At Monday’s Public Works Committee meeting, the decision was made to go with a uniform speed limit on Old Highway 20, also known as West 29th Street.
Varying speed limits in both directions along the road, which runs west out of town past buildings such as the Northeast Nebraska Senior Center, Great West Casualty and the Knights of Columbus have created some confusion that led to a speed survey that was conducted by the South Sioux City Police Department.
Chief Ed Mahon told the committee that the 85 percentile of speeds was at 46 miles per hour going west at the Knights of Columbus and 43 coming into town toward the senior Center. The speed limit in that location is 35 miles per hour going east and 40 miles per hour going west.
Mahon said that there have been a minimal number of accidents along the road in the last five years, so there were no real concerns about accidents along the road.
Councilman Rick Bousquet said that people leaving from Gerkin Windows at the end of the workday sometimes have trouble getting on to West 29th Street.
“Coming out of there, the traffic doesn’t stop (on 29th Street,” Bousquet.
Bousquet suggested that a uniform speed limit of 35 miles per hour be put in place, and the city should look at having roundabouts installed at the Gerkin Windows entrance and more to the west at Lake Avenue.
“That would slow traffic coming into town (off West 29th Street),” he said. “I think we need to take a look at this and do what some other cities are doing.”
The Public Works Committee voted 3-0 (Councilman Jason Bowman was absent) to move the idea on to the full City Council for discussion next week.
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