photo by: contributed photo

A median diverter at 8th and Alabama streets in Old West Lawrence is pictured on Nov. 23, 2021.

An open house meeting regarding a pilot program to reduce cut-through traffic in Old West Lawrence has been moved from in-person to online due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases.

The meeting will now take place virtually via Zoom from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25. The city will provide a method to participate or observe the meeting in person at City Hall for individuals without access to the internet or a telephone. A link to register for the meeting is available here, and more information about the program is available on the project website, lawrenceks.org/mso/safer-speeds/.

The Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association applied to be part of the Neighborhood Traffic Management Pilot Program, and the temporary diverters were installed in November and will be in place until the spring. The diverters, which prohibit motorists from making certain turns or entering streets at certain intersections, are meant to reduce cut-through traffic and have been met with mixed reactions from residents, as the Journal-World reported.

The virtual meeting will remain in an open house format and attendees can come and go as they please. Virtual breakout rooms will provide the opportunity for smaller group discussions with the project team, including city staff, the city’s design consultant and neighborhood representatives.