Resident urges traffic safety fixes on 3 Mile Road; commission agrees to follow up

A Walker resident urged the City Commission on Nov. 10 to address dangerous speeding and visibility problems on 3 Mile Road, saying neighborhood residents — including people who use the bus — face safety risks and that simple changes could reduce danger.

"We're easy to kind of forget about. We're quiet," Denise Church told the commission, summarizing a resident survey she said she would provide to the city. Church said drivers frequently exceed posted limits: "They're doing 60. They're doing 70," she said, and described having to stop in the center of the road to avoid a collision while turning. Church urged several remedies: a traffic signal at Elm Ridge, a center turn lane on 3 Mile, sidewalks (or a bike lane) and safer bus stops for riders currently standing in weeds.

Mayor Carey acknowledged the concerns and said staff would follow up. The mayor noted the city does not set statutory speed limits — that authority rests with the state — but offered to arrange a meeting with the public services director, the city engineer and police to review possible steps and bring suggestions to the traffic committee.

Church left commissioners a copy of the neighborhood survey for their review; the clerk agreed to scan and circulate the documents to the commission as a public information item.

What’s next: the mayor and staff will exchange contact information with Church and arrange follow‑up meetings with the public services director, the city engineer and police to review traffic‑safety options on 3 Mile Road. No formal action or commitment of specific engineering changes was made during the meeting.

Attribution: Denise Church (resident), Mayor Carey, Scott Connors (Public Services Director).