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Council concurs with Traffic Advisory Committee: no rapid flashing beacons now; painted crosswalk approved at East Robbins and Mulberry
Summary
The Marion City Council on Feb. 6 reviewed three Traffic Advisory Committee reports and voted to concur with TAC recommendations to take no immediate action on two requests for rectangular rapid flashing beacons while approving a painted crosswalk and signage at East Robbins Road and Mulberry Drive (Resolution 32252).
The Marion City Council on Feb. 6 reviewed three Traffic Advisory Committee reports and voted on how to proceed with pedestrian-safety requests.
On a request from Lynn Mar Community School District to add a rectangular rapid flashing beacon at the intersection of 30 Fifth Street and 30 Fifth Avenue, traffic staff presented pedestrian counts and said a crossing guard is present at school times. Staff recommended no beacon at this time; the council voted to concur with the TAC recommendation. Council members and staff agreed the issue could be revisited if pedestrian volumes increase or if the district’s Safe Routes to School plan adds the crossing as a priority.
City traffic engineer Mike, responding to questions about discretionary exceptions to standards, said the city’s recommendations are tied to established warrants and technical standards. "If we were to put rapid flashing beacons at every intersection, they lose their effectiveness because all you see is flashing lights when you're driving around," Mike said. Several council members noted that inclusion in the school district’s Safe Routes to School plan or a future increase in pedestrian counts could prompt reconsideration.
Council also reviewed a request to install crosswalks and signals at Iowa 13 and Prairie Ridge Avenue. Staff said the Highway 13 corridor study recommends grade-separated solutions (underpass or overpass) for pedestrian crossings on the high-speed corridor and that those long-range improvements are not in the fiscally constrained CIP. The council concurred with the TAC recommendation for no action now.
Separately, the council accepted the TAC recommendation for the intersection of East Robbins Road and Mulberry Drive to add painted crosswalk markings and static signage in advance of Mulberry Drive rather than installing rapid flashing beacons. Council approved Resolution No. 32252 to install the painted crosswalk and signage.
Staff said the Tower Terrace connection has changed local traffic patterns, but post-construction pedestrian counts are not yet available; they suggested the Safe Routes to School committee would be an appropriate forum to reexamine crossing priorities as the city develops sidewalk and CIP priorities.
