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West Fargo creates project to add pedestrian refuge, flashing beacons at 32nd Avenue & 5th Street West
Summary
City commissioners approved creating Project #2304 to design pedestrian-safety improvements at 32nd Avenue and 5th Street West after a consultant study showed about 1,000 pedestrians crossing during an event; commissioners asked staff to conduct outreach and consider additional traffic counts.
The West Fargo City Commission on March 16 approved creating Project #2304 to design pedestrian improvements at the intersection of 32nd Avenue and 5th Street West, responding to a consultant study and a request from the police department.
Dan Hansen, the city’s senior director of community and development, presented the consultant’s findings: video observations of an event showed roughly 1,000 pedestrians crossing near the lights, and the study recommended constructing a median refuge and installing rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFBs). The study found that a full traffic signal and a HAWK signal were not warranted under federal standards.
Hansen said the construction estimate for the crossing (construction only) is about $230,560, and the city has been awarded $184,448 through a carbon‑reduction program to apply toward construction.
“I watched the consultant’s video,” Hansen said. “There was a lot of vehicle–pedestrian interaction and, luckily, no accidents were reported — but it’s only a matter of time without improvement.”
Commissioners raised operational and stakeholder concerns. Commissioner Zundell and others questioned whether the consultant’s 24‑hour traffic counts (collected on July 31 during a concert) reflected hockey‑season peaks at the nearby sports arena and whether businesses and the school district had been consulted. Commissioner Zundell suggested temporary traffic controls during large events as a lower‑cost interim step.
Hansen responded that the project as approved would trigger a formal engineer’s report and public outreach; staff can conduct additional traffic counts during hockey tournaments if the commission requests it. He also said the study suggested a potential future extension of 6th Street to restore access if the left‑turn lane were closed and traffic were routed through a private parking area.
The commission voted to create the project and direct the engineer to prepare an engineer’s report that will include public outreach, at which point staff will engage the school district, West Fargo Events, the West Fargo Hockey Association and nearby businesses before advancing to final design.
