The Decorah City Council will likely discuss the current Water Street traffic signal situation at our second meeting of the month on May 18th, 2026, at 5:45 PM. This has been a topic of conversation for many in the community. In my role as a council member, I wanted to gather feedback before that meeting, particularly as a majority of those affected fall within the portion of the community I represent in my ward. In my official capacity, I have heard mixed reviews on this issue, and I wanted to allow community members to share their input directly. I hope to gather as many responses as possible before our May 18th meeting. If you choose to have your input shared, it will be passed directly to council members before that discussion.
Background: Since April 27, 2026, all Water Street signals have been set to flashing red (all-way stops) during the Heivly St & Hwy 9 reconstruction. Prior to implementing the current setup, the council considered a wide range of options for the downtown corridor, including restoring standard signal operation, converting to permanent stop signs, and a phased approach. Due to ongoing community input, this is circling back as a point of conversation, as is the option of maintaining the current configuration through the full construction period, or going in another direction entirely.
Sources: The following official sources were used as background for this form, along with prior council discussion and community feedback received thus far: City of Decorah press release | Iowa DOT notice.
