Parents urge faster pedestrian-safety fixes after child killed on Leawood streets

Several Leawood residents told the City Council on Nov. 3 that short-term street changes are needed now — not years from now — to prevent more injuries and deaths.

“I am here as a parent and neighbor who deeply cares about the safety of our community,” said Emma Herwig, who described near-misses at the crosswalk at 80 Third and Mission where her family crosses with a crossing guard. “We need quick, realistic changes to slow traffic down and to make our sidewalks and crossings safer.”

Why it matters: Multiple speakers described children and families who walk and bike to Corinth Elementary and other neighborhood destinations; some recounted crashes or close calls. Monica Omert, who identified herself as the mother of a child killed in a crosswalk on Oct. 13, asked the council to commission a formal city analysis of…