‘Don’t fix what isn’t broke’

During its Jan. 18 meeting, Bethany Waltersdorf from the Iowa Department of Transportation showed at the request of the city as its council reexamines a four-to-three lane conversion on Highway 25 from Russell to Townline streets.

As word about the proposal spread on news outlets and social media, Creston residents were quick to comment online. During a public hearing held Tuesday night during the regular council meeting, feedback was the same – the public is not interested.

Michelle Thatcher of North Oak Street said she’s spoken to many people about the idea of a lane conversion and was standing up behalf of those who could not attend.

“We’re talking about emergency vehicles from the fire station, from the hospital, going down that road and the blockage that might create for them. We’re talking about the dismissal or beginning of schools at the high school or the middle school, elementary school, possibly a new ECC center out there and all the traffic that generates, and the traffic that Bunn-O-Matic has at the end of their day,” said Thatcher.

Thatcher said others have mentioned a four to three lane conversion has been done in other communities like Osceola.

“If you’ve ever been to Osceola it does become a bottle neck,” said Thatcher. “A lot of people are just like, ‘Leave it alone and maybe fix the traffic lights at True Value.’”

Thatcher said the conversion could possible cause confusion and asked if city constituents have been surveyed.

Steve Wintermute said he’s spoke to several people and 90% are against the potential project. Councilmembers Kiki Scarberry and Matt Levine also shared that most of their constituents they’ve talked to are against changing the lane configuration on Highway 25.

“What I have found was that not everyone has all the facts,” said Levine.

Thatcher asked when “everybody” will have all the facts, to which Levine said the study is available online (www.crestoniowa.gov).

Dean Schulte of North Sumner Street said the lane conversion could make it more difficult for residents, who live along the highway, to get on and off the roadway.

“Talked to a few people. One of them is a professional driver in Osceola and he said during light traffic it works OK,” said Schulte. “During heavy to moderate traffic, it’s almost impossible to make a left turn, on or off, or go across the road.

Schulte said a driver in Atlantic pointed out the same issue.

“I heard the studies. I don’t think a B rating for accidents is bad for a major thouroughfare through this city,” said Schulte. “It could be an F, then maybe then we can look at spending some money to fix this ... I don’t know why we are trying to spend money on something that is not broke.”

Levine told Schulte the city is not paying for the project, the Iowa DOT is.

“It’s going to cost money for repairs and lights. It’s going to cost money for signs. I was sitting here and heard her say that,” said Schulte of what he heard during the council’s Jan. 18 meeting.

Levine said the conversion would be a simple overlay (of paint). Schulte asked how the stop lights at the intersection of North Sumner and West Adams Street would work after a three lane conversion.

Greg Maggard, Public Works Director said in the original study there was no contemplation to change the light sequencing at all.

“Right now, you basically got a left turn. It would be the same thing except you would just have a car sitting in a lane, a protected lane,” said Maggard. “There was no thought of changing the lights or the heads on there. If we start doing that, we’re talking big money.”

Schulte also said cars in the center lane could be problematic for those moving farm equipment such as tractors.

“They have to stop because they can’t get through. That backs traffic clear up the road,” said Schulte.

Maggard said the project would requre four new stop signs, which would be placed at the intersection of North Sumner and West Townline streets.

“They need to be as reflective as possible, so there is a little cost there for stop signs,” he said.

Maggard also added there is no cost involved in updating sensors for the traffic lights as there are no sensors at the Adams Street. They are just sequenced the same at all times.

“We’re not spending money but we’re still trying to fix something that’s not broke,” Schulte said.

“That’s a fair point,” said Levine. “I just want to get it out there that we’re not spending money.”

Carl Schuler, who lives on the corner of West Adams and North Sumner streets, said what concerns him is putting so much traffic into the lane that borders his yard. He said as he walked his dog earlier that evening, he counted 10 cars in the intersection around 5:30 p.m.

“If they had a stop light, that would have backed up 10 cars in to my lane. That’s how deep they’d be,” he said.

Schuler said that kind of back up makes it difficult to get out of his driveway, particularly for visitors or to his residence, and the lights work effectively as they are. Congestion near that intersection is not an issue in his opinion.

“We don’t see a tremendous amount of terrible accidents there,” said Schuler. “A lot of them are just stupid stuff that isn’t going to stop no matter what we do.”

Chuck Erickson, a North Sumner Street resident, said he’s lived in the highway for nearly 36 years.

“In the morning when I go to work at 8 o’clock, there’s all those cool kids and other people going north on the highway that I can’t get out lot of the times,” he said.

He said if the lane conversion was to happen, it would create a situation forcing him to go south before going north on an alternate street. He said converting Highway 25 would back up traffic.

Erickson said he also mows yards along the highway.

“A lot of times when I’m pushing the mower, cars will move over in to the center lane when they pass. Sometimes they pull right next to the curb to get me,” he said. “It’s not a fun experience when you’re pushing a mower and you have people do that. When you have only one lane, it’s going to make it worse.”

He added that the project will cost Creston taxpayers money in the long run.

“I think you’re fooling yourself if you say it don’t,” Erickson. “Why it was brought up again, I don’t understand it. I think you need to do more studies and pay attention to how many cars go through there during the busy times of the day. It’s not just 8 o’clock in the morning or 5 o’clock when I go home.”