We, the residents and community members of Shawnee, respectfully request that the City of Shawnee conduct an engineering study and regrade or otherwise redesign the dangerous hill on West 77th Street near coordinates 38.988983, -94.894789.

The hill’s steep grade and limited sight distance create dangerous driving conditions. Drivers approaching the crest may have difficulty seeing vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, animals, or other hazards on the opposite side. West 77th Street also lacks sidewalks and shoulders, leaving little room for anyone to avoid an approaching vehicle.

Reckless drivers reportedly accelerate to dangerously high speeds before crossing the crest of this hill. This behavior has resulted in serious crashes involving property damage, bodily injury, and death. The location is commonly referred to by local police and students at the nearby high school as “Death Hill” or "Rainbow Road" in reference to a popular Nintendo video game called Mario Cart and a extremely dangerous level in it.    

The hill’s reputation has unfortunately encouraged some reckless drivers to use it to test themselves and their vehicles at high speeds. Because a driver can enter and leave the area within minutes, law enforcement is often unable to arrive in time to witness or stop the behavior. Enforcement alone cannot correct a hazardous road design.

A permanent engineering solution could reduce the opportunity for reckless drivers to launch over the hill, improve visibility, and protect residents and other lawful road users.

We ask the Shawnee City Council and appropriate city departments to:

-Conduct a comprehensive engineering and safety study of the hill.
-Evaluate its grade, crest, sight distance, drainage, road width, ditches, and lack of shoulders.
-Regrade or redesign the hill as necessary to improve visibility and prevent vehicles from becoming unstable or airborne at its crest.
-Consider additional measures such as warning signs, pavement markings, guardrails, speed-feedback signs, or other appropriate traffic-calming features.
-Seek available municipal, county, state, or federal funding for the necessary improvements.
-Provide residents with a written report explaining the study’s findings, proposed solution, and anticipated timeline.
-Residents should not have to wait for another serious injury or death before this known hazard is corrected. Please take action to make this section of West 77th Street safer for everyone.

Sign this petition to support an engineering study and the regrading or redesign of “Death Hill” on West 77th Street.