Of course Kansas City drivers are bad. My neighbors and I see it every day | Opinion

Drivers in Kansas City well deserve the label of being some of the worst in the United States. Generalizations about speeding, use of cellphones, texting while driving and a disregard for pedestrians apply, but herd mentality nurtured by driving conditions add danger to distractions.

In my corner of Kansas City, my neighbors and I have a front-row seat to Southwest Trafficway, a six-lane expressway exit and entrance to Interstate 35. This vital route is one of the more convenient paths to and from the downtown loop. Since I’ve lived near Southwest Trafficway for most of my life, it is integral to my life, gives me easy access to Westport and the Country Club Plaza, and it provides a nearly nonstop route to the airport.

My concern is how it is designed from 31st Street to Westport Road. Drivers taking the Southwest Trafficway exit quickly learn they cannot turn east until they reach the Mill Street exit. No problem — they just turn left at 33rd, 35th or Valentine Road, with little or no concern about being ticketed. With practice, drivers learn to turn right at 34th Street so they can return to 33rd Street, or turn into the dead end 35th Street to turn around and legally go east or north when the light changes.

My big concern is the danger for pedestrians and homeowners is the narrow west side sidewalk from 34th Street to 36th street. My neighbors who live on the west side of the trafficway and those of us who live on 35th Street are fully aware of the dangers of this narrow sidewalk. The signage states that it is legal to park in the right lane all but two hours per day — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. However, drivers seem unaware of this, and often use the right lane as a passing lane well above the speed limit. Large trucks nearly rub the curb, and their extended mirrors add to the thrill to using this sidewalk. Unaware that parking is legal in this right lane, hostile drivers often honk at homeowners who dare to park or let off a passenger in front of their home. Many of these homeowners have lost cars to drivers who ram legally parked vehicles.

To make matters worse, the surgency of mobs of motorcycles and ATVs that roam the city distract drivers with their high speed and antics. Recently, my neighbor reported that motorcyclists have taken to the sidewalk to get past traffic stalled at the 35th Street light. This same neighbor was attempting to leave his short driveway and while paying attention to the traffic near that light, he nearly became a victim of sending one of these motorcyclists to the organ donor bank. And, to add to this concern, all who live on West 35th Street have a policy of waiting on green lights to ensure no one is running the stoplight. We have lost cars to these red light runners, and several of these wrecks have resulted in serious injuries.

I have little faith that drivers in Kansas City will be improving their hostile behavior in the near future. Therefore, I would like the city to reduce the south- and northbound lanes of Southwest Trafficway to two each direction. The right-hand lanes should be permanent parking lanes with guard curbs. Legal left turn lanes should be installed at 33rd and 35th streets.

It is a wonder a pedestrian has not been killed while walking on the sidewalks between Valentine Road to 31st Street. I continue to be vigilant to ensure it is not me.

George Baggett is a lifelong resident of Kansas City. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and founded Liquid Products, Inc. He served in the Vietnam War as a medic and is the author of the book “Youth In Asia,” which was one of three finalists for the 2007 Thorpe Menn Award, given by the American Association of University Women.