Traffic Panel Looks To Improve Winona Ave., Union St. Intersection
June 8, 2017 at 7:19 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Now they have to convince the Indiana Department of Transportation it’s better than what INDOT proposed.
It involves pedestrian crossing signage and flashing lights.
From Feb. 6, 2014, to April 17, 2017, there were 15 accidents involving 32 vehicles with nine injuries at the intersection of Union Street and Winona Avenue (Ind. 25).
After reviewing the traffic around the Warsaw Community High School campus during the past year, the Indiana Department of Transportation found an issue with the intersection and suggested making northbound Union Street at the intersection of Winona Avenue a right-turn only.
The Traffic Commission reviewed that suggestion at its April meeting with statistics from Feb. 23, 2012, to May 21, 2016, and then returned to that discussion at its meeting Wednesday.
Warsaw Police Department Capt. and Traffic Safety Commissioner Kip Shute said, “Since that May of 2016, we have had seven more accidents through June 1 of this year. Three of those being injury accidents with five injuries just within that time frame.”
Shuter provided the commission with a new summary from INDOT showing the 15 crashes from 2014 to date. By year, there were three so far this year, five in 2016 and in 2015, and two in 2014. By day of week, Monday had the highest with five, followed by Saturday with three and the lowest being zero on Fridays. It was about evenly split between a.m. (eight) and p.m. (seven), with four being immediately before school and two immediately after school.
“Our problem area is northbound with eastbound/westbound. So northbound Union Street, so if you’re headed away from the school toward Winona Avenue, we’ve had five and five accidents occurring with eastbound traffic on State Road 25 and westbound traffic,” Shute said.
He then returned to Ingot recommendation to make northbound Union Street at the intersection with Winona a right-turn only.
“We wanted to make sure we had covered all the basis of checking that everything we could do has been done at that intersection to improve it before moving in this direction or in such a drastic way,”?Shute said.
Shute provided the commission with a letter from a traffic engineer with the INGOT Fort Wayne District. Platter letter states that Ind. 25 and Union does not meet warrants a traffic signal.
“So they’re basically sticking to that their recommendation for a right-turn (only) is the best solution at this intersection,” Shute said in summing up the letter. “Of these five crashes for northbound and eastbound or (northbound and) westbound, the right-turn only addresses half of that issue.”
Councilman Jack Wilhide said that northbound traffic on Union that wants to go north across Winona Avenue will just turn right and then take the first left. Shute said a vehicle that turns east onto Winona Avenue will still have conflict with eastbound traffic. Shute also said that unless law enforcement is there to enforce a right-turn only at the intersection or a physical barrier is put there, drivers will continue to go north on Union Street straight across Winona Avenue.
Public Works and Street Superintendent Jeff Beeler noticed INGOT has a school crossing sign for that intersection, and Shute said there are pedestrians who cross there.
“So, could we update the pedestrian crossing signalization and maybe achieve what we want to with the traffic? Kind of twist it and go that route with INGOT?” Beeler asked.
He said that could include some flashing lighting and a school zone reduced speed of 15-20 mph during school hours. “Maybe twist it toward that gearing to maybe accomplish the same thing with traffic so then there would be some flashing lights approaching that intersection for State Road 25 traffic heading in,” Beeler said.
Shute said that was kind of the direction he was going “with some of this stuff but (INGOT) didn’t seem very willing to work with us to try and do anything.”
Beeler said adding a school crossing there will help reduce traffic accidents and will serve as a place for school kids to cross the highway. “So now it’s a pedestrian issue and a vehicular issue and maybe we can get a little more clout,” Beeler said.
Shute said he’s willing to try anything, and all INGOT can say is ‘no.’
“I like Jeff’s approach,” Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins said.
“It makes sense,” commission member Connie Fridley agreed.
City engineer James Ehmans said that approach would get INGOT to put something in place – “a flashing light or something” – in both directions to slow traffic down.
Shute said he didn’t know how much INGOT would be willing to work with them or how much money they would put into it. Beeler said, depending on how important it was, the city could request a variance and put its own pedestrian signals up on INGOT right of way with Ingot approval, though the city may have to pay for it.
Shute said no motion was necessary for him to go back to INGOT about the commission’s suggestion and he would get on it right away.
Now they have to convince the Indiana Department of Transportation it’s better than what INDOT proposed.
It involves pedestrian crossing signage and flashing lights.
From Feb. 6, 2014, to April 17, 2017, there were 15 accidents involving 32 vehicles with nine injuries at the intersection of Union Street and Winona Avenue (Ind. 25).
After reviewing the traffic around the Warsaw Community High School campus during the past year, the Indiana Department of Transportation found an issue with the intersection and suggested making northbound Union Street at the intersection of Winona Avenue a right-turn only.
The Traffic Commission reviewed that suggestion at its April meeting with statistics from Feb. 23, 2012, to May 21, 2016, and then returned to that discussion at its meeting Wednesday.
Warsaw Police Department Capt. and Traffic Safety Commissioner Kip Shute said, “Since that May of 2016, we have had seven more accidents through June 1 of this year. Three of those being injury accidents with five injuries just within that time frame.”
Shuter provided the commission with a new summary from INDOT showing the 15 crashes from 2014 to date. By year, there were three so far this year, five in 2016 and in 2015, and two in 2014. By day of week, Monday had the highest with five, followed by Saturday with three and the lowest being zero on Fridays. It was about evenly split between a.m. (eight) and p.m. (seven), with four being immediately before school and two immediately after school.
“Our problem area is northbound with eastbound/westbound. So northbound Union Street, so if you’re headed away from the school toward Winona Avenue, we’ve had five and five accidents occurring with eastbound traffic on State Road 25 and westbound traffic,” Shute said.
He then returned to Ingot recommendation to make northbound Union Street at the intersection with Winona a right-turn only.
“We wanted to make sure we had covered all the basis of checking that everything we could do has been done at that intersection to improve it before moving in this direction or in such a drastic way,”?Shute said.
Shute provided the commission with a letter from a traffic engineer with the INGOT Fort Wayne District. Platter letter states that Ind. 25 and Union does not meet warrants a traffic signal.
“So they’re basically sticking to that their recommendation for a right-turn (only) is the best solution at this intersection,” Shute said in summing up the letter. “Of these five crashes for northbound and eastbound or (northbound and) westbound, the right-turn only addresses half of that issue.”
Councilman Jack Wilhide said that northbound traffic on Union that wants to go north across Winona Avenue will just turn right and then take the first left. Shute said a vehicle that turns east onto Winona Avenue will still have conflict with eastbound traffic. Shute also said that unless law enforcement is there to enforce a right-turn only at the intersection or a physical barrier is put there, drivers will continue to go north on Union Street straight across Winona Avenue.
Public Works and Street Superintendent Jeff Beeler noticed INGOT has a school crossing sign for that intersection, and Shute said there are pedestrians who cross there.
“So, could we update the pedestrian crossing signalization and maybe achieve what we want to with the traffic? Kind of twist it and go that route with INGOT?” Beeler asked.
He said that could include some flashing lighting and a school zone reduced speed of 15-20 mph during school hours. “Maybe twist it toward that gearing to maybe accomplish the same thing with traffic so then there would be some flashing lights approaching that intersection for State Road 25 traffic heading in,” Beeler said.
Shute said that was kind of the direction he was going “with some of this stuff but (INGOT) didn’t seem very willing to work with us to try and do anything.”
Beeler said adding a school crossing there will help reduce traffic accidents and will serve as a place for school kids to cross the highway. “So now it’s a pedestrian issue and a vehicular issue and maybe we can get a little more clout,” Beeler said.
Shute said he’s willing to try anything, and all INGOT can say is ‘no.’
“I like Jeff’s approach,” Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins said.
“It makes sense,” commission member Connie Fridley agreed.
City engineer James Ehmans said that approach would get INGOT to put something in place – “a flashing light or something” – in both directions to slow traffic down.
Shute said he didn’t know how much INGOT would be willing to work with them or how much money they would put into it. Beeler said, depending on how important it was, the city could request a variance and put its own pedestrian signals up on INGOT right of way with Ingot approval, though the city may have to pay for it.
Shute said no motion was necessary for him to go back to INGOT about the commission’s suggestion and he would get on it right away.
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