The Perry City Council met for a special work session Monday morning.

The purpose of the meeting was to go over the proposed lane conversion from four to three on 1st Street/Highway 144. Representatives from City Engineering firm Bolton and Menk and the Iowa Department of Transportation were on hand to answer questions from the Council and the public regarding the contentious topic. Bolten and Menk Senior Traffic Engineer Jen McCoy showed a video on the benefits of three lanes compared to four, which included testimonials from other cities that have made such a switch.

She pointed out that with the current four-lane configuration on 1st Street, Perry has experienced three times as many wrecks as the statewide average for similar roads. The only place there was an exception is the portion of the highway between Otley and Bateman streets, where the three-lane configuration is already in use, and wrecks have decreased by 70% in the last three years. After the presentation, the attendees had an opportunity to ask questions. The Council members said many in the community have spoke to them stating their opposition to the change. To address that, the City is planning to have several public education and outreach meetings in the coming months.

There were no decisions made during the session, though the Council felt more confident that the lane conversion is the right course of action. Anyone wanting to learn more or to voice their concerns on the project is encouraged to contact Perry City Hall at 515-465-2481.