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Council leans toward permanent traffic-calming package for Buena Vista, including traffic circle and raised crosswalk
Summary
At a June 2 workshop the Roeland Park council and staff reviewed options for traffic calming on Buena Vista. Staff presented several permanent and temporary packages; council favored a permanent solution with a traffic circle at 53rd and a raised pedestrian crosswalk near 50th/51st, with estimated cost in the ~$271k–$305k range depending on option.
Roeland Park council members and staff spent the June 2 workshop examining alternatives to slow traffic on Buena Vista Drive, with a consultant and staff presenting three principal packages combining speed cushions/tables, temporary devices and a permanent traffic circle. Staff recommended considering a raised pedestrian crossing near the 50th/51st intersection to improve school crossing visibility; that alternative carried an incremental cost in staff estimates.
Consultant Miss Slayton presented Option 1 (mix of two speed cushions, two speed tables and one traffic circle) and Options 2–3 (combinations of four or five permanent or temporary tables plus the traffic circle). Staff explained the major cost driver is the traffic circle construction, which requires curb modification and drainage work; the circle accounts for most of the difference between package prices. Updated estimates presented during the workshop put options in the approximate range of $245,360.50 (temporary tables with permanent circle) to about $305,000 for permanent tables plus a raised crosswalk and circle, depending on final scope.
Council members asked about emergency vehicle access and ADA compliance (whether cushioning cutouts are required adjacent to crossings), the spacing between traffic-calming elements, lifespan of temporary devices (a referenced example lasted seven years), and the tradeoffs between temporary devices and permanent pavement-built elements. Staff noted the raised pedestrian crossing would need to be designed without cutouts if it is placed at a crosswalk to remain ADA compliant.
After deliberation and a series of thumbs-up/thumbs-down preferences, the council signaled support for the permanent solution that includes the traffic circle at the south end of the corridor and a raised crosswalk at the northern end, and also asked staff to consider adding a painted crosswalk afterward if needed. Staff and council discussed using temporary devices first on other streets to gather additional data before committing to permanent installations.
Next steps: staff will provide clear cost spreadsheets and final option descriptions for council consideration and will communicate with neighborhood stakeholders about design choices and timing.
