Leawood outlines interim safety measures, enforcement results for 83rd Street near schools

City public works staff reported interim safety measures on 83rd Street to address resident concerns about school-zone safety. Public works manager Mr. Lay said crews repaired sidewalks adjacent to curb inlets to remove trip hazards and that, weather permitting, crews will stripe a 3-foot white edge line east- and westbound to narrow lanes and move vehicles away from pedestrians. Staff said the lane narrowing is coordinated with Prairie Village and that further design work is proceeding on a 2026 project for more permanent improvements.

Police Chief Brad Robbins said recent targeted enforcement produced substantial results: during one morning deployment in the school zone, a motorcycle unit logged about 16 stops and more than 30 violations — many for speed, license and insurance issues — with speed accounting for roughly half of the citations. Chief Robbins described the enforcement work as responsive to residents’ concerns and said the department will retake speed and volume measurements after interim striping to check for impact on speeds.

Council members thanked staff for repairs, enforcement and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions. The governing body accepted the public works report.

Next steps: staff will schedule striping when weather permits, place traffic counters to measure speed and volume before and after the striping, coordinate with Prairie Village, and continue targeted enforcement.