Andover City Council agrees to study 21st Street median

January 31, 2012|By Megan Strader | KWCH 12 Eyewitness News

(ANDOVER, Kan.) — The Andover City Council agrees to look at changing a median, just built, on 21st Street.

The median limits left-hand turns into, and out of, the Quail Crossing Subdivision.

"There are 162 homes here and they rely on this as the main entrance for the entire development," explains Jeanie Shackelford, who lives in the subdivision.

Shackelford and others say they had no notice the median was going to be built. They add that having to travel on side streets in order to turn left onto 21st doesn't make sense.

Andover Mayor Ben Lawrence said the design was chosen to accommodate the growing number of cars that travel on 21st, and to increase safety by limiting left-hand turns. He also said having people travel on side streets helps alleviate congestion on busier roads.

"We try and direct traffic out of the neighborhoods and on to collector streets, on to arterial streets, that's standard traffic engineering," said Lawrence.

After two hours of public comment, where Shackelford and dozens of others presented their concerns, the city council agreed to take another look at the median.

City engineers will do an analysis to see if a turning lane is feasible.

"The residents are pleased, we're happy to be part of Andover. I think we all learned some lessons tonight and in the end this will be better for everyone," said Shackelford.

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