By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — A hodgepodge of topics were discussed at Wednesday’s, Aug. 6, short Warsaw Traffic Commission meeting, including statistics for the number of stop-arm violations since the beginning of the school year and for US 30 crashes and citations.

Warsaw Community Schools Transportation Director Mark Fick said since the start of the 2023-24 school year, “We’ve had 33 stop-arm violations, eight at Papa John’s (on Center Street). One was caught by a driver, as far as getting a license plate, and another was caught by police.”

Out of the 33 violations, he said they were able to get license plates on 14 of those to forward on to the prosecutor’s office. License plates couldn’t be read on the other 19 vehicles.

“Actually, I think we had a lot of tickets throughout the school zones. They’ve been really ramping it up, especially Harrison, the Lincoln area and Jefferson,” Fick said of the police patrols for stop-arm violations.

Warsaw Police Department Capt. Joel Beam added Lakeview Middle School to that list.

“I’ve had two stop-arm violations just at Jefferson alone. Police actually sit at the fire station and (drivers) pull right through it,” Fick said.

He said stop-arm violations are pretty scattered all over the county but what they’re doing to stop violators is working.
WCS’s first student day was Aug. 11.

Beam had some statistics of his own for US 30 through Warsaw.

In August 2022, there were 10 accidents and 84 citations. For August 2023, there were 11 crashes, 134 citations and 12 arrests.

“So we are ramping up our patrol on U.S. 30 and I just wanted to share those stats,” Beam said.

Traffic Administrator Lance Grubbs asked if there was a concentrated effort on U.S. 30 last August. Beam said there was not because they didn’t have the manpower.

Warsaw Public Works and Streets Superintendent Dustin Dillon reported a citizen’s request for stop lines and pedestrian crossing painted on Sheridan Street for Lincoln Elementary School student safety has been addressed.

“I’d say we probably completed this before school started. The request came in. There was just kind of two faint lines left as far as just the 4-inch line crosswalk lines, so we put the piano key-style crosswalks in that area,” he said, to make sure no one could miss the crossing and kids could approach school safely. “That is taken care of now and I have not received any other complaints or really feedback on that matter, so I think we’re good there.”

Grubbs asked if the concern had came in through the police station. Beam said it had through a civic post request and was forwarded to both Dillon and Grubbs.

“Dustin, I appreciate you taking care of that,” Beam stated.

Grubbs said he appreciated it when people used that avenue to bring a concern up to the city’s attention.

Dillon said the crossing lines were there, but they were faded and outdated. “As many kids walk in the Lincoln School district, it was better to put the … more flamboyant crosswalk across there to make sure everyone can see it,” he said.
Grubbs then asked Dillon to give them an update on the street paving schedule.

Dillon said Wednesday they had to slow down the schedule a little bit, which probably put them a day back. Barring bad weather, it’s planned for Country Club and Ranch Road to be paved Thursday, Sept. 7. Ranch Road and County Farm Road will be a part of the paving Thursday as well. Jefferson Street will be finished Friday and Saturday.

“The plan is that we’ll have a week gap and then they’ll come back downtown. Phend & Brown will be downtown to start milling Center and Buffalo streets the week of the 21st. And that should be completed the following week on the 24th. That’s the current schedule,” Dillon said.

Third Friday is downtown on Sept. 15 so that’s why the work downtown will pause until Sept. 21.

“But things are going very smooth. Not a whole lot of headache or a whole lot of traffic complaints. They’ve done a good job of keeping things moving. It’ll be nice when it’s all completed,” Dillon said.

He later told the commission that about 18 different road segments are being striped and hopefully will be finished by the end of this week. Those include South High Street, South Indiana Street and North Indiana Street, which have recently been repaved.

Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins, a member of the Traffic Commission, told the rest of the board she was happy to have the new parking control officer downtown. “He’s doing a great job,” she said.

Dalis Owens began with the WPD as the parking control officer in August.

Grubbs said Owens wrote him a ticket, and Dobbins mentioned that one of the city council members also received one.
Traffic Commission member Connie Fribley said she noticed there was some new paving on Smith Street at the railroad. She asked if the city did or didn’t do that.

Dillon said the city does not pave at the railroad crossing. The city graded all the railroad crossings and the mayor got in touch with both of the railroad companies. While Pope Street finally got fixed, he said they’re still waiting on the Main Street crossing to be fixed.

“It’s a big improvement,” Fribley said of the Pope Street crossing.

“They did a nice job on it,” Dillon agreed. “Hopefully, it’ll hold together a little better as well.”

Council President Jack Wilhite, also a commission member, told Dillon that he really liked what he did to the sidewalk at the corner of Center and Buffalo streets next to City Hall. “That’s really nice,” he said.

Dobbins agreed with Wilhite and said she was glad the sidewalk was fixed.

“I was afraid someone was going to fall because there was that big step there,” she said.

Wilhite said the corner was awkward before and it’s better now.

The sidewalk corner was re-engineered and lowered on the side and given some directional crosswalks. The corner is more ADA-friendly.

Wilhite also reported that at the last common council meeting in August, the council approved the traffic signs updates ordinance on first and second reading.

The next Traffic Commission is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct 4 in the council chambers at City Hall.