Pedestrian-friendly Somerset improvements nearing completion

Once completed, the pedestrian refuges will make crossing Somerset safer.

Prairie Village planners hope pedestrians will have a safer path to cross Somerset Drive on their way to the Corinth Shops in the coming weeks after a major set of street revisions are completed.

The revisions include taking the street down from four lanes to three between 83rd Street and Mission Road, and adding two “pedestrian refuges.” When finished, the refuges will consist of two concrete beds at curb height on either side of a crosswalk.

“The idea is that not only will pedestrians have a shorter path to cross, if they get out into the road and see a car coming, they’ll have a place to stop,” said Assistant City Administrator Dennis Enslinger.

Combined, the pedestrian islands and narrower road will reduce traffic speeds in the area.

Additional improvements along the stretch of Somerset that runs beside Corinth Square include an eight-foot wide sidewalk, part of the city’s plan to increase walkability. Eventually, the eight-foot sidewalk will run all the way along Somerset from Franklin Park to Weltner Park, near State Line Road.

This phase of the Somerset project is expected to be completed within the next couple weeks, Enslinger said.