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Falls City Traffic Study Completed

By Matthew Leaf

01/21/2014

(KTNC) -- Two traffic signals along Highway 73 in Falls City will be removed, following a three-month study by the Nebraska Department of Roads.

Traffic Engineer Dan Waddle and District One Engineer Tom Goodbarn presented results of the study to the Falls City Council Monday night.

Waddle said they received 25 comments from the public. Those comments expressed concerns about removing the signals at 12th, 16th, and 17th Streets due to perceived issues with pedestrians, truck traffic, and speed.

Waddle said a speed study found that most drivers were adhering to the posted limit of 30-miles-per-hour, including a majority of semi-trucks. The study concluded that the lack of traffic signals did not contribute to higher speeds.

The study also showed the number of pedestrians crossing Harlan Street also did not meet the threshold to warrant a traffic signal at any of the intersections. During the eight-hour period studied, there were 13 pedestrians at the 12th street crossing, 22 at 16th street, and 15 at 17th Street. A minimum of 75 pedestrians in one hour is needed to satisfy the Pedestrian Volume Warrant.

There was one crash in the study area during the three-month period, which ended on December 4th. That was a rear end crash at the intersection of 17th and Harlan. The study concluded that the absence of traffic signals during the study did not contribute to an increase in crashes.

The council approved a motion, on a 6-2 vote, to have the Department of Roads remove the signals at 17th Street and at 12th Street. The city will split the cost with the State of Nebraska to upgrade the signal at 16th and Harlan.

The total cost to upgrade the signal is estimated at $103,500. The cost includes new poles, LED signals, conduit, wiring, and a modem. The intersection will also be made ADA compliant with curb ramps and warning panels.

The city and state will also split the cost to upgrade the traffic signals at 21st and Harlan and 14th and Harlan. The total cost of those upgrades is approximately $50,000. The State of Nebraska will absorb the entire cost to remove the signals at 17th Street and 12th Street.

Council members Judy Murphy and Kirby Robidoux voted against the motion. Murphy expressed her preference to keep the signal at 17th Street rather than 16th Street.

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