Working as an on-call consultant to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS, SKW assisted the Westheight neighborhood in addressing issues of speed and high traffic volumes in a residential neighborhood.  With a high school nearby and wide-open streets, a concern was growing with the number and speed of vehicles that were “cutting through” neighborhood streets.

SKW collected traffic counts on the series of neighborhood streets and designed several options to calm the traffic in the neighborhood.  Three roundabouts were proposed along with median islands at numerous locations that reduced the width of the streets, slowing traffic as they traveled through the neighborhood.

In a policy established by the Unified Government, these conceptual designs were laid out on the streets by the Public Works Department with temporary rubber bumpers.  SKW survey crews helped establish the original layouts that could be tested by the neighborhood, the traveling public, garbage trucks, school busses and emergency vehicles.  After the temporary installations were in place for approximately 90 days, a meeting was held that proposed the devices as highly effective.  SKW was directed to proceed with construction plans for permanent fixtures.  SKW landscape architects met with the residents of the neighborhood to assist in developing amenities that fit the image of the neighborhood.  Plans were developed with a large degree of input from the Unified Government and the residents of the neighborhood.