Novak Elementary Safety: Who Should Pay $40,000 to Address Traffic Concerns? Are Those Concerns Valid?

The accident rate on a stretch of road near Novak Elementary that some call dangerous is at an acceptable level, according to a Marion Engineering Department reports.

There's been seven accidents - all minor, and none involving a pedestrian - in the past five years on 29th Avenue, between 3rd and 5th Streets, according to the engineering department.

When the city meets this week, they will receive a report exploring concerns about safety around Novak Elementary.

An older brother spoke before city officials in December expressing his concern that the stetch of road is hazardous. His younger sister attends school at Novak.

Read more:

Linn-Mar Student Expresses Concern for Younger Sister to City Council Members

Some have called for a four-way stop sign there, but that would likely push traffic into residential neighborhoods and cause more safety hazards for local children.

While the engineering department is content with the way things are, it did in the report offer the potential for a "Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Traffic Signal," which in layman's terms is a blinking light for pedestrians.

That may be the most effective option if the city were to act, City Manager Lon Pluckhahn said. However, it also would cost $40,000 to $45,000.

Then the question is who pays for it. The city? The school? Residents?

The report suggested the city pick up the tab with the help of tax increment financing and support from the Linn-Mar School District. The cost would also spread to Marion Independent parents as well.