Northeast News
August 19, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The Kansas City Streetcar Authority is being proactive with rail safety.

According to a press release, at the most recent KC Streetcar Authority Board meeting, Tom Gerend, executive director of the authority, announced the message and unveiled the images to be used for the public streetcar safety campaign. The KC Streetcar safety messages are not only for riders of the streetcar but also for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, and encourage alertness even before streetcars are introduced onto the streets of downtown Kansas City.

Some sample messages are “Park within the Line” and “Mind Your Doors”, instructing motorists to park their entire vehicle within the white lines along the streetcar route, thus avoiding interference with the streetcar. Parking signs with this message have been installed in the Crossroads District already and enforcement of this parking rule by the city began last month.

Other safety messages include:

• Share The Road

• Look Before You Cross

• Use Crosswalks When Crossing The Street

• Cross Your Bike at a 90 Degree Angle. This also applies to wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers.

• Share The Road, Don’t Double Park. This applies to all vehicles, including delivery vehicles, about not parking on the streetcar track.

The KC Streetcar safety campaign will roll out in phases over the next several weeks and months, adding detail to the messages and reaching broader audiences through educational videos, posters, signs and further work on social media.

The KC Streetcar Safety Campaign recently received approval from Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), a national non-profit organization aimed at educating the public about rail and transit safety. This partnership merges local and national expertise to build on lessons learned from streetcar systems across the county. To learn more about OLI, visit their website at www.oli.org. To view the KC Streetcar safety campaign, visit the KC Streetcar website at www.kcstreetcar.org.