Since Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper first interviewed for his current job nearly 12 years ago, he has heard complaints about speeding along Lincoln Way on the western edge of town. During Monday night’s city council meeting, Public Works Director Heather Thomas presented a plan to reduce speed limits in the area, which will also coincide with the installation of one of two fixed site automated traffic enforcement cameras near the intersection with Orchard Drive.

Thomas explained that the city didn’t want to impose a “sea change” in the area, and she provided a detailed description of the proposed changes. The speed limit from the western city limits to Highland Acres Road would remain 45 miles per hour, and from Highland Acres to just west of the Ann Rutledge Road intersection, it would drop to 40 miles per hour.

From there to the 12th Street intersection, the speed limit would drop to 30. Currently, the speed limit drops from 45 to 35 at the Orchard Drive intersection and then goes to 30 at the 12th Street intersection.

“That would get us down to 30 mph ahead of that curve that we’re concerned about. Because of the location of the proposed automated traffic enforcement, that is why we’re bringing that so far back,” Thomas said. “We want to make sure there’s plenty of time for everybody to get slowed down to that speed before we would get into an enforcement situation.”

After opening the floor for questions from the council, Thomas said the goal was to be “transparent” and that the safety aspect was her biggest concern, especially regarding the curve near the Brentwood Drive/Lincoln Tower Road intersection. Councilor Dex Walker, who represents the area in question, commented on the “absolutely horrible” condition of the road west of Mi Ranchito Mexican Grill.

“One of the main complaints I get as a Third Ward councilman relates to the high volume of large trucks that make their way out (on) Lincoln Way so they can dump their loads at the city landfill,” he said. “So when you have that horrible condition of the road, a 35 mile per hour speed limit, which I don’t think is too fast, but the road’s in poor condition and the trucks are big, sometimes, although we do provide lots of education about covering up your loads, things will bounce out of there. That’s the immediate reason why I can justify why we might need to slow things down over there.”

Walker added that in the long term, he would like to see the road replaced starting at the Brentwood turn and said residents of the Lincoln Tower apartments have invited him to watch trucks drive by and see items bounce out of the beds.

“It’s anecdotal, but it’s important to this conversation in my opinion,” Walker said.

Thomas told Walker she “completely agreed” with his assessment and noted that plans for a patch in the area will be presented in the near future and hopefully going out to bid in the spring. Fellow Councilor Barry Kell said he had spoken with homeowners in the area, and the “resounding sentiment” was that a speed limit change was long overdue, regardless of the automated traffic enforcement conversation.

Councilor Gary Thompson said he welcomed a speed change, but not in conjunction with the installation of a traffic camera.

“I think this just looks like what you had said earlier, your honor (Mayor Pro Tem Mike Ladehoff), about poaching. We’re changing a speed limit then putting in the automatic traffic control device,” Thompson said. “I’ll support the speed limit, but let’s just move the ATE to a different location. Let’s not do them both in the same area.”

A few public commenters then weighed in, including Jim Shaw, who warned that drivers would be “riding their brakes all the down the hill” if the speed limit was reduced. Lyle Hineman said he would support either putting a camera in the area or reducing the speed limit, but not both proposals.

Thompson then followed up with a question about how many signs would be placed in the area, and Thomas said there would be multiple signs. Thompson asked if the decision to place the camera along Lincoln Way was “set in stone,” which drew Tupper to the podium to explain the process of how sites were selected.

“I’ve been your police chief now for pushing 12 years. This particular road has been something that’s been brought up to me frequently about speed,” Tupper said. “In fact, I remember distinctly when I was applying for this job and I was meeting people from the public in this room, several people brought up speed on Lincoln Way and wanting to see that speed reduced and talking about the problem that’s created by high speeds on that road. The reason this was a site picked for ATE was because it’s very difficult for our police officers to conduct speed enforcement. There’s really not much of a shoulder on the road, (and) there’s not any real solid spots for police officers to park.”

Tupper added that the site could be changed if the council wished to do so but reiterated that Lincoln Way was a high priority due to the volume of complaints. He also recalled a motor vehicle fatality in the area within the last year in which speed was a factor.

Another public commenter, Linda Clark, suggested moving to a uniform speed limit of 35 mph from the city limits east to 12th Street. Ladehoff then said that when he does the speed limit on that road now, he “about gets run over,” especially on days when the landfill is particularly busy.

A motion to approve the first reading of the new ordinance passed by a unanimous 6-0 vote, with Councilor Gabe Isom absent.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.