A traffic safety change is coming to school zones in Kansas City. Here’s why
The Kansas City Council has approved a code change prohibiting right turns on red near schools during hours when children could be present.
The code change was proposed following the death of a student who was hit by a vehicle while biking to school in south Kansas City last month. Hazen Workman-Duffy, 9, was a third-grader at Ingels Elementary school, and had been riding to school in a crosswalk when she was hit and killed Oct. 14.
The code changes approved by the council on Thursday prohibit right turns on red in school zones during school hours and requires the installation of signage at affected intersections. Schools can request waivers if the rule disrupts pick-ups or drop-offs.
The city said the ordinance change was a response to “growing concerns about pedestrian safety near schools and represents a significant step forward in the city’s commitment to Vision Zero — the goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on Kansas City streets.”
“Kids don’t need to die on the streets of Kansas City,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement. “Any loss of life for a young person, especially a young person going to school, deserves our full policy focus. The goal is that our young people, who are an important part of our roads, sidewalks, and trails, can be made as safe as possible as they navigate our city.”
Police said Workman-Duffy had been crossing in a crosswalk on a green light at the intersection of Longview Road and Food Lane on the morning she was hit. The van was traveling north on Food Lane and then turned west onto Longview Road when it struck her a short distance from Ingels Elementary.
In her obituary, family wrote that the girl was known for her hugs.
“She gave hugs to everyone she could, there was never a stranger,” they wrote. “She enjoyed riding her bike, swimming, coloring, crocheting, reading and spending time with her family and friends. She will be remembered for her passion for life, infectious laughter, compassionate spirit, and her smile could light up a room.”
This story contains previous reporting from The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee.
