Starting in six months, Kansas City drivers will no longer be able to make right turns on red in school zones when speed limits are in effect.
The city council approved the traffic restrictions on Thursday in response to safety concerns after a driver hit and killed a child last month. Nine-year-old Hazen Workman-Duffy was riding her bike to school in south Kansas City when a driver fatally struck her.
Councilmember Darrell Curls, who said the girl was killed near his home, said the ordinance is a first step.
“This is something that is very important that we need to address in our city when it comes to the safety of our school children,” Curls said. “Unfortunately, it took a tragic incident for us to really pay attention to it, and that's really kind of sad on us, but we are addressing it.”
The ordinance requires signs forbidding right turns on red to be placed at all affected intersections within a year. They’ll be rolled out in tiers, first prioritizing elementary schools with documented safety concerns. The second tier will include the remaining elementary schools and middle schools with safety concerns.
The city will then address the rest of the middle schools, high schools with concerns and the remaining school zones. Schools will receive a 30 day notice before sign installation and can request exemptions if the restriction disrupts student pickup or drop-off.
The city council also funded public engagement to notify drivers about the changes.
Russell Dorn, a sixth grader in the Center School District, spoke in support of the ordinance at Tuesday's committee meeting.
“I live within walking distance of my elementary school, but I have never been allowed to walk to school by my parents or my school district because I would have to cross Holmes Road, a street that is on the city’s high injury network,” Russell said.
Russell said sections of the road also lack sidewalks or crosswalks, making it difficult for one of his friends who uses a wheelchair to plan a route to school.
He said banning right turns on red is a good start to make roads safer, but not all schools have designated school zones. The ordinance would also not help students with the rest of their route to school, Russell said.
“I would advocate for a more comprehensive look at transportation safety for kids to get to school,” Russell said. “Sidewalks, bike lanes, public transit and traffic engineering strategies to slow cars along streets surrounding schools could help.”
City staff said at Tuesday’s meeting that upcoming updates to the city's traffic engineering and operations manual may make it easier for schools to apply for school zone designations.
The ordinance notes that all schools can request school zone designations through the Department of Public Works. Councilman Nathan Willett said at Thursday’s meeting that starting last year, middle and high schools can also be a part of school zones.
Avery Jones, a community organizer with BikeWalkKC, said many schools have applied for school zone designations and been denied.
BikeWalkKC’s education team has been working with students and staff impacted by a recent string of traffic deaths and injuries.
A 10-year-old boy, Duke Ommert, was hit by a vehicle while on his scooter on Oct. 13 in Leawood. He later died from his injuries. A police investigation found Duke was wearing a helmet, and the driver’s actions were “not a contributing factor in the crash.”
Gladstone Elementary students received more than 400 bike helmets and traffic safety training after a second-grader was struck by a car, also while riding his scooter.
Jones requested that the ordinance apply to all schools.
“Whatever can make that process easier, or make a blanket, cover other schools, that will not only expand its reach, but lessen confusion for anyone who's confused on ‘where can I turn right?’ ‘Where can I not turn right?’” Jones said.
The Kansas City Council also passed a resolution on Thursday directing the city manager to issue a traffic control permit for St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School and close Walnut Street between East 40th Street and East 41st Street during school hours.
A total of 97 people were killed in traffic crashes last year, according to the Kansas City Police Department's annual report. Approximately 10% of them were 19 years old or younger. The report also shows that 1% of 2024 traffic fatalities were people riding a bicycle, and 19% were pedestrians.
