Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has put forward a new ordinance that aims to make it safer for students who walk or bike to school. Ordinance 250927 would make it illegal to turn right on red lights in school zones when the speed limit is in effect.
The plan comes after the terrible loss of nine-year-old Hazen Nevaeh Lyn Workman-Duffy, who was hit and killed in a school zone earlier this year. The event raised a lot of concerns about how drivers act around schools and brought back calls for more safety measures for kids going to and from school.
The new measure is in line with the city’s Vision Zero plan, which aims to stop all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on Kansas City roadways, according to Mayor Lucas.
“We have a fundamental responsibility to protect anyone who travels on our streets, especially our children,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas. “Every parent should feel confident that their child can safely walk or bike to school. The ordinance will keep our children safe by eliminating one of the most dangerous conflict points between vehicles and students during the busiest times of the school day.”
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The proposal would make it illegal to turn right on red lights in certain school zones when the speed limit is in effect. The ordinance also says that new signs must be put up at all impacted intersections within 180 days to make sure drivers know about the restriction. Schools that have trouble with logistics during drop-off or pick-up can ask for exclusions through a formal waiver process.
The City Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, and Operations Committee looked at the ordinance on Tuesday, October 28. The full City Council will look at the legislation on Thursday, October 30..
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City leaders argue that this regulation is an important step toward lowering the number of accidents between cars and pedestrians, especially young students who are among of the most at-risk people on the road. The law aims to make school routes safer and encourage more responsible driving in places where it counts most by focusing on a frequent risk: cars turning right on red while people are crossing the street.
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If the ordinance is passed, it will be another step forward in Kansas City’s larger goal of making the streets safer through engineering, education, and enforcement. For Mayor Lucas, it’s also a reminder that every decision on traffic safety has actual effects on people and that keeping kids safe is still one of the city’s top objectives.
