Flashing stoplights raise council’s concern

At the end of an otherwise uneventful 14-minute Richmond Common Council meeting, member Bill Engle raised a question about a flashing stoplight experiment that is irritating some motorists.

Engle said that constituents in his district contacted him to ask why the traffic lights across North A Street near North 12th Street in downtown Richmond were flashing and if they could be fixed.

City attorney A.J. Sickmann noted that traffic lights on city streets are managed by the Indiana Department of Transportation and that city officials have little input into how they are configured.

Richmond Chief of Police Kyle Weatherly told council that INDOT is currently running an experiment at that intersection, determining if the flashing light mode would be better for traffic patterns than timed lights.

Several council members noted that running the experiment at the same time the bridge is out on U.S. 27 north of downtown is especially inconvenient. Council member Jerry Purcell asked Weatherly if stop signs could be used instead, but Weatherly said flashing lights were probably better to alert drivers of the change in traffic pattern.

Member Larry Parker expressed disbelief that the city could not have input on how lights are managed on city streets. “We get no say at all?” Parker asked.

Weatherly said that while INDOT includes city officials on briefings, neither the traffic division nor the police department are asked for their input on changes.

In other business, council approved accepting a $15,000 grant from Norfolk Southern Railway to purchase a fleet of drones that will aid in crash site analysis. The railroad company’s “Safety First” grant program funds projects that improve safety in communities located within 30 minutes of a Norfolk Southern main line.

Council also approved accepting a $30,000 grant from the Indiana Geographic Information Office to upgrade the city’s GIS software to enhance the datasets in use. Audrey Shake, the city’s grant administrator, said the new data would help improve emergency response and other vital services.

Neither grant requires matching funds from the city, and no members of the public spoke in favor or against the projects.

Council’s next meeting is 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, in council chambers on the third floor of the municipal building, 50 N. Fifth St., Richmond. The public may attend. Requests to address council must be submitted to the city clerk’s office in writing by noon on Wednesday prior to the meeting; call 765-983-7232 for more information.