(Atlantic) On Wednesday, the Atlantic City Council approved several ordinances aimed at improving safety along 29th Street. The measures include the installation of a new stop sign and a reduction in the speed limit.
Residents living in the area cited the larger population of children in the neighborhood. Katrina Sonntag spoke about the need for a stop sign at the intersection of 29th and Palm. She addressed a letter Attorney J.C. Van Ginkel sent to the City stating the manual on uniform traffic control devices followed by the Iowa Department of Transportation explicitly states that stop signs are not to be installed to control speed. Stop signs, and yield signs and the like are to be used only to control traffic flow at intersections.
Sonntag said Mr. Van Ginkel overlooked the fact that residents specifically requested a speed limit reduction to slow traffic. She added that the proposed four-way stop would help control an intersection that lacks sidewalks, has limited visibility, and presents blind spots on a narrow street.
Sonntag noted that a precedent was set with stop signs installed under similar conditions at 22nd and Olive, and 32nd and Chestnut. She emphasized that they’re simply asking for 29th and Palm to be treated the same. Sonntag added that stopping at the intersection only takes an extra five to ten seconds.
The Atlantic City Council approved several ordinances Wednesday aimed at improving traffic safety. Ordinance #1052 passed unanimously on its third and final reading, establishing a four-way stop at 29th and Palm.
The council also gave unanimous first-reading approval to Ordinance #1057, which lowers the speed limit on Chestnut Street from 35 to 30 miles per hour, spanning from 29th Street to the southern city limits. Additionally, the council approved the first reading of another ordinance reducing the speed limit on 29th Street from Chestnut to Palm, also from 35 to 30 miles per hour.
Ordinance #1054, amending speed regulations on 29th Street from the Palm Street intersection extending 800 feet, also received council approval.
In other action, the council passed the third and final reading of Ordinance #1055, reducing the speed limit on 22nd Street from 45 to 35 miles per hour between Palm and Chestnut.
Finally, Ordinance #1050 was approved on its third reading, prohibiting parking on the north side of 10th Street between Locust Street and the east alley.
