Dalton tackles traffic problems today

DALTON GARDENS — Ideas for solving the traffic congestion and speeding problems in Dalton Gardens will be brainstormed during a workshop and special City Council meeting tonight.

The workshop will be held at 4 p.m. in person and via Zoom. Attendees will be able to share ideas with HMH Engineering co-founder and civil engineer Matt Hall, who will then present the "plan to lessen traffic in Dalton Gardens for the safety of life for the residents" during the City Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.

"We have handouts on traffic-calming measures," Hall said Wednesday. "It's a public workshop to get people's ideas and see what people would be interested in, trying to lessen the traffic."

Hall and colleagues have already delivered a couple presentations on traffic-calming measures, such as speed humps, speed tables, narrowing lane widths and traffic circles.

"So far, there's been no consensus on implementing any of those measures," Hall said.

Speed and traffic on Fourth and 15th streets have been thorny issues for a while as Kootenai County grows and people find alternative routes to U.S. 95 and Government Way.

"Fourth and 15th Street are the real hotbeds," Hall said. "If you attend the meeting or read the comments, it’s a twofold thing: the volume of traffic and the speed of the traffic."

Hall said some drive as fast as 50 and 70 mph on those streets.

"Kids are riding bikes — all the mailboxes are across the street," he said. "How would you feel if you were standing out front talking to your neighbor and somebody came down your residential street at 50 miles per hour?"

At the March 4 council meeting, several public comments were collected:

"Traffic on Fourth Street is horrendous and something needs to be done;" "Increased traffic through Dalton completely changes the atmosphere of why most of us moved to Dalton, for the quiet enjoyments of the area. It also increases pollution in our streets and is a safety risk for our children and pets, as many do not follow the speed limit."

"We’re not saying you can’t drive through Dalton," Hall said, "but people could be a little more respectful."

Info: https://daltongardens.govoffice.com/