By Ann Marie Shambaugh
The intersection at Oak Street and Kissel Road could look a bit different by the end of the summer.
Zionsville began a traffic study Jan. 26 at the intersection, which many residents believe has become increasingly dangerous as the town’s population grows. The results of the $15,000 study are expected to be available in mid-March.
Depending on what the study shows, the town may look to install a traffic light at the intersection. Mayor Tim Haak told the town council Feb. 1 that a light would likely cost between $100,000 and $150,000. He said the town came in about $200,000 under budget on paving in 2015, and those extra funds could be used for the traffic light.
Once the study results are in, Haak said it will likely be three months before the light could be installed. He guessed “late summer.”
Zionsville resident Nicole Adams started a Facebook group called “Residents for a safer 334/Oak Street” after a Dec. 30 accident left one person dead. Adams was in a wreck in the same area in June 2015 that left her back broken in three places.
Since the Facebook page launched, the town has increased the police presence in the area, installed automated signs that indicate speed and ordered signs to alert drivers of the upcoming intersection.
Adams and other residents urged the town council to address the safety of this intersection before committing funds to a new town hall building, a topic on the Feb. 1 meeting agenda. As of Feb. 2, 315 people had signed an online petition expressing support for these priorities.
“I plead with you, please table this matter of the financing of the new town hall until the intersection study comes in and it is determined how much money it will take to correctly fix this intersection,” Adams told the council. “Now is the chance to show where your priorities truly are.”
The council ended up not voting on the town hall project at the meeting, and Haak said plans are in the works to finance both projects.
“They can operate independently,” he said. “Improvements can be made to Kissel Road most likely yet this year and the town hall project can still move forward as well.”
The town’s transportation plan ultimately calls for a double-lane roundabout at Oak Street and Kissel Road, but the estimated $1.6 million project is not yet funded.
“This intersection study will determine how soon (the roundabout) is put into the budget process,” Haak said. “It will tell us how long the signal could last to meet acceptable service levels.”
Some residents have requested lower speed limits on Oak Street, but state law restricts the town from adjusting them without first completing the study.
