The petition crafted by Tom Hemann and Richard Higgins asks Fort Dodge City Council members to vote against a plan that would change the roadway from four lanes to three lanes between Second Avenue North and 20th Avenue North.

Hemann and Higgins say they already have 315 signatures.

The two spent part of Sunday afternoon sitting in the City Square with petitions for people to sign. They plan to be back in the square on Saturday following the Frontier Days parade.

Hemann said the switch to three lanes would create more traffic problems.

“To disrupt the dynamics of the flow of traffic makes no sense,” he said.

Higgins added that the city government has more important projects to spend its road money on.

Currently, that section of North 15th Street has two northbound lanes and two southbound lanes. The proposal calls for one northbound lane and one southbound lane with a center turning lane in the middle.

During a May 20 public meeting, engineers from Snyder and Associates, of Ankeny, said the project would make the road safer.

“Usually what we see is a reduction in crashes and traffic remains the same,” Todd Knox, an engineer, said at that time.

Major elements of the project include:

• Reconfiguring the street from four lanes to three lanes between Second and 20th avenues north.

• Rebuilding the intersection of Second Avenue North and North 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 project has a $4.75 million estimated cost. About $2.25 million of that money would come from the state, with the rest coming from the city.