The ongoing logic of the Minnesota Department of Transportation overwhelms and confuses me. With a new four-lane highway going through my community of Spicer, life in our city has changed, and I am not certain that it is for the better.
Initially, the traffic on Highway 23 supposedly traveled at 30 mph (occasionally a lot more than that). With the increased lanes, the speed limit is increased to 35 mph. Now, after MnDOT observed traffic through Spicer, it has increased the speed limit to 40 mph. Many people travel five miles over the limit knowing they will not be apprehended by the law enforcement people. That is why people were traveling at 40 mph while the speed limit was 35 mph. Now MnDOT has given us license to travel at 45 mph, which is excessive through our city. Getting across the highway on foot or bicycle is difficult and dangerous, except at the south end of the city where there are two lights. On the north end of Spicer, there are no lights.
In addition, the increased speed limit to 55 mph used to be just south of Medayto Street (by the funeral home) during the era of two-lane highway. Now it is at Miller Street (by the former bank), which was closed in an agreement with MnDOT. Does MnDOT consider the location of County Highway 10 the center of Spicer, because when you pass the sign for 55 mph, you are still in the city for nearly a mile. I live on Medayto Street and frequently enter the highway from this location, which is a right and left turn street. With traffic going approximately 60 mph, getting across is nearly impossible and certainly dangerous.
The four-lane highway succeeded in dividing our city. Increasing the speeds only provides a greater division. Most important of all is the safety of city residents. MnDOT should consider this and enable more people crossing the highway to get to their destinations quickly and safely. It seems that MnDOT is concerned only about the people driving through Spicer and not about the citizens of Spicer.
Janice Carlson
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Spicer
