NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The study session on the 30th and Lucille intersection has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall. Mayor John Richardson notes that the now full five person council is going to do a study session on the issue to get the new members, Stacy Goss and Stuart Conklin, up to speed.
"It's really digging into all of the different factors going into making a decision on what can happen with that intersection," Richardson said. "It's a public meeting, but it's really there for, especially the new council members to learn more about the history of this situation."
A temporary traffic light was put up at 30th and Lucille during the construction of the 43rd Avenue bridge over the Union Pacific railroad tracks. During that period, the pandemic and a shortage of bus drivers got more parents than ever in the habit of driving their kids to Prairie Hills Middle School, which is on Lucille between 30th and 43rd.
"The light that was put in, is not to KDOT standards, as I understand it," Richardson said. "It was not a full time designed light. It was just a temporary situation."
According to traffic studies, there is not enough traffic for enough hours of the day to warrant a full time light and even putting in a part-time light runs up against logistical concerns, because the city doesn't own all the land necessary to do that.
"What are we going to do moving forward in regard to having a study done, or engineering done on how that design would look for that intersection?" Richardson said. "To me, it's more of a question and answer for some of the new City Council members, with the engineering firm, with City engineering, on what can be done at this intersection."
Again, the meeting is Tuesday at 5 p.m. at City Hall in Hutchinson.
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