KC crash data signals early signs of improvement
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Kansas City traffic data shows fatal and serious injury crashes may be starting to decrease after a four-year upward trend.
Why it matters: It's a sign that KCMO's street safety initiatives might be starting to take hold, despite the numbers lagging behind predictions and city officials saying it's too early to tell.
By the numbers: Crash data from the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) shows that serious and fatal crashes in KCMO increased by 21% from 2021 to 2024.
- Data from 2025, provided by the city's Public Works department, shows that serious and fatal crashes decreased by roughly 9%.
Caveat: MARC did not have 2025 data available.
- The two data sets showed similar trends, although the numbers differed, with MARC showing more crashes along state and local roadways.
Zoom in: The city's Vision Zero initiative, which seeks to end traffic fatalities, predicted a drop in serious and fatal crashes starting in 2023, with a target goal of 208 by 2025.
- That didn't happen, with the city's numbers showing 481 last year.
What they're saying: Public Works officer Ryan McMonigle says the city is "encouraged" by emerging data on new traffic safety interventions, but the trends aren't comprehensive enough to know for sure if plans are working.
- The top reasons for crashes are speeding, improper lane use, and violations of traffic signs and signals, he says.
Zoom out: The Kansas City metro ranked No. 32 among the top 100 metros for street safety, per StreetLight Data's new "U.S. Safe Streets Index."
- That's based on five key factors: vehicle miles traveled, differences in vehicle speeds, speed-based pedestrian risk, speeding in residential zones, and truck activity.
State of play: Significant road diet projects, which redesign streets to slow traffic and reduce lanes, are underway across the city.
Case in point: Broadway Boulevard's road diet is nearing completion in Midtown, with one lane going each way, plus redesigned parking and bike lanes.
- Southwest Boulevard's road diet is currently under construction.
Yes, but: The issue isn't just in KCMO. MARC's data reflects an increase in crashes metro-wide.
What's next: Overland Park is surveying residents through April 30 to identify traffic issues for its Safe Streets plan.