Dunkin’ Works On Keeping Traffic From Oozing Onto Center Street
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Warsaw’s Dunkin’ has made some changes to alleviate its drive-thru traffic spilling onto Center Street.
The Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission heard that report at its meeting on Wednesday, June 2, at Warsaw City Hall.
The business, located at 2234 E. Center St., has used traffic cones to create two lanes for the drive-thru and put out a sign instructing patrons where to go.
Commission Member and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said some people haven’t been following the system properly.
“If people would follow directions once they’d get on the parking lot, it might help,” said Thallemer. “But I went by the other day, people were all backed up and they were just using one lane. People were afraid to go to the other side, that they’d get out of line or something.”
“So I don’t know if you need to talk to them about having someone out there,” he continued. “They had kind of a handmade sign out there. I think they need better signage to talk about alternating back and forth because … it was all set up and people still weren’t using it.”
Thallemer said he had observed people using it properly other times though.
Via Facebook comments she had seen, Commission Member and Warsaw City Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins concurred that the system also worked out well if people followed it properly.
Commission Member and Warsaw Traffic Safety Commissioner Lance Grubbs said he would talk with Dunkin’ leadership about its next steps. He added he was grateful that Dunkin’ had tried to work out a solution.
Traffic Lights
Also at the meeting, Commission Member Connie Fribley inquired about the traffic light project at Center and Market streets.
People have expressed frustrations to her about traffic being backed up there because of additional lights being placed before the railroad tracks.
“I did get ahold of the INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) director over at the Fort Wayne district and talked to him at length,” said Thallemer of the project. “I was told that there was still some problems in the switching equipment in the box that’s not timed all those loops together. So I think there are still some mechanical issues that they have not worked out in addition to timing issues, so we will not settle for the way it is. And it’s our understanding that there’s still work that needs to be done. And not just on the signals, but you know that road project should have been done and it’s still sitting there.”
“So INDOT has had some difficulties with the railroad to try and get that finished and you know as far as the road side, but I still feel that there’s plenty of room for improvement,” he said.
SR 15 Will Be Closed
The commission also heard from Thallemer that a portion of SR 15 is to be closed in the city in a few weeks.
“CFE (Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad), the east-west tracks, are going to come in. They’re going to close down SR 15 at the railroad crossing right just south of Little Crow (Lofts) within the next couple of weeks for about five days,” he said. “There will be a state road detour that INDOT will approve … Local detours are up to the city.”
He said leaders were working on where to make the local detour and that he asked if workers could start the project on the weekend, so the area would not be closed down for a full workweek. He said that the request might be granted.
The actual time of the project has not been set.
In other business, the commission:
- Heard a reminder from Commission member and Warsaw Police Capt. Joel Beam about driving safely around children.
He offered that reminder since children will be out playing more now that the school year is over. He added that people still should be on the lookout for school buses related to summer school.
The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 7, at City Hall.