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Farmers, emergency crews warn Indianola council the Hillcrest trail median blocks equipment and hinders access
Summary
Multiple farmers and the fire department told the council the new raised island at the Hillcrest Avenue trail crossing prevents tractors and large equipment from using the Farm-to-Market route and may impede ambulance access; the council directed staff to evaluate options including grinding curbs, widening a bypass and installing push-button flashers.
Residents and emergency officials pressed the Indianola City Council on May 19 to change a recently installed raised island at the Hillcrest Avenue trail crossing, arguing it prevents farm equipment from using a road classified by the Iowa DOT as a Farm-to-Market route and creates safety risks.
At the start of public comment, farmer Kurt Moffett said multiple local operators cannot pass the median and cited DOT traffic counts to show Hillcrest carries far less traffic than the alternative route on 6569. “Since that trail crossing has been done, there’s an island in the middle of the road … it’s not able to be used for farm…
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