New turn lanes on U.S. Highway 40 west of the South Lawrence Trafficway would just have to wait under a proposal up for consideration Wednesday by Douglas County commissioners.
The request, from First United Methodist Church, would allow the church to avoid installing turn lanes on the highway in front of its campus at 867 Highway 40, which is at the southwest corner of the trafficway and the rural extension of West Sixth Street.
Commissioners are scheduled to consider the request at their weekly meeting, which begins at 4 p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Mass.
The church stipulates that the lanes — originally approved by the Kansas Department of Transportation as part of the church’s plans for opening a preschool at the campus — are now unnecessary.
KDOT officials agree. Statistics show that expected traffic conflicts — both actual and potential — hadn’t materialized since the school opened in August 2007.
The lanes would cost at least $300,000, said Phil Struble, chairman of the church’s board of trustees.
Commissioner Jim Flory said he would like KDOT to consider reducing the speed limit in the area to 45 mph as a way to help increase safety in the area.
In other action Wednesday, commissioners will consider establishing new speed limits on three rural roads:
- 40 mph along East 2300 Road, from U.S. Highway 56 to County Road 460.
- 35 mph on North 400 Road, from County Road 1061 to East 2400 Road.
- 45 mph along East 1900 Road, from North 1 Road to U.S. 56.
Comments
Sulla 3 years, 2 months ago
Okay, then pay property taxes you big rich red brick church and render unto Caesar....
oneeye_wilbur 3 years, 2 months ago
I would think the church would want to go ahead and put the turn lanes in. After all, don't they plan to stay at the location for awhile? See, this is the problem in Lawrence. No class, no vision ahead. Everything is short term planning.
OR is there something else going on here, like maybe the church has figured out they won't pay for the lanes but just sit back and wait and let the state and the city pay for them as "needed" road improvements.
It's not like the church can't raise $300,000. They didn't have a problem buying the land and building buildings. How many pies and bowls of chili would they need to sell to pay for this road stuff. Maybe Struble knows something that allows the church to ask for the waiver.
Too bad the church doesn't go ahead and make the improvments to enhace their "campus".
somebodynew 3 years, 2 months ago
Well, they should have had to put the lanes in already. Actually, I think Wilbur has a good thought. The commission just started a study (or maybe the State) to look at traffic at that intersection, so I think the church is just wanting to wait to see if the County and State will include this in their plans to improve traffic flow. Bad, bad bad.
riverdrifter 3 years, 2 months ago
Coming from the west at that location, I never liked it there & thought turning lanes were really needed. I'm predicting a big NASCAR-type pileup at some point. I don't go out that way anymore & don't have a dog in this hunt.
oneeye_wilbur 3 years, 2 months ago
Just wait until some church bus gets rear ended or leaves the grounds aka the "campus"
I like it how these churches all have campuses. The homeless have a "campus" setting. Mental hospitals are now a "campus" with names like Three Rivers or something like the church in KCK that was called The Church of Milk and Honey.
W,. 6th is about as poorly planned as a highway could ever be.
Isn't Struble connected with some local engineering firm.
This business of turn lanes is going to come through God's back door. Wonder who is on the church board of trustees?
I think this stinks and if my hunch plays out, it will only prove what I have maintained all along is that the community can be duped into anything. After all, it was only a few years ago, that the Mustard Heir came to town and sometime around that era peddled cold cream was going to be made right here in river city from dried and curdld milk, supported no less than by a prestigious KU professor. Lawrence should have banners along the bridge that say instead of City of Arts, they should read City of conARTists.
tankernav 3 years, 2 months ago
This is an accident waiting to happen and unfortunately people will be badly injured or killed without turn lanes at this location. Coming home from the west about sunset last Fall, I barely avoided a four car accident where a car from the East was waiting to turn into the parking lot. With the turn at the top of the hill and the sunset obscuring traffic from the East, one car heading east took the ditch to miss the turning car and the next vehicle from the East unable to take the ditch, took the other side of the turning car which put his vehicle out of control and head on with me. I was far enough up the hill moving at 55mph to shoot off the road into the church parking area and missed the head on collision. It is just a matter of time that without turn lanes, somebody will not be so lucky.
none2 3 years, 2 months ago
They choose to build out in the boonies, they should be forced to put in a turn lane. I agree it is a disaster waiting to happen.
LadyJ 3 years, 2 months ago
Have to agree, have to stop constantly for people stopping to turn there.
somedude20 3 years, 2 months ago
I guess now they have something more to pray about (please mighty sky monster dont let me get rear ended)
Pywacket 3 years, 2 months ago
It is disgusting and outrageous that the county would even consider waiving the requirement. As others have noted, this church is not hurting for money--and they don't pay taxes!!!!! They should be required to build the turn lanes so as to keep traffic flow as smooth as possible.
KDOT is notoriously short sighted, so their agreement with the church (wonder how many of them are practicing Methodists) should count for nothing. Anyone remember how many T-bone wrecks occurred at the Baldwin Junction, several of them fatal, after KDOT brilliantly RAISED the speed limit on 59 through the intersection several years ago? Without admitting their culpability, they finally clued in and made the intersection a 4-way stop--with rumble strips in place at each approach. No fatalities since.
Even if traffic would not be impacted terribly right now or two years from now, there is every reason to expect that the area will continue to be built up and that this WILL be a horrible problem five or 10 years on. If this is waived now, there will be no do-overs! If the church is let off the hook now, the rest of us will have to pay to retrofix the problem when huge traffic snarls manifest or accidents start to be a frequent problem there.
If you can't make it to the commission meeting but want to make your opinions heard, go here: http://www.douglas-county.com/depts/ad/ad_commission.aspx
On the right-hand side is a "Give Feedback" button. Or you can directly email each with a couple of clicks.
Churches get away with too much and are not held accountable. This is a public safety and a traffic flow issue and the general public's rights to smooth traffic flow should trump a rich church's right to have the law BENT for their benefit.
BMI 3 years, 2 months ago
Imagine the outcry of the church goers, if the city hadn't approved turn lanes, and a family was killed while waiting to turn into the parking lot. Amazing Grace isn't going to sound very sweet at the funerals if they lose any because of this. For those involved, put that in your minds and THINK about it. You're going to be thinking, "These people died because we were too cheap to put in that turn lane." And you're going to think of it again, and again, and again. Forever and ever, Amen.
puddleglum 3 years, 2 months ago
they don't have to pay anything
Jimo 3 years, 2 months ago
Here's a thought -- if you don't pay taxes you can't petition government about a property issue.
Comm. Flory - how is inconveniencing the rest of the world a proper allocation of safety costs?
ralphralph 3 years, 2 months ago
Wow. This seems like an unduly hostile discussion. I think they need the turn lanes, but not because the church is evil and wants you to die. It's just kind of a tough spot there, and likely will continue to be until a real highway emerges. The south shoulder already, sort-of by default, functions as an on & off ramp. Not so with the north side. I don't know what has been studied or what it shows, as to the traffic volume and sight lines and conflicts between turning and oncoming traffic, and that certainly would be informative. The more pertinent question for this area is whether US 40 should have been made into a modern roadway long ago. I remember driving it between Topeka and Lawrence and thinking it was one of the worst highways I've ever travelled on between two major (for our area) cities.
Like it or not, Lawrence is growing West and will continue to grow West. That being the case, 40 needs to be a real highway, which means that it needs to be 4-lanes or at least 3-lanes with a center turn lane and adequate shoulders. If that were done, the whole issue would be moot. The alternative is to do it "Topeka-Style", where you let the growth happen and then come in and try to build roads around it (not to mention year-long roundabout projects).
KDOT needs to buck up and widen the road out to at least the Stull corner.
Scruggsy 3 years, 2 months ago
ralphralph- I agree that 40 is functionally obsolete for today's traffic volumes, but with the state budget problems, there is no way for KDOT to "buck up and widen the road" for a long while. Maintenance is being cut back severely, and will need to be paid for at some point in the future, when the roads will be hammered and need more repairs. To widen/ straighten/ flatten that highway even to Stull Rd would be a huge project. Hopefully the existing road doesn't fall apart by the time there is money in the budget for such a project...
If the church had an agreement requiring them to build the turn lanes, they should be made to build them...
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