Motorists wait on Center Street in both directions to turn into the drive-thru lane at Dunkin’, 2234 E. Center St., in Warsaw. The photo was taken about 8 a.m. on Friday, April 30. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Management at Warsaw’s Dunkin’ is working on preventing drive-thru traffic from spilling out into Center Street.

The Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission learned that news at its Wednesday, May 5, meeting.

Commission Member and Warsaw Traffic Safety Commissioner Lance Grubbs said he had talked with management at the store, located at 2234 E. Center St.

The store opened more than two years ago and officials soon noticed that traffic in both directions was sometimes getting backed up as motorists wait to turn into the drive-thru.

“The initial manager thought (the problem was) because of the pandemic, now they’re saying it’s going to be a little more permanent than what they initially thought because not as many people are going inside,” said Grubbs.

Management has seen the issue, said Grubbs, and is trying to work out an “inexpensive” solution such as using traffic cones to create another drive-thru lane.

The company will get back with Grubbs later about its intended solution, he said.

In other business, the commission:

• Heard traffic statistics on Parent Drive from Commission Member and Warsaw Police Capt. Joel Beam.

In the fall, the commission had heard residents complain about speeding in that area. At its March meeting, the commission had heard suggestions from Commission Member and Warsaw City Planner Justin Taylor on how to potentially slow down traffic in the area.

However, after discussing that with Petro Drive opening up again and hearing from Beam then that documentation showed speeding was not really a problem there, the commission decided to take no action on the issue.

The statistics Beam gave Wednesday showed that vehicles were averaging 19.854 mph in the 25 mph zone and only 0.34% of vehicles were going 10 or more mph over the speed limit.

Beam also added that Warsaw Police worked with the Street Department to post more speed limit signs and will continue to monitor the situation.

• Heard from Commission Member and Warsaw City Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins.

“On the northwest corner of the intersection of Buffalo and Market (streets), people are making their own parking space using the back of the crosswalk as the white line and even though it’s painted yellow there … almost every day someone’s parking in that space,” she said.

Commission Member and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer added the same problem was at the southeast corner of Center and Buffalo streets.

Beam said parking control was to work on the issue.

• Agreed to formally set the speed limit on Shelden Street from CR 300N to Detroit Street as 35 mph.

Signage already states that to be the case in the area, but that speed limit was not officially in a Warsaw ordinance.

• Heard that a resident had requested to make a portion of Clark Street one-way.

That’s due to people parking on the street and making it difficult for two lanes of traffic to travel through, the person said in their request.

They also complained about a truck parked illegally on the corner of Clark Street and Park Avenue that impeded views of traffic.

Beam said he was to work on the issue.

The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 2, at City Hall.