This Crossroads corridor got a safety upgrade. See bike lanes, street parking
Cyclists and pedestrians now have a safer way to navigate Kansas City’s Crossroads with a new streetscape on Southwest Boulevard.
Kansas City’s Public Works Department was scheduled to host a ribbon cutting for the Southwest Boulevard road diet on Wednesday, June 3 at 3:30 p.m. at the parking lot to the east of Catalyst Barber Co. at 323 Southwest Boulevard.
The project aimed to decrease the number of crashes between Broadway and Grand boulevards on Southwest Boulevard and 19th Street.
On Wednesday, workers put finishing touches on crosswalk stripes. In the roadside planters, green sprouts poked up.
Now this stretch of corridor has one driving lane in each direction, along with a turn lane. Previously, vehicles could drive in two lanes in each direction. Cars can still park on both sides of the street.
The road diet added a 10-foot-wide two-way bike lane, protected by concrete curbs. In addition, crews repaved the street and added new striping and signs.
From 2015-2025, there were 76 crashes in the corridor, according to city data shared on the municipal website. The website reads, “By adding physical barriers and removing extra lanes, the redesign will also help discourage speeding and unnecessary passing, while improving overall safety for all users.”
Combined with recent upgrades on the West Side, the city completed almost a mile of new bike paths and pavement.
Ryan McMonigle, spokesperson for Kansas City’s public works department, told The Star in April, “City staff appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation and following various traffic control and dealing with the closures and detours and obstacles and everything.”
“But we’re hoping it’s all going to be worth it once everything opens up.”
This is one of the Kansas City Public Works projects finished in the months before the FIFA World Cup:
- 18th and Vine pedestrian mall and parking garage
- Grand Boulevard bike and pedestrian bridge
- 31st Street streetscape from Main to Gillham
- Westport green infrastructure project, paused for World Cup
