The most notable part of the $4.75 million proposal would reduce the street from four lanes to three lanes between Second Avenue North and 20th Avenue North. Bike lanes would also be added along that stretch.

Engineers say the three-lane configuration will make the road safer.

Many citizens apparently aren’t buying it.

“To disrupt the dynamics of the flow of traffic makes no sense,” said Fort Dodge resident Tom Heman.

The proposal was outlined during a public meeting Tuesday evening. There was no formal presentation. Instead, maps and diagrams were displayed in the City Council meeting room and residents had the opportunity to talk to engineers.

Major elements of the project are:

• Reconfiguring the street from four lanes to three lanes.

• Rebuilding the intersection of Second Avenue North and 15th Street.

• Concrete patching between Third Avenue North and Floral Avenue.

• Repaving between the bridge over Soldier Creek and 20th Avenue North.

• Installing new traffic lights.

• Marking the street to provide northbound and southbound bike lanes.

• Removing some trees to improve visibility.

The reduction of the number of traffic lanes is the most contentious aspect of the proposal.

Currently, the street has two lanes of northbound traffic and two lanes of southbound traffic.

The proposal would create one northbound lane, one southbound lane and a center turning lane.

It would also add marked bicycle lanes on the northbound and southbound sides.

Todd Knox, an engineer with Snyder and Associates of Ankeny who is working on the plan, said the purpose of reducing the number of lanes is to “try to minimize left turn crashes.”

He said a similar reduction from four lanes to three lanes has been done in other Iowa communities.

“Usually what we see is a reduction in crashes and traffic remains the same,” Knox said.

Iowa Department of Transportation statistics from Jan. 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, show 26 crashes on 15th Street between Second Avenue North and 20th Avenue North.

According to those figures, the area around Second Avenue North is the leading location for those crashes, with a total of eight. Four occurred in the intersection and four happened at a driveway into a nearby business.

The intersections with Seventh Avenue North and 20th Avenue each were the site of three crashes.

The other wrecks were scattered throughout the proposed project area.

The state Department of Transportation has budgeted $2.25 million for the project.

The city government would have to provide the rest of the money.

The City Council will consider accepting the state money during one of its June meetings. The council will meet June 9 and June 23. Which meeting that item will be considered at has not been decided yet.

If the project is eventually approved, construction would begin in April 2026 and run through that year’s construction season. If necessary, work would resume in April 2027.