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City Council members in Kansas City, Missouri, passed two ordinances in September to deter illegal street racing and sideshows; Rumble strips at intersections and penalties ranging from $250 to $1,000 and possible jail time.

Spinouts and racing spectacles plagued Kansas City’s Crossroads District through the summer and left businesses, customers and neighbors frustrated and concerned for their safety.

“We were really desperate and begging for some sort of action,” David Johnson said.

Johnson lives near what used to be a notorious intersection before the city installed rumble strips in September.

He said there are fewer side shows and spinout spectacles, but the racing noise still continues.

“It’s gone down a little bit,” Johnson said. “We just don’t see the tire marks, which is the telltale sign that this is happening.”

Rumble strips have been installed at 37 different intersections throughout the metro.

Councilman Crispin Rea said the rumble strips and penalties are a good start, but there’s more work to be done to stop illegal side shows and street racing permanently.

Chase Lucas

“The activity has been diminished, but it’s not completely stopping some of the gathering of folks on four-wheelers, motorcycles, and some of these other disruptive events,” Councilman Rea said.

While neighbors like Johnson are happy their streets are safer, they’ve noticed dangerous drivers flocking to other parts of the city.

“It’s a bit like whack-a-mole trying to chase people,” Johnson said. “The less opportunity you give for people to create havoc in our streets, they’ll go elsewhere.”

Illegal street racing has made its way down to south Kansas City, where a recent crash took the lives of two innocent people.

“It’s one more unfortunate example in a long list of many that we need to continue to make our streets safer,” Councilman Rea said.

Rea said traffic safety is one of the top priorities for the city council in 2025. The city is looking at long-term solutions like road diets and safer street redesign.

“We owe it to our residents to make our streets safer. They deserve safer streets,” he said.

A spokesperson with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department said there has been a decrease in illegal street racing and side shows since the recent implementations.

“These physical additions to roadway with continued enforcement by patrol and targeted efforts by the traffic unit have made a significant impact in street racing,” KCPD PIO Sgt. Phil DiMartino said. “We will continue these efforts into 2025 and we will continue to encourage our community members to report any illegal sideshows.”