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Ely could be down to one stoplight, that much was clear after two public meetings last week hosted by MNDOT.
While the state agency moves slower than molasses, this could happen within the next four years. Or 10 years. Or longer. No matter what, it will take some help from St. Paul to keep the stoplight at Third Avenue.
No matter how you feel, do fill out the online survey to let MNDOT know your thoughts. It can be found at the agency’s website under District One.
Business owners at the first meeting made it clear they want both lights to remain. MNDOT made it clear the cost would likely exceed $1 million and the city would be on the hook for half the costs for Third Avenue. For the lights at Central Avenue, the other half would be picked up by St. Louis County.
The Ely city council had members in attendance for both meetings and council member Angela Campbell made it clear when she said, “We really need those lights.”
Even city clerk Harold Langowski underscored the need for the two stoplights when he arrived late for the first meeting.
“The reason I was late was I couldn’t get across on Second Avenue,” said Langowski.
Ely mayor Heidi Omerza said safety is a main factor in this decision and noted, “We are a tourist town year-round.”
Omerza went on to say she has watched people make a U-turn on Sheridan Street after getting frustrated when traffic backs up. Losing stoplights will only make the problem worse.
“A lot of people use signalized intersections to get across Sheridan Street. If you’re trying to make a left turn, good luck. I think the more opportunity to have a signalized intersection, the better. We need to slow some traffic down.”
Jay Poshak, who along with his wife, own KJ’s Hardware at Third along with a business on Chapman Street, advocated for the stoplights and pointed out the number of vehicles pulling trailers through town.
While MNDOT officials said they have nothing budgeted for this project, Langowski said the city would have to bond for the monies. Or, look to St. Paul. State Rep. Roger Skraba (R-Ely) is a former Ely mayor and said he would pursue funding for the project in St. Paul to replace the 31-year old traffic lights.
“As a legislator, I’ll find you the money,” said Skraba.
Langowski said he has been advocating for a complete redo of Sheridan Street, something that was last done in 1990.
There was also discussion of traffic issues at the current location of Zup’s grocery store. Funding was the clear roadblock to putting stoplights there.
“We don’t have a half million or a million to put a signal there,” said Langowski.
MNDOT officials made it clear a mini-roundabout would work in the existing footprint at Third Avenue. The concrete structure would be built so trucks could drive over it. Not sure how that would work with people bouncing boats on trailers however.
“Thinking of our population and tourism and what I see coming into Ely, with a mini roundabout I get really stressed out,” said Omerza. “To navigate a roundabout with a camper would be stressful. Some of that gives me a lot of heartburn.”
Questions were also raised about pedestrians crossing at a roundabout, which MNDOT said wouldn’t be a problem.
“It’s hard for me to believe it would be safe for a roundabout in a city,” said council member Paul Kess.
The good news is if the city doesn’t want a roundabout then it is unlikely to happen. Unless that decision is made by the agency and forced upon the community.
Replacing the stoplights just makes sense. “It boils down to safety for both intersections because of the geometry of the hills,” said Poshak.
At the general public meeting, resident Larry Polyner made a strong case to keep the lights.
“We need the two lights. I live on the north side of Sheridan and if I want to get to services in town, at the bank, at the grocery store or wherever, I need to cross Sheridan. What I’ve experienced crossing Sheridan at First or Second Avenue and you get a car parked even through there is a yellow curb and somebody wants to get to a restaurant or a shop and they have a van or a canoe on top, you have to creep out and the front of your truck is already out in the driving lane,” said Polyner. “If you have someone coming at high rate of speed it gets to be very difficult and is a very unsafe situation. I think the hill complicates the matters and sight distances. My only request is you replace the lights at the same locations. It’s difficult to get across Sheridan without the two lights.”
Council member Al Forsman said he lives closer to Sixth Avenue “but I’ll go down to Third to cross.”
Skraba remarked, “If we have mining here and you have big trucks here and you put a roundabout I hope you have money to build a road around town. We already have Pulsar Helium coming. We have a lot of traffic from Hwy. 53 to Hwy. 61 hauling oversize loads. When you start putting roundabouts in, my point is, I look at this community as a very good potential for growth.”
Let’s hope common sense prevails and we don’t lose another stoplight in this town like we did at First Avenue East.
