Drivers along Independence Avenue are reminded to watch for pedestrians. This billboard is located near Newton Avenue as drivers head west. | Photo by Dorri Partain

Dorri Partain

Managing Editor

Newly installed sidewalk decals at key intersections and billboard signs along high-traffic roadways ask Kansas City drivers to “Look Out for KC.” This initiative, sponsored by BikeWalkKC, is funded in part through a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and highlights “the role everyone plays to make roadways safer to navigate.”

Monday, May 12, a series of installed decals at the intersection of Independence and Gladstone Boulevards was unveiled during a media event hosted by BikeWalkKC. These decals, at the southwest crosswalk in front of Independence Boulevard Christian Church (606 Gladstone Blvd.), are placed to remind pedestrians to proceed across the Avenue with caution.

Along with a QR code, the decal posts a grim reminder, stating “At 45 MPH a pedestrian hit by a driver faces a 60% chance of death.”

Along with Michael Kelly, policy director with BikeWalkKC, invited guests included both victims and survivors of those affected by pedestrian hit-and-run incidents. This Look Out For KC campaign shares these stories and specific crash data via social media and digital platforms.

BikeWalkKC was founded in 2010 as a nonprofit organization to improve multimodal (biking and walking) transportation options inside the greater Kansas City area, with an emphasis on increasing safety for pedestrians and cyclists, according to its press release. In Kansas City, pedestrian deaths have risen by 50% since 2015.

These statistics made funding available to create Look Out for KC.

“Sadly, this (MoDOT) funding is only available when the death rate for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users reaches or exceeds 15% of a state’s annual crash fatalities,” said Eric Rogers, executive director for BikeWalkkC, in a press release.

“It’s money we wish didn’t exist given the circumstances. Look Out for KC is about shifting the way people think about road safety. Every time someone gets behind the wheel, they have the power to save a life or take a life. This campaign serves as both a reminder and a call to action for drivers to make choices that prioritize safety for all travelers.”

Two billboards were recently installed, viewable to westbound drivers along Independence Avenue. At the intersection near Newton Avenue, the message focuses on watching for pedestrians, while another near the intersection at Myrtle Avenue focuses on watching for cyclists.

While Independence Avenue was chosen as a focal point for this media event, BikeWalkKC has placed decals in additional locations including Troost at 86th Terrace, Wornall at 74th Terrace, 31st Street at Prospect, Benton and Troost, 63rd Street at The Paseo and Swope Parkway and Independence Boulevard and The Paseo.

Billboard locations include Troost at Gregory Boulevard and 77th Street,31st Street at Brooklyn and Chelsea and 71 Highway at Gregory Boulevard.

For more information about the Look Out for KC campaign, visit lookoutforkc.org; For more information about BikeWalkKC programs and initiatives visit www.bikewalkkc.org.