying to tackle for years. They've engaged in meetings with the community to find solutions to make streets safer.
"Pedestrian safety and the safety of both our drivers and our walkers is a priority for the city, and so it's something we've been looking at since back in 2023," Leawood Mayor Marc Elkins says. "We had a series of meetings with the school, residents, with drivers to figure out the best way to collaborate together to improve the safety."
In December, the Leawood City Council passed an ordinance, known as the 103rd Street Project, that they hope will lead to improvements.
The goal is to reduce 103rd Street between Pawnee and Sagamore from four lanes to three — with one travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane to help calm traffic.
Bike lanes on both sides of the road will also be added to enhance safety for cyclists and create a larger buffer for pedestrians.
Sidewalks are slated to be widened to eight feet between Pawnee and Wenoga, with ADA ramps installed along the corridor.
Pedestrian signals will be upgraded to a high-intensity activated crosswalk, known as a HAWK Pedestrian Signal, which aims to increase driver awareness and provide a safer crossing experience for pedestrians — especially near the school.
The changes will require an adjustment by drivers who use the road, especially during rush hour.
“We have to care more about lives and safety than getting somewhere fast," Kersten says.
According to a records request from the Leawood Police Department, between 2023 to 2025, there were nearly 20 reported crashes along the stretch of 103rd Street. None of those crashes involved a pedestrian, but some did result in injuries. The majority were nearly rear-end crashes.
Weeks before the approval of the 103rd Street project, parents and students from across Leawood voiced concerns about the streets surrounding other schools in the city, like Corinth Elementary.
The effort gained traction following the death of 10-year-old Duke Ommert, who was riding his e-scooter and was hit by a car, less than half a mile from Brookwood Elementary.
Leawood's mayor says city leaders were already working on the 103rd Street project before Duke was killed.
"The project was in process and had been approved by our public works commission before the tragic accident, but it certainly heightened everybody's concern and served as an impetus to move us along more quickly," said Elkin.
According to a spokesperson with the city of Leawood, the project is expected to cost about $2.8 million, and that price tag could go up if a new traffic signal is added at Pawnee and sidewalks west of Pawnee are rebuilt, where they currently run right up against the curb. Those plans are still waiting on review by the Public Works Committee.
Thanks to resident feedback, the city is also working to improve W. 83rd Street from State Line Road to the western city limits. The project will replace pavement, curbs, and gutters, and add a new traffic signal at State Line Road. Plans also call for narrowing the road to make room for wider sidewalks, more space between pedestrians and traffic, and safer crossings. Work is set to begin this spring.
On W. 83rd Street, early improvements are already in place after residents raised concerns about trip hazards and traffic running close to sidewalks. In December, crews painted a new white line to narrow travel lanes to 11 feet. Public Works is monitoring traffic speeds to measure the impact
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