Which street improvement projects should be done in Decorah in 2019?

Posted: Tue, Feb 5, 2019 9:43 AM

A sketch of the proposed Broadway/Winnebago traffic calming project

Nearly $600,000 worth of street projects could be done in Decorah later this year, with another $750,000 in reimbursable projects also being considered.

The street project list includes $500,000 of sidewalk construction in the Bruening Addition, with the money coming from special property tax assessments; $250,000 in costs for replacing the Oneota Drive Bridge, with money mostly coming from outside sources; $129,000 in costs for work on the southern end of Short Street, past Pizza Hut; and $221,000 worth of work on the Upper and Lower Co-op Parking lots (although part of that project could be postponed),

But it is a proposed $85,000 project which has drawn the most discussion by city council members. That project—redoing the Broadway Street and Winnebago Street intersection—is one of the recent recommendations by the Decorah Community Visioning group. The "traffic calming" project would create bump-outs on the remaining three corners of the intersection which don't have bump-outs. Surveys by the group showed that more than 50 kids and parents typically try to walk across the intersection after school. Another 70 kids head to Decorah High School for cross country practices in season. All that makes the intersection a high-traffic, important crossing for pedestrians.

City council member Randy Schissel says there are a lot of Decorah streets in poor condition and repairing those would be a better use of the $85,000. "It's not money well spent," he said. But fellow city council members Ross Hadley and Johanna Bergan disagree, with Bergan saying she's happy to see city officials accept one of the recommendations of the Community Visioning group.