Project Description
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Project History
- Iowa DOT completed “Statewide Screening for Potential Lane Reconfiguration” report in 2017
- Several roads throughout the state identified as potential for 3-Lane
- Highway 144 recommended for lane conversion based on vehicle volume and crash history
- 3-lanes recommended for consideration by IDOT when volumes are less than 16,000 vehicles/day and crash rate greater than state avg.
- Perry's crash rate is 3 times the state average.
- Several roads throughout the state identified as potential for 3-Lane
- Grant Funding secured to repave & restripe Hwy 144
- Council voted in 2018 to support the grant application
Success in Perry
- Success with other 3-lane restriping projects in Perry
- Hwy 144 from Willis to Bateman Restriped in 2016
- Before project this section had 20 crashes in 3-years
- With 7 injury crashes, including one fatal
- After project this section had 6 crashes in 3-years
- With no injury crashes
- Perry has seen a 70% reduction in accidents
Why This Project?
- Concerns from Residents
- Speeding
- Safety/Crash Concerns
- N. of Rawson St
- 23 crashes in since 2012
- 98% of crashes: rear-end, broadside, angle
- 20% are injury related
- Limited Sight Distance when pulling out from side streets
- Lucinda
- Park
- From 2013-2017 the First Street Corridor had 71 Crashes totaling $332,060 in Personal Property Damage.
3-Lane Benefits
- Improved Vehicle Safety
- Improved Pedestrian Safety
- Traffic Calming
- Reasonable driver sets the speed instead of the unreasonable driver
- Reasonable driver sets the speed instead of the unreasonable driver
- Improved Emergency Response Time
Reduced Number of Conflict Points
The main issue is that the left (inside) lane is shared by higher–speed through traffic and left–turning vehicles. Road Diets reduce the number of vehicle–to–vehicle conflict points that contribute to rear–end, left–turn, and sideswipe crashes.
Improved Sight Distance
Safer Street Crossings
Safer Pedestrian Crossings
Before
After: "Crossing only one lane of traffic at a time reduces the risk of crashes and serious injuries"
- AARP
Possible Disadvantages
- Potential increased delay at unsignalized access points
- Reduced passing opportunities
- Aggressive Drivers
- Slow Moving Vehicles
- Possible Increased Travel time
- Learning curve of new layout and initial confusion with change.
Next Steps
- A public meeting was planned to present the concept plan and gather feedback
- May 23rd from 5-7 at La Poste (1219 Warfors St.)
- Modifications to the plan will be made in Summer/Fall 2019
- Repaving/Restriping work is planned for Spring/Summer 2020
Additional Information
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