Fairway council approves county CARS plan, removes West 53rd crosswalk after traffic study; residents press for interim safety steps

The Fairway City Council voted unanimously March 9 to approve resolution 20 26 a, adopting the county CARS five‑year plan for 2027–2031 and removing the West 53rd Street crosswalk project from the CARS list in favor of the Mission Road rehabilitation project. Council Member Kellyanne Busick moved approval; the motion was seconded and passed on a unanimous voice vote (the transcript records the result as "passes unanimously" but does not include a roll‑call tally).

The vote followed a presentation by Burns & McDonnell traffic engineers, who said standard MUTCD/METCD warrants for a traffic signal, pedestrian hybrid beacon and school‑crossing signal were not met at Canterbury and W. 53rd Street. Phil Herman, the lead traffic engineer, told the council the study found low pedestrian counts (about three children observed in the morning peak and four adults in the afternoon peak during the study week), 85th‑percentile vehicle speeds around 30–34 mph, and three crashes in a five‑year review window. "We went through the traffic signal warrants and the ... the signal warrants weren't met," Herman said during his presentation.

The study also found an RRFB (rectangular rapid‑flashing beacon) would require marked crossing infrastructure, warning signs and ADA‑compliant ramps on the south side of 53rd that do not currently exist. Herman said an extension of the school‑zone speed limit would not, under current MUTCD guidance, reach the intersection as configured. He and staff noted the data were collected as a limited snapshot (a week of counts and speed data) and said follow‑up study could be warranted if infrastructure changes were installed.

Residents who spoke at length urged the council to take action beyond the engineering warrants. Brandon Newell, whose two children were struck while crossing near Saint Agnes on Jan. 29, 2025, said he and neighbors collected a petition with more than 117 Fairway signatures (more than 200 including adjacent cities) supporting sidewalk and crosswalk work. "Our children were hit by a car trying to cross that street because there is no other way to get to school or back," Newell said.

Cassandra Newell, a pediatric nurse practitioner and parent of two children who were hit in the crash, cited a U.S. Department of Transportation statistic and urged the council to fund sidewalks and crossings: "Sidewalks can reduce pedestrian crashes by 65 to 89 percent," she said.

Several speakers asked the council to explore interim, low‑cost measures while longer projects are planned. Council Member Kellyanne Busick proposed a set of intermediate steps to mitigate risk, including lowering the posted speed limit (she recommended 20 mph, or at least 25 mph), pavement markings saying SLOW, temporary tall cones or signs at crossings, targeted enforcement, and adding bike‑lane markings or lane‑striping to create a visual narrowing of the roadway. "A reduced speed limit from 30 miles an hour to 25, but preferably to 20 miles an hour," Busick said, listing the options she would like staff to pursue with neighboring jurisdictions.

Council members and staff emphasized cross‑jurisdiction coordination: the police chief clarified that Fairway owns the south side of W. 53rd Street while Roland Park owns the north side near the school and Westwood controls the eastbound approach, so any speed‑limit or lane changes will require cooperation with adjoining cities. Roland Park council member Jan Fadelig told the meeting her city would be willing to cooperate and could assist with cost and installation, but cautioned that a crosswalk must have a safe landing place (sidewalk) on both sides.

Mayor Heffley and council members said removing the crosswalk from the CARS funding request does not end work on the safety issue. Lee Story (Ward 1) and other council members pledged to continue advocacy and to pursue both short‑term and long‑term measures. The council instructed staff to submit the county paperwork required for the approved CARS plan (a county reimbursement program) and to continue discussions about interim safety improvements and intercity coordination.

What happens next: resolution 20 26 a was approved and staff are authorized to file required CARS documents. Council members said they will pursue intermediate safety measures, discuss interjurisdictional options with Roland Park and Westwood, and consider additional study or infrastructure work if pedestrian demand or funding changes.

Votes at a glance: the consent agenda (items A–E) and resolution 20 26 a were both approved on voice votes reported as unanimous in the transcript; the record does not include a roll‑call tally.