By Jill Draper
Motorists on Wornall Road should be wary when driving past the former Villa Ventura senior living facility between Martha Truman Road and W. Santa Fe Trail. A new crosswalk installed last month is catching many drivers by surprise as they zoom down a long hill from the south or a shorter hill from the north. The speed limit is 40 mph, but it’s not uncommon for vehicles to reach 50 mph by the time they approach the bottom of the hill.
The crosswalk lights up with a row of flashing yellow signals when students living at Villa Ventura press a button to walk to Avila University. But sometimes the students, who are mostly international, have been crossing the road without making sure that vehicles see them. Telegraph readers have reported several near-collisions when drivers screeched their brakes to avoid hitting students or rear-ending the suddenly-stopped cars in front of them.
Two hand-lettered cardboard signs recently appeared on both sides of the crosswalk that warn pedestrians to “Look both ways!” Meanwhile, a request for a traffic sign that warns of a crosswalk ahead has been made through 311 to the KCMO Public Works Department. There is such a sign on the north side of the university, where an older crosswalk leads to a bus stop, but no sign exists when approaching Villa Ventura from the south.
Avila University officials could not be reached for comment.
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And legally a vehicle does not have to stop at a flashing yellow. Troost Street is having a similar issue with the same time of lights. STUDENTS need to wait before they cross. They aren’t doing that. Students push the button and go. So dangerous!
This addition obviously wasn’t thought out. There is only a button to push to cross on the west side of the street. East side has no button to push to cross. What’s the point of having a crosswalk if only one side works?