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Council approves 3rd Street sidewalk and 4-to-3 lane conversion to improve pedestrian and bike safety
Summary
After an HR Green presentation on safety and multimodal benefits, the council approved the 3rd Street sidewalk extension and a conversion from four lanes to three with a center left-turn lane and bike lanes; preliminary plans due to DOT by May 20, 2025.
The Anamosa City Council voted to authorize the 3rd Street sidewalk extension paired with a 4-to-3 lane conversion that adds a center left-turn lane and 6-foot bike lanes.
Casey Dix, a project engineer with HR Green, told the council the conversion is a widely used traffic treatment studied by the Federal Highway Administration and the Iowa DOT, and that it reduces crashes by moving left-turning vehicles out of through traffic. "A center left turn lane removes them from that flow of traffic, which increases safety," Dix said. HR Green also reported the University of Iowa office of the state archaeologist completed the cultural resources evaluation; no additional archaeological survey is required but vibration monitoring may be needed. Preliminary plans are due to the DOT on or before 05/20/2025.
Councilmember Todd moved to approve the project and Councilmember Dan seconded; the motion carried on a roll call vote. Councilmembers noted there had been at least one public information meeting and that funding and prior engineering costs have already been incurred. The engineer said a pedestrian hybrid beacon is proposed at the Oak Street crossing to help pedestrians cross three lanes instead of four.
Next steps: staff and HR Green will finalize design details, check potential vibration monitoring requirements for nearby historic buildings, and submit the preliminary plans to the DOT by the May 20 deadline.
