“This whole project is about improving vehicular and pedestrian safety,” said Schaeffer. “That’s why the State of Iowa gets involved in these projects because they want to see those safety improvements. Our goals with this project are to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety along the corridor, improve vehicle rideability, upgrade sidewalk ramps to ADA requirements, to replace traffic signals because they’re old and antiquated and hard to find parts for, and to reconstruct the North 15th Street and Second Avenue intersection to fix the offset intersection and improve capacity.”

The project to be presented to the City Council Monday evening is divided into five divisions along North 15th Street with the hope to convert the four-lane roadway to three lanes for safety reasons, as well as to replace outdated traffic signals and to repair roads.

The project has been in the works since 2016 when a study of the corridor was done by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). From that study, the DOT determined that based on traffic patterns and crash data 15th Street was a candidate for converting the four-lane road to three-lanes.

“We have been looking at different options and funding mechanisms since the DOT’s report,” said Schaeffer. “Each division has different road needs, but for example at the 15th Street and Second Avenue intersection, we’re looking a block to the south and to the north for the reconstruction area. We’re going to do concrete replacement, sidewalks, traffic signal replacements. The reason we’re doing that is that the north leg and the south leg of the intersection are offset from each other. When you come up to that, it’s just an awkward intersection. We know it’s a problem. What this does is basically puts a curve in the middle of that intersection to make that transition. We also have water main, storm sewer, traffic signals, we need to replace in that intersection.”

-Submitted image
The map below shows the affected area of the intersection of Second Avenue North and 15th Street. North is at the left side of the image.

Schaeffer also noted that as the project moves north from that intersection, the four lane to three lane conversion begins. Currently there are no turn lanes and cars driving the same direction must drive fairly close to one another in order to stay in their lanes.

“The conversion would change that,” said Schaeffer. “There would be more room for a vehicle between it and oncoming traffic and also between the vehicle and the curb and pedestrians. It moves cars away from the curb. It will make it safer for vehicles and for those using the sidewalks. Not to mention that instead of turning through multiple lanes of traffic where visibility might be difficult, you’ll have one. This project is about safety. The DOT has said it’s about safety and the data shows that. It also shows that the conversions that we’ve done in the past have been successful with 45 and 50 percent reductions in traffic accidents.”

The conversion project would not change the width of the 45-foot roadway, but instead would allow greater distance between vehicles and more space for pedestrians.

“This project isn’t adding or changing the width of the road,” said Schaeffer. “It’s about the pavement markings and making it safer for vehicles and for pedestrians. That 12-foot, two-way left turn lane and additional space away from the curb for drivers is going to create less opportunities for accidents.”

According to Schaeffer, as part of the project, the roads will be patched, sidewalk ramps replaced and pavement on both sides of the Soldier Creek bridge will be replaced. New traffic signals would also be placed at Second Avenue North, Sixth Avenue North, and Seventh Avenue North.

-Submitted image
The project will begin at First Avenue North and 15th Street and end at 20th Avenue North (top left image).

According to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Crash Analysis Tool, there were 73 crashes on 15th Street from Fifth Avenue South to First Avenue North from January 2016 to December 2019 prior to it being converted to three lanes. Following the conversion, there were 40 crashes from January 2021 to December 2024.

On Fifth Avenue South from South 32nd Street to South 42nd Street there were 50 crashes between January 2009 and June 2012 before it was converted to three lanes. Following the conversion, there have been only 25 crashes between January 2022 and April 2025.

“The conversion to three lanes provides more space for vehicles as well as less chances for accidents,” said Schaeffer.

Some Fort Dodge residents have voiced concern about congestion on the street with the reduction from four lanes to three. According to historical data from the DOT, just over 10,000 cars traveled North 15th Street daily in 2019, the same as in 2015, and down from 1978. The numbers were similar for DOT data points in 1962, 1968, and down in 1974 to 9,000 cars daily.

“From a congestion standpoint, we’ve heard people compare what we’ve done at First Avenue South and 15th Street on Central and 15th and I will agree with you that it does get congested at certain times of day,” said Schaeffer. “But at Second Avenue North, Sixth and Seventh, the traffic is not the same. Right out here on First Avenue South and 15th Street you have almost equal traffic. There’s 9,000 cars going east and west and there’s 9,000 cars going north and south. Especially at Sixth and Seventh there’s only 3,000 cars a day going east and west so it’s a third of the traffic going east and west. It’s not the same traffic data. Studies nationwide for three lane roadways are showing that 18,000 vehicles a day is capacity. We’re half of that.”

-Submitted image
The image at bottom left shows how the conversion of North 15th Street from four lanes to three lanes will look at street level.

The project — if all five divisions are done — is approximately a $5 million project. If only individual divisions are done, the cost is obviously less.

The city received $370,00 in Transportation Safety Improvement Program (TSIP) grant funding in 2017 and $500,000 in 2019 for the 15th Street and First Avenue South project. The city was also awarded $2 million in State Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funding in 2022 and $500,000 in TSIP funding in 2024 for this project.

On Monday, leaders will ask the City Council to look at project costs for each individual division with the hope that at least divisions one and two will be strongly considered. Division one is First Avenue North to Fourth Avenue North and division two is Fourth Avenue North to Seventh Avenue North.

Total project cost for division one is $2,620,000. The city already has $2 million in DOT funding, so the city would have to fund $620,000.

Total project cost for division one and two is $3,610,000 with the $2 million in DOT funding, meaning the city would have to fund $1,610,000.

If the council were to consider the project in its entirety, the total project cost would be $4,945,00. The DOT is able to grant the city $2.5 million, so the city would have to fund $2,445,000 for the project.

“The state is offering that additional half million only if we do the entire five divisions,” said Schaeffer.

The city-funded portion of the project would be funded through the one-cent local option sales tax, and Schaeffer noted there will not be an added tax for residents.

“We do a five-year capital improvements plan every year,” said Schaeffer. “These projects are all laid out in that plan and it’s laid out as to how the funding will occur. For this project, any funds that are not the DOT grant funds will come from our one-cent local option sales tax that is specifically for infrastructure projects. I’ve allocated $2.5 million of local option sales tax for this project. If the project gets smaller and our piece of the pie gets smaller that we’re responsible for, then obviously we’re going to save some money there.”

The City Council will hear from Snyder & Associates and Schaeffer at 5 p.m. Monday in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S.. As the presentation is part of a council workshop, a vote will not happen.

Project History

2016: Corridor study of 15th Street from Fifth Avenue South to 20th Avenue North

2017: Iowa DOT recognized 15th Street as a candidate corridor for a four-lane to three-lane conversion

2017: Received $370,000 in TSIP for First Avenue South and 15th Street project

2018: Received $500,000 in TSIP for First Avenue South and 15th Street project

2019-2021: Construction of First Avenue South and 15th Street project

2021: Applied for and did not receive STBG for current North 15th Street project

2022: Awarded $2 million in STBG for the current North 15th Street project

2024: Awarded $500,000 in TSIP for the current North 15th Street project

2025: Snyder & Associates hired to design the current North 15th Street project

2026: Construction planned for current North 15th Street project

Crash Data

Four-lane to three-lane success in Fort Dodge

15th Street: from Fifth Avenue South to First Avenue North: 45 percent reduction

73 crashes prior to conversion (January 2016-December 2019)

40 crashes after conversion (January 2021-December 2024)

Fifth Avenue South from South 32nd Street to South 42nd Street: 50 percent reduction

50 crashes prior to conversion (January 2009-June 2012)

25 crashes after conversion (January 2022-April 2025)

–Iowa Crash Analysis, Iowa Department of Transportation