Stoplights removed at Johnson County crossing. 10 crashes later, it’ll get stop signs
An Overland Park intersection near a busy shopping area has seen 10 crashes since the city removed the traffic signals there.
That many crashes in a matter of months is unusual at 91st and Glenwood streets, which saw two crashes in 2018 and three in 2019. Some neighbors said the decision to remove the stoplights was a dangerous one. And they’ve called for the signals to be reinstalled.
“This gamble with public safety needs to come to an end,” City Councilman Faris Farassati said. He was one of two to vote against removing the signals.
With the latest crash earlier this month, city officials said they will now place four stop signs at the intersection.
“We are constantly evaluating intersection safety,” City Traffic Engineer Brian Shields said in a news release. “Over two million vehicles have successfully passed through this intersection since the signal was deactivated, not counting the 10 drivers that caused crashes. Although circumstances for several crashes can be explained, we’re taking a holistic approach to ensure the safety of all drivers.”
But some worry a four-way stop won’t be enough.
Donna Palatas, who lives a couple of blocks from the intersection, has been fighting for months to have the lights restored. She said with new businesses opening in the area, stoplights should return.
“Since a trail project is also planned for the 91st and Glenwood area, trail walkers will need a walk signal such as provided by standard traffic lights, to help trail walkers in safely crossing the street and in enjoying the trail,” she said.
City engineers have been monitoring the traffic volume at the intersection for years, staff said, knowing that the lights were reaching the end of their lifespan. They said traffic there is light enough. They also wanted to make way for a new bike and pedestrian trail along 91st Street.
In October, the city began phasing out the lights. First, the intersection changed to a two-way stop with flashing yellow lights overhead for east-west traffic and flashing red lights for north-south traffic.
Then the City Council voted 10-2 in March to remove the signals at both the Glenwood intersection as well as at 91st and Lamar Avenue.
The intersection became a two-way stop, with stop signs for north and southbound traffic on Glenwood. East and westbound traffic on 91st Street does not stop.
Palatas has been documenting almost all of the crashes near her home. And her Change.org petition fighting for the traffic signals to stay has gained more than 300 signatures.
She has argued that so many vehicles cut through the intersection, to get to and from Walmart and other major retailers on Metcalf Avenue, that it is unsafe without a stoplight. City staff determined that 9,000 vehicles travel on 91st Street through that intersection each day, and 2,700 pass through on Glenwood.
Out of the 10 crashes there since October, five resulted in injuries, according to police. One of those was the result of a driver losing control after hitting ice, officials said.
City officials said Wednesday that they will turn the intersection into a four-way stop, with solar-powered LED lights on the stop signs. Officials expect the signs to be installed in mid-July, according to the release.
