New safety measure in place at Village Shops crosswalk — and more could be on the way

Prairie Village has taken a step toward increasing pedestrian safety along a concerning curve of Tomahawk Road near the Village Shops — and additional safety measures may be on the way.

Public Works crews have painted bright white “zebra” crosswalks on Tomahawk Road across from Euston Hardware and UltraMax Sports in an effort to increase their visibility. The new crosswalk pattern replaces two fading lines of paint that had marked the crossing previously.

But City Councilor Ashley Weaver, who lives just blocks from the crosswalk, says the city is currently studying traffic patterns along Tomahawk Road and may move toward other pedestrian-friendly tactics as well. Among those under consideration are more prominent crosswalk signage and a pedestrian refuge similar to the one installed last year on Somerset Drive across from Corinth Square.

The crosswalks, particularly the one across from Euston Hardware, have been a concern to neighbors for quite some time, Weaver says.

“People seem to go pretty fast down that stretch, and because there is a curve it can be difficult for pedestrians to see when cars are coming,” she said. “We have a lot of families with young kids who use that crosswalk to get over to the Village Shops — but it can be hard to get cars to see you.”

At a council meeting in September, Weaver requested that her fellow councilors visit the Euston crosswalk to familiarize themselves with the layout in anticipation of proposed safety measures that may come before the council.