by Dennis Dalman
The Sartell city engineer will check traffic speed patterns on 19th Avenue and report back to the city council at an upcoming meeting.
The request was made by council member David Peterson, who said he and residents who live along that road have become concerned about motorists exceeding the speed limit, especially in the neighborhood area just north of 2-1/2 Street.
Peterson said on the southern stretch of 19th Avenue, motorists drive 40 to 45 mph, but then they tend to coast northbound until they get to the neighborhood area where the posted speed is 30 mph. And by that time, most are still going over the posted speed, Peterson said.
Peterson said he walks in that area and notices the excessive speeds quite often. Peterson suggested another sign should be posted so motorists will know they must de-accelerate by the time they reach the residential area.
Another concern in that area, Peterson said, is that more and more motorists are using Grizzly Lane in that neighborhood as a “short-cut” to go east and west rather than using 2-1/2 Street or other routes. Grizzly Lane, he said, is a residential road with lots of kids along its winding way. Posting more speed-limit signs along Grizzly Lane, Peterson said, might help and certainly wouldn’t hurt anything. The current speed limit on that road is 30 mph.
Sartell City Engineer Jon Halter agreed with Peterson that Grizzly Lane does seemed to be used increasingly as a shortcut through road, for which it was not designed.
The traffic concerns will be revisited at a future council meeting.
