Carroll City Council voted to remove two traffic signals on the intersections on U.S. Highway 30 at Adams Street and Court Street during its meeting Monday evening.
The motion made by Councilmember JJ Schreck and seconded by Councilmember Tom Bordenaro, to remove both the traffic signal at the Adams Street and Court Street intersections with U.S. Highway 30, passed 5-1 with only Councilmember Carolyn Siemann voting no.
The city first initiated a study on the removal of the traffic signals in December 2023, covering the signals for 90 days, seeking input from the public while Carroll’s police department gathered data regarding the speed of traffic and amount of crashes.
The council also conducted a study in 2016 to consider removing the same traffic signals, but chose to keep the signals out of consideration of input from the public.
When the council discussed the study’s outcome in their last meeting, Carroll Chief of Police Brad Burke said no accidents had occurred around the covered traffic signals, and that the average speed of vehicles passing through the area was between 21 and 23 mph.
The city council’s decision was also supported by data gathered by Councilmember Lavern Dirkx, as well as data from the separate study conducted in 2016 by Snyder & Associates, Inc., both of which indicated that removing the signals would lead to reductions in the traffic delays experienced on U.S. Highway 30.
Councilmember Carolyn Siemann and Carroll Chamber of Commerce Director, Kimberly Tiefenthaler both voiced concern in a previous meeting, that removing the traffic signals could keep some traffic from entering Carroll’s downtown area, and negatively impact Carroll’s business owners.
During Monday’s meeting, the council discussed public input, which varied from concerns over safety to approval for the removal. Carroll Mayor Jerry Fleshner said since the last meeting he had primarily received comments in favor of the removal of the traffic signals.
Siemann also read a message from Jim Thompson, Downtown Economic Development Specialist at the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which said the downtown assessment team strongly recommends the traffic signal stay in place to slow cars down and push the occupants to see what the community and downtown area has to offer.
Carroll City Manager Aaron Kooiker said even with the council voting to remove the lights, they would not be removed until fiscal year 2026, to group the contract with other signal upgrades. The removal of the traffic signals includes an estimated cost of $70,000, as opposed to the cost of updating the controllers of the lights, with an estimated cost of $250,000 to $325,000.
C.J. Niles, a Carroll resident, addressed the council suggesting the removal of the signals would negatively impact local businesses, and added that she is concerned about crossing U.S. Highway 30 as a pedestrian.
“When I come downtown sometimes I park away and I do walk across Highway 30,” Niles said. “It’s very fearful, it’s very intimidating and fearful, and that’s with stoplights. I’m getting to the point where I can’t run across the street, but I try to move as fast as I can.”
Barbara Hackfort, President of the Carroll County Historical Society, said she had seen two near accidents, one involving herself.
“It’s scary, I don’t use that intersection anymore and I’m there quite often at the museum,” Hackfort said. “I’m really worried, you know, what is one life worth? I’m scared if those lights are taken out.”
Dirkx confirmed with Hackfort that she’s adjusted her routine to avoid the intersections in question, pointing out there are alternative routes for those who are uncomfortable crossing the intersections.
