By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — The Warsaw Traffic Commission appears to have come up with a way to greatly increase traffic flow for motorists passing through the Detroit, Pope, and Prairie Street intersections.

The board has struggled for years to come up with a solution, and on Wednesday threw their support behind a plan that relies on two right-turn only configurations.

The changes, along with some other road improvements, will be done next summer and is expected to cost about $300,000.

 Dustin Dillon, the city's director of Public Works, said the new plan "Hits almost every one of the concerns ... that we've had in the area and at a very cost-effective price," he said.

The changes would result in the following:

Traffic coming east on Prairie (around the corner) will be right turn only on to Pope Street. Motorists headed west on Pope Street will be right turn only heading north to Winona. Those driving south from Winona Avenue (on Detroit Street) will still be permitted to go east on to South Pope or continue on south on South Detroit to Prairie, Dillon said.

The traffic commission looked at numerous options, before turning to a consultant.

“We've looked at all-way stop signs, we've looked at traffic signals, we've looked at the roundabout. This was the simplest, most cost-effective that fit into and with the normal road maintenance that we're going to perform anyway.

Construction of one or two roundabouts as a long-term solution remains an option for the future, but Dillon said that would be years away and would face financial hurdles. 

A long-term plan suggested roundabouts be constructed at Pope and Detroit streets and another at Pope and McClellan streets.

"There's going to have to be a lot more development, a lot more economic triggers ... to get to that point,” he said.

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WARSAW — Long-standing concerns about traffic flow at the corner of Pope and Detroit streets in Warsaw have led the city to consider options to improve the situation.

Problems tend to arise as motorists try to traverse Prairie, Detroit, Pope, and Smith streets near Warsaw Cut Glass.

Traffic tends to back up during certain times of the day.

"At peak times, it's just an inability to have free flow of traffic through that intersection. It's just a very dangerous," said Dustin Dillon, the director of Public Works for Warsaw. "A lot of people are using it as a cut through to avoid the traffic signals ... and it's just a highly used area."

The city has turned to an engineering firm, which will offer some solutions at the July 1 traffic commission meeting.

Without getting into specifics, Dillon said they're looking at a short-term solution and a more expensive long-term plan.

Conversations with the Traffic Commission on the topic have included input from  representatives of Warsaw schools, which use some of those roads to access Lakeview Middle School to the east.

Now that the school district plans to combine both middle schools at Lakeview — in the next five to seven years — Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said those traffic routes become even more important. 

He said they're glad to have a seat at the table during talks and that the issues are now being addressed before the middle school transition.

“We realize that it can get to be a cluster at that intersection because of trains, a three-way intersection, and people coming from all three of those ways without it being a traditional stop,” Hoffert said.

He declined to say what the best solution might be.

“When it comes to our bus routes, we will transform to whatever way works best,” he said.

Hoffert made the comments during a taping of In The Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations. 

[caption id="attachment_132338" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Red lines highlight where traffic congestion tends to build up at the intersection of Pope and Detroit streets in Warsaw.[/caption]

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By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — The Warsaw Traffic Commission on Wednesday recommended to the City Council the passage of an e-bike ordinance that would set policy in several ways.

As the popularity of e-bikes continues, some of the new models can travel as fast as 50 mph, said City Planner Justin Taylor.

The proposal was developed by the Ride+Walk Advisory Committee and would limit e-bikes from traveling any faster than 35 mph on streets and 15 miles per hour on trails, according to a story from the Times-Union.

The bicycle industry is seeing robus sales of e-bikes across the country.

E-bikes accounted for approximately 30% of total U.S. bicycle revenue in 2024, generating roughly $1.63 billion, according to Ebikes International.

Taylor said the new policy is needed for safety reasons.

The estimated number of e-bike injuries in the U.S. jumped from 1,600 in 2018 to over 23,000 in 2022, according to the American College of Surgeons 

The proposal would also prohibit e-bikes from traveling on sidewalks in the downtown business district.

Fines would start at $25 for the first offense and $150 for the third offense.

City Council is expected to review the proposal over the next few weeks before voting.

You can watch the discussion from Wednesday's meeting at the beginning of this link provided by the city.

The post Proposed e-bike ordinance in Warsaw would address several issues appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — In the preliminary plans for Kosciusko Area Bus Service’s deviated fixed route, there are 20 stops, from the Warsaw Community Public Library to Walmart, Martin, Kroger and other locations.

On Wednesday, KABS General Manager Kristin Rude presented the plans to the Warsaw Traffic Commission for their input. She said they’re looking to tentatively implement the route Aug. 5.

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For a larger version of the map,
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“For those unfamiliar with what the deviated route is ... it’s a hybrid model of public transportation. It operates along a set route and schedule but has flexibility to deviate off that route within a defined distance, to pick up and drop off passengers who make advanced reservations,” she explained, adding it combines the reliability of a fixed route and the on-demand services that KABS currently offers.

A deviated fixed route is especially helpful when serving individuals with disabilities, seniors and those who live just outside the walkable corridors for those fixed stops.

“The service is being launched in a direct response to community needs,” Rude said. “So, identified through feedback from riders, employers, INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation), local organizations. Reliable and affordable transportation continues to be a major barrier for employment, healthcare access and independent living for many people who live in Warsaw and the county, but this will specifically service Warsaw.”

In a packet provided to Traffic Commission, it showed the route that KABS is proposing for the deviated fixed route. It is scheduled to start at the library and will loop around every hour, going north up Ind. 15 toward Walmart. It’ll hit a lot of the high-density residential areas, healthcare providers and social service agencies. Rude said they worked closely with the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) to develop the route, as well as INDOT and KABS’ internal development team to develop safe and effective stop locations.

Some of the stops are on public right-of-way, some are on private business property and three are on Ind. 15, which would be INDOT regulated.

The packet she provided to the commission also showed the possible locations for signs for the route.

Warsaw Public Works and Street Superintendent Dustin Dillon asked what the stop timeframe was going to be. Rude said the stops are designed to minimize traffic disruptions, and about 60 seconds or less. An exception to the 60 seconds would be if a passenger is in a wheelchair or has a mobility device.

“Almost all of these stops have either where they can pull to the side of the road and traffic can merge to another lane, or a like a center turn lane, but none of the stops are designed to completely pull off the road except for those at like Walmart and Kroger or the hospital,” Rude said.
If there’s no one at a stop location, the bus won’t stop there.

Traffic Administrator Lance Grubbs said the stop at Harrison and Sheridan was pretty close to the intersection and he would have a problem with that. It was suggested that stop be further north.

Dillon said the concern on Harrison Street was he didn’t know how people were going to get to that stop as there are no sidewalks on Harrison and Sheridan at that area. He had a similar concern with the stop at Husky Trail and CR 200N. Rude said the stop at CR 200N was included in the information but it’s uncertain if they’ll move forward with implementing a stop there.

Warsaw Community Schools Director of Transportation Mark Fick said his concern would be any stops that don’t have sidewalks. Rude said that’s also a concern with the stops along the right side of the road of Ind. 15, as well as there’s not great crossing on Ind. 15.

Grubbs said there’s a problem at Winona Avenue and Buffalo Street, unless the stop is either at the Lighthouse or the old Marsh building.

Warsaw Police Department Capt. Joel Beam said he did like the route overall.

“So, to keep the path, because the goal with this route is to really minimize pulling into parking lots and out of parking lots. It adds a lot of time and, as we’re trying to get as many stops into the route to be able to service as many areas, so that Winona and Buffalo - to keep on that route - I do understand how that intersection could be a problem,” Rude said. She asked if moving that stop back could be a feasible solution.

Rude said the route would run 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. “So every hour on the hour we would be moving through there,” she stated.

Grubbs asked if they had any idea if anyone would actually be boarding or departing the bus at any of the stops.

“It’s really hard to get a full grasp on what our most frequent stops are going to be. This will be a pilot program. We’re running it for two years. We’re going to implement and not make any changes for six months. Six months into it, we find some of these stops we’re getting no foot traffic at all, it could be something we come back, we discuss something a little different, but we don’t want to implement with that goal of ‘this isn’t going to work.’

The research we’ve done, we’ve gotten feedback from the community, we looked at our most frequented stops. We’re currently doing on-demand services to see where the foot traffic will be, so we do believe it’ll be utilized,” Rude said.

“It’s also going to be an education piece with the community because the service is very different from what we offer currently. You just show up and jump on a bus where right now you have to call KABS ahead of time and schedule a ride.”

Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins said she’d like the opportunity to drive the route. Rude said she would follow up on the commission’s suggestions and return to their July 2 meeting.

Jeremy Skinner, Warsaw community and development director, suggested Rude and a team from the city meet and go over the plan so they can understand what changes need to be made. The city team could include Skinner, City Planner Justin Taylor, Mayor Jeff Grose and Dillon. Rude was willing to do that.

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By David Slone
Times-Union

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