The Indianola City Council gave direction to city staff to install a temporary stop sign on the intersection of N 9th St. and Iowa Ave at their meeting Monday, after the area has seen additional traffic due to the construction on Hillcrest as well as being near Indianola High School. City Manager Ben Reeves tells KNIA News the council wanted to be proactive in putting in a temporary stop sign to prevent a multi-vehicle or pedestrian accident, but the city wanted to be cautious in recommending one be put in as they can often lead to different kinds of danger.

“We are worried about the perceived safety that a stop sign creates. Sometimes people will dart across an intersection, especially pedestrians, and they may not be as safe as they think they are. We are also worried about cars backing up all the way to the Summerset Trail, and the impact that that can have on pedestrian traffic crossing there. So we are going to keep a very close eye on it, making sure that this stop sign that is being put in in a temporary fashion helps to better the overall impact to the community and not create more impact than it already has.”

The stop sign will be in place through the end of the summer, and the council will re-evaluate if it will be necessary to keep one in the intersection permanently. Hear more on today’s Let’s Talk Indianola.