The Carroll City Council approved an unscheduled $13,000 expenditure for pedestrian crossing improvements on Highway 30 after receiving a letter from Disability Rights Iowa (DRI) addressing accessibility concerns. A letter from DRI, dated Sept. 30, 2025, states that a visually impaired Carroll resident, who would be considered a protected class under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has had difficulty crossing the highway after the traffic light deactivations at Adams and Court Streets. Public Works Director Randy Krauel says DRI is requesting the city install new equipment at the intersections to comply with ADA requirements.
Accessible pedestrian crossings can become quite costly quickly, and with new traffic signals slated for installation likely in Fiscal Year (FY) 2028, the city offered an interim solution to reduce overall costs.
Those notifications would come via an audible message from the signals, once they are operational. The estimated cost for that equipment and installation is $12,960, which should be added to the crossings within 90 days. The council favored the plan, and At-Large Councilman Jeff Cayler and Ward 2 Councilman Jason Atherton questioned whether this equipment can be repurposed after the entire system is replaced in a couple of years. Krauel says such a move is unlikely to be feasible.
Krauel adds that this solution simply announces the crossing signal’s status, either “walk” or “don’t walk.” Any more complicated system would significantly increase the overall cost, which the city would like to avoid, as that equipment will be included in the planned system overhaul. The council voted unanimously to approve a motion from Atherton to move forward with the signal installation at Main and Clark Streets.
