Lawrence school board members are taking the right approach in their comments concerning potential changes to the intersection of 19th and Louisiana streets.

Board members’ primary concern is the safety of students, both those in their cars and those on foot. Lawrence High School is right on the intersection, and Cordley School is just two blocks away. Before and after school are extremely heavy traffic times at 19th and Louisiana, and school board members want city officials to make student safety at that intersection a top priority.

Making the safety of both motorists and pedestrians a top priority should go without saying in any public street project.

During Monday’s meeting, School Board Member Rich Minder also raised another point that has been reiterated in other public meetings and statements. That is, that improving traffic flow on 19th Street, which also serves as a major gateway for traffic to and from the KU campus, cannot be accomplished merely by making traffic-control changes at its intersection with Louisiana Street.

A number of years ago, an extensive study was done on Louisiana Street traffic. At least one impetus for the study was the expectation that Louisiana Street would be a major access point to a new South Lawrence Trafficway. Schools and residents along that route were concerned about how increased traffic could be handled.

The plans for improving 19th and Louisiana, therefore, were focused on concern for traffic safety and flow on Louisiana Street, not 19th Street.

Now, the concern has shifted to 19th Street which is experiencing serious backups during peak traffic times. Observers have accurately pointed out that making changes at 19th and Louisiana won’t eliminate congestion at other points along 19th, which has become a major east-west route through the city – a situation which, by the way, hasn’t been helped by the community’s inability to solve the SLT puzzle and divert more traffic from 23rd Street.

The city already has built one major roundabout on 19th Street, at its intersection with Barker Avenue. Before making another questionable and piecemeal traffic decision at 19th and Louisiana, the city should consider a comprehensive study of 19th Street traffic issues from Harper Street to Iowa Street.

The consultants currently looking at options for 19th and Louisiana may come up with a solution that is suitable for that intersection but which might aggravate problems elsewhere on 19th. Spending more money for major intersection improvements should wait until the city can take a broader look at the 19th Street issues.

School board members are right: Safety first. But city commissioners also should take the time to make sure any changes they approve for the 19th and Louisiana intersection will be money well spent and part of a long-term strategy for dealing with increased traffic on 19th Street.