INDOT Announces PEL Study, Says It Will Be Collaborative
December 2, 2022 at 12:39 a.m.
By Joe Thallemer-
Consideration of our local goals takes center stage for the city of Warsaw and Kosciusko County at the Lincoln School auditorium this coming Tuesday, Dec. 6 and is scheduled from 5:00 to 7 p.m. There will be a presentation at 6 p.m. This will be the first of four public input sessions and will focus on our community’s future vision of U.S. 30.
Future public meetings will occur at approximately six-month intervals. Subjects will include the identification of transportation safety needs and the purpose of those improvements, a presentation of alternatives and their impact on the community, and conclude with the recommendations from the study.
“The PEL study precedes any construction decisions.” For those of you who think the plan has already been decided, I would ask you to first fully engage the process. In fact, get on the website (ProPELUS30.com) before you attend the public meetings.
Understanding the process will improve your expectations about what is trying to be accomplished and how. It invites you to submit comments, concerns, and sign up for email updates. There are ProPEL U.S. 30 project timelines, FAQ’s, and Fact Sheets. The website has a significant amount of information regarding the PEL that will be continually updated during the study.
Locally elected officials, state legislators, and community stakeholders have been working many years to find a solution to the traffic safety problem we have right here in this community. We’ve witnessed, all too common, the terrible accidents that have occured on U.S. 30. Vehicle congestion, aggravated by increasing truck volumes, contribute to the accident frequency. What about the near misses we all have experienced?
Local leaders feel that we need a solution sooner than later. With eleven stoplights in the city and county, countless unsignaled at-grade intersections, high-way cuts, and driveways, we must be compelled to find the right solution for a safe and efficient flow of traffic on U.S. 30 that can also accommodate local traffic to access U.S. 30 when necessary and navigate efficiently within our community when not.
Up to this point, after five years of hearing public and stakeholder input, we’ve discerned a strong preference by the community to utilize the existing roadway, as opposed to a southern or northern bypass. We communicated that during our presentation to the consultants.
Now the consultants want to hear from the public. What are your current concerns about traffic safety? As a community, what would be acceptable to solve the problem? Considering that safety improvements could limit access to U.S. 30 for residents, workforce and business traffic, what solutions can you offer to help make it work for everyone?
Community input will most certainly shape decision making. Please attend the meetings. This is the time to be heard and listened to. You can shape the vision of how U.S. 30 will serve our community in the future.
We are a very vibrant community with a significant global impact. Our families, workforce and the entire business community deserves safer, more efficient transportation alternatives.
Consideration of our local goals takes center stage for the city of Warsaw and Kosciusko County at the Lincoln School auditorium this coming Tuesday, Dec. 6 and is scheduled from 5:00 to 7 p.m. There will be a presentation at 6 p.m. This will be the first of four public input sessions and will focus on our community’s future vision of U.S. 30.
Future public meetings will occur at approximately six-month intervals. Subjects will include the identification of transportation safety needs and the purpose of those improvements, a presentation of alternatives and their impact on the community, and conclude with the recommendations from the study.
“The PEL study precedes any construction decisions.” For those of you who think the plan has already been decided, I would ask you to first fully engage the process. In fact, get on the website (ProPELUS30.com) before you attend the public meetings.
Understanding the process will improve your expectations about what is trying to be accomplished and how. It invites you to submit comments, concerns, and sign up for email updates. There are ProPEL U.S. 30 project timelines, FAQ’s, and Fact Sheets. The website has a significant amount of information regarding the PEL that will be continually updated during the study.
Locally elected officials, state legislators, and community stakeholders have been working many years to find a solution to the traffic safety problem we have right here in this community. We’ve witnessed, all too common, the terrible accidents that have occured on U.S. 30. Vehicle congestion, aggravated by increasing truck volumes, contribute to the accident frequency. What about the near misses we all have experienced?
Local leaders feel that we need a solution sooner than later. With eleven stoplights in the city and county, countless unsignaled at-grade intersections, high-way cuts, and driveways, we must be compelled to find the right solution for a safe and efficient flow of traffic on U.S. 30 that can also accommodate local traffic to access U.S. 30 when necessary and navigate efficiently within our community when not.
Up to this point, after five years of hearing public and stakeholder input, we’ve discerned a strong preference by the community to utilize the existing roadway, as opposed to a southern or northern bypass. We communicated that during our presentation to the consultants.
Now the consultants want to hear from the public. What are your current concerns about traffic safety? As a community, what would be acceptable to solve the problem? Considering that safety improvements could limit access to U.S. 30 for residents, workforce and business traffic, what solutions can you offer to help make it work for everyone?
Community input will most certainly shape decision making. Please attend the meetings. This is the time to be heard and listened to. You can shape the vision of how U.S. 30 will serve our community in the future.
We are a very vibrant community with a significant global impact. Our families, workforce and the entire business community deserves safer, more efficient transportation alternatives.
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