Overview
- The KC metro has seen a number of high profile crashes in recent months involving young children.
- In response, KCMO adopted an ordinance banning right turn on red (RTOR) in school zones.
- BikeWalkKC pushed for better language that aligns with our efforts to make streets safer for e-bike and scooter users.
In recent months, the Kansas City metro has witnessed a number of high-profile crashes involving young people. Hazen Workman-Duffy, a 9-year-old girl, was struck and killed while riding her bike to Ingels Elementary School in south KCMO. Duke Ommert, a 10-year-old boy, was struck and killed while riding his scooter in Leawood. BikeWalkKC wishes to extend our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the victims. We held a moment of silence for them and other victims of traffic violence during our rally in observance of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
The tragedies prompted Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas to introduce Ordinance 250927, which bans right turn on red (RTOR) in school zones throughout the city. While BikeWalkKC supported the ordinance, we urged the City Council to include language to ensure that every school in the city could benefit from this legislation. We were prompted to make this push after learning that a number of schools, including Guadalupe Centers High School on The Paseo, had been denied school zone designations in the past despite being located along a portion of KCMO’s High Injury Network.
BikeWalkKC’s efforts were successful in strengthening the ordinance in committee. We were bolstered in these efforts by the testimony of one of our participants from the Community Transportation Academy, Russell Dorn! Russell and his mother, Carla, made the trek to City Hall so that Russell could share more about the challenges he faces with walking and biking to school. The council members in attendance were moved by Russell’s words, and Mayor Lucas even posed for a picture with Russell after the meeting.
The amended ordinance was then adopted by the full City Council. Here’s what the updated legislation does:
- Bans RTOR in school zones across KCMO
- Clarifies how school zones are established in KCMO
- Establishes a tier system for sign placement in school zones
- Allocates $40,000 for implementation of the ordinance and public engagement
While this ordinance is a good step in the right direction, BikeWalkKC remains steadfast in our position that the best way to protect children walking and biking to school is with safer infrastructure. Our recent blog post elaborates on this position more and identifies key steps that parents, school districts, and communities can take to create a safer environment for everyone.
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