Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
DOT officials present Highway 18 traffic study
A safer crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists on Highway 18 near the school in Hartley has been a priority for local officials during the past two years.
Efforts to make a safer crosswalk near the high school in Hartley progressed on Monday thanks to a report from state transportation officials.
The city council reviewed a recent Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) study conducted by the Iowa Department of Transportation. The report analyzed traffic patterns on Highway 18 near the high school and elementary school, and gave recommendations for improved pedestrian crossings.
Recent efforts to bolster pedestrian safety have stalled in the area over the past year due to various hurdles. Sarah Tracy, DOT District 3 field operations planner, and Bethany Waltersdorf, DOT District 3 traffic tech, explained several options exist for the city to slow traffic and make a safer crossing.
The duo explained the safest location for a pedestrian crossing on the highway is North Sixth Avenue West. A crossing at North Fourth Avenue West was investigated, but analysts determined it to be more dangerous because of traffic turning both north and south there. At North Sixth Avenue West, traffic can only turn south.
Additionally, there is already a crosswalk at North Sixth Avenue West used by many students. Developing that location with more safety infrastructure was determined to be the best course of action.
Waltersdorf explained the best plan would be to construct a new ADA-compliant crosswalk that connects to the west side of North Sixth Avenue West. Right now, the sidewalk near the school stops on the gravel shoulder of the highway. Pedestrians cross the road to the east side of North Sixth Avenue West, where there is no receiving sidewalk.
Under the proposal, an ADA-compliant sidewalk would connect with the highway pavement on the school side. After pedestrians cross the highway, they would exit on another ADA-compliant receiving sidewalk on the west side of North Sixth Avenue West, where there would be an off ramp into the city street.
The plan would not require the city to pour new sidewalks along the length of North Sixth Avenue West as previously thought. The only new sidewalk would be the short connection from the highway to the street exit.
"Basically if we put sidewalks in there, nobody would have a front yard," said City Administrator Roxann Swanson.
Additional safety infrastructure like pedestrian hybrid beacons could be added to the crosswalk as well. The elevated lights are activated by pedestrians and stop traffic with red lights. Waltersdorf explained they work better around school zones compared to rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), which have no guidance for motorists.
"If [pedestrians] don't see the eyes of that driver and know if they aren't stopping, they will get hit," she said. "Motorists know what to do with this rather than the RRFBs...they see a red light and they stop."
Additional safety measures include widening the road around the school from two lanes to three. Since there is no northbound turning traffic, doing so would create a safe zone for pedestrians in the middle lane at the crosswalk.
The cost of widening the road and painting it would be covered by the state. Other safety amenities would be covered by the city; however, Waltersdorf said cost-share options and grants are available to lower the pricetag.
Costs were pegged as low as $25,000 if the city were to install RRFBs, all the way up to $1.9 million if officials wanted to widen the area. The council needs to determine which option it wants to pursue and report back to Waltersdorf to get the ball rolling.
On another positive note, Waltersdorf said she will be sending two radar speed signs to be installed along the highway. The signs tell motorists their speed in real time, alerting them if they need to slow down.
Waltersdorf said it would be possible to install the signs in the school zone on Highway 18 to increase driver awareness.
"It basically functions as a giant school zone sign," she said.
Additionally, the TEAP study provided data on accidents in the area. No abnormal crash rates were noted, and there have been no crashes involving pedestrians or bicycles in the last five years. Broadside and rear-end crashes were the most common types, followed by non-collision accidents. Seventy-six percent of crashes experienced only property damage, while the remainder observed possible/minor injuries.
Waltersdorf noted that near misses with pedestrians and bicyclists were not recorded in the data.
