The Carroll City Council voted 5-1 during last night’s (Monday) meeting to remove the traffic control devices at the Adams and Court Streets intersections along U.S. Highway 30. City officials were initially scheduled to vote on the issue during their March 25 meeting but opted to table the decision to allow more time for the public and downtown business owners to weigh in on the proposed signal removal. Unlike the council’s previous attempt to remove the lights in 2016, there has been significantly less pushback this time around from downtown tenants, according to At-Large Councilman LaVern Dirkx.
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Mayor Jerry Fleshner says the overwhelming majority of comments he has received favored the removal. Ward 2 Councilman Jason Atherton says he did hear from one business owner who wanted the Adams Street light to remain; most residents told him they wanted the lights gone. City Manager Aaron Kooiker says some residents who preferred the lights stay wanted them for reasons unrelated to business traffic.
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Pedestrian lights would not stop traffic at those intersections, but they would warn oncoming vehicles of people attempting to cross Highway 30. Barbara Hackfort of the Carroll County Historical Society addressed the council, saying the lack of traffic signals is a safety concern.
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Data collected by the Carroll Police Department shows that the average vehicle speed in that area was between 21.2 and 23.9 mph, and no traffic accidents were reported at either intersection during the 90-day study. The cost was also a factor in the decision, as retaining the signals could run upwards of $325,000 each, while removing them would be an estimated $70,000. Ward 4 Councilwoman Carolyn Siemann advocated for the lights to remain, citing the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Downtown Resource Center report.
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A motion from At-Large Councilwoman JJ Schreck to remove both traffic signals passed 5-1, with Siemann being the sole nay vote. The signals will likely remain covered but still standing until Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 when a more expansive traffic light replacement project is scheduled. The council could opt to remove them sooner but at a higher cost.