Cedar Rapids Today

The Marion City Council met on January 19, where they tackled street policies across the city, including adding traffic lights and speed limit signs.

The first order of business was a request for extra traffic lights and speed limit signs at 35th avenue. The city is planning to move the traffic light from an old intersection to the new intersection where it is needed. The speed limits will be 25 mph unless otherwise noted, and officers will be sent out to monitor and issue citations when people speed. Public comment was accepted ahead of the meeting and those who submitted did so in favor, for the most part, but some preferred additional changes such as adding more lights and more speed limit signs. The plan was approved by the city council.

“I would have to express at least some empathy with the concern about the school related traffic,” said Councilman Grant Harper. “I live probably a thousand feet from this particular intersection, and I've noticed the great increase of school related traffic day in and day out that is heading to Boulder Peak I think it is. So I just want to offer that and understand the sensitivity that that neighborhood would have relative to the traffic burden.”

Also approved was changing the speed limit for Fernow Road from 55 mph to 35 mph now that the road is no longer gravel. A traffic study was done by the Traffic Advisory Committee and the council approved amending the city code to decrease the limit following the findings from the study.

The city also approved changing the intersection at 22nd Street and 5th Avenue to a four way control stop, following a report by the TAC that the city council considered. The change will add stop signs at the intersection on 5th Avenue to change it from what is now a two way stop with the right of way on 5th avenue. Old stop signs with lights that were removed from another intersection will be used here, and there will be lights installed on the signs as well.