Focus Area: Legal; Infrastructure
Staff Contact: Ron Shaver; Bob Gallimore; Mary Jaeger; Nate Baldwin
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title:
title
Consideration of Ordinance No. 26-58 amending Title 10 of the Olathe Municipal Code pertaining to prohibited truck traffic and middle turn lanes.
Body
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recommended motion:
Approve Ordinance No. 26-58 amending Title 10 of the Olathe Municipal Code pertaining to prohibited truck traffic and middle turn lanes.
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Summary:
This item was provided as a report on the City Council agenda on October 20, 2026. No changes were made to the proposed ordinance following that meeting.
Staff has received complaints regarding truck traffic using Kansas City Road as a cut-through between Santa Fe Street and Ridgeview Road. Some trucks have also become stuck while navigating the roundabout at Nelson Road and Kansas City Road. The proposed Ordinance 26-58 (Attachment A) would establish this segment of Kansas City Road as a No Truck Route to prohibit through-truck traffic there and help address these operational and safety concerns.
The proposed ordinance also would amend the Olathe Traffic Ordinance to address concerns raised by the Olathe Police Department’s traffic unit regarding safety issues caused when vehicles are driven in middle turn lanes for extended periods of time or pause in the lane when turning into the roadway. The amendments would clarify that vehicles may be driven in such lanes for up to 300 feet when preparing to make a left turn and that a vehicle may not pause in the lane when turning left into the roadway. The proposed 300-foot rule is consistent with the instruction in the Kansas Driver Handbook not to enter the turning lane too soon. The purpose of this change is to increase safe usage of center left turn lanes, which are often used as another driving lane according to the observations of City law enforcement and traffic engineers. The "no pause" rule is designed to discourage a vehicle from waiting in the turn lane for an extended period of time for traffic to clear. Doing so impedes the flow of traffic. This provision will provide drivers with additional direction about the safe usage of the center turn lane in order to enhance the flow of traffic and mitigate observed recurring risks to public safety.
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Financial Information:
None
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Attachment(s):
A - Ordinance No. 26-58