Sheldon, Iowa — A meeting was held yesterday (Monday) in Sheldon to discuss a Local Road Safety Plan.
We asked Sheldon City Manager Sam Kooiker what this plan, which is funded by a grant, consists of.
Kooiker says the first part of the meeting consisted of a discussion of overall traffic safety in the community.
Of the ten Sheldon intersections discussed at the meeting, there are four that he terms “trouble spots.”
For years the City has been pleading with the Iowa DOT to put a signal at Highway 18 and Country Club road, but were always turned away because the DOT said there had only been one FATAL crash at that intersection in recent years.We asked Kooiker if they were able to convey to the DOT consultant the need for something to be done at that intersection.
Kooiker’s reference to “Runger” is Runger Avenue, the street that crosses Highway 18 in the Sheldon Crossing area.
He says they looked at various solutions to the road safety problems around Sheldon.
Kooiker says one positive change being made on Highway 18 is the reduction of the speed limit to 45 miles per hour from just west of the Shopko driveway east to Bomgaars, which is at the Sheldon city limits.
He says the City is happy to be allowed to make the change they can make at this time.
Kooiker says the DOT consultant will be writing a report on Sheldon’s Road Safety Plan, and hope to have it ready by this fall.
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Original post 6:34pm, May 20, 2019
Sheldon, Iowa — A Local Road Safety Plan meeting was held Monday in Sheldon.
The meeting got underway at 8:30 Monday morning at the Sheldon Community Services Center, followed by a tour of safety concerns on roads within the City of Sheldon.
City Manager Sam Kooiker tells KIWA there were ten different intersections that were visited by the Iowa Department of Transportation consultant, Kooiker, Public Works Director Todd Uhl, and Sheldon Police Chief Lyle Bolkema during the meeting. Kooiker says one of the intersections was 16th Street and South 2nd Avenue, near Glen’s Sport Center, with the other nine locations along Highway 18.
Kooiker says some of the solutions are easy and inexpensive, such as additional striping of Highway 18 at the 60 junction. Kooiker tells KIWA that there are no left turn lanes in that area, but people treat them as if there are. He said that issue could be alleviated with some less confusing road striping.
Kooiker says they brought out a resident who lives next to the Highway 18 and Country Club Road intersection, and he listed for the IDOT consultant a laundry list of collisions that have occurred at that intersection. Previously the DOT had been hesitant to make any changes to that intersection, since there has only been one FATAL crash there in the past several years.
Kooiker says the DOT consultant is working on a written report which will be presented to the Sheldon City Council at a future date. Kooiker also pointed out that the speed limit reduction to 45 miles per hour from just west of the Shopko driveway to the Bomgaars store should help make some of that area less dangerous. The second reading of the ordinance setting that speed limit change is scheduled for the council’s June 5th meeting.
