Bluffs/Eagle Creek traffic
October 21st, 2008 by 
Alica
I am working on a story for the Brandon Valley Challenger about traffic problems getting in and out of The Bluffs and Eagle Creek. If you live in either of these neighborhoods and have had any trouble making turns onto or off from Holly Boulevard, will you contact me please?
There have been several comments about this topic in another thread on this blog, but I can’t use any of those comments. I need to be able to use the person’s name along with the comment.
If you are willing to talk to me for my story, and let me use your name in the paper, please contact me at apthiele@argusleader.com or 941-0216. I would need to hear from you by end of day Thursday at the latest in order to meet my deadline.
Thanks very much.
Alica P. Thiele, Brandon Valley Challenger reporter
Posted in Uncategorized, Seeking sources | 
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:06 am
I guess that should have been something to think about before buying a house out there. Umm, there are 500 cars that are going to drive past this corner every morning, will I have trouble turning left when I want to go to work??? HELL YES!! This is not the citys problem, the homeowners should have known this was going to be a headache for them.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:09 am
And let me guess you are someone that gets all upset at the people who actually go the speed limit in and out of Brandon. And I notice people speed up when they see traffic trying to get in/out on Holly. And most of us make sure to turn our signal on quite a bit ahead of our turn, but do you think that people want to slow down for us, NO!! If you people would have a little give and take and not just think of yourselves, it would be ok. And yes I think this is the citys problem, we are residents too. How would you react to them slowing down the speed limit AGAIN, lets say to like 35, I would bet that would make your day, not that you or most people heading in or out of Brandon would follow that either. We do need more police in this area in the mornings and around 5. I actually know people who DREAD coming to Brandon because of the way the drivers are, they have said they would rather drive 41st & Louise on a Saturday then come out on any one of the highways to/from Brandon, mainly because of all the tailgating. Now that says something!!
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
#2…Hold on a second while I get my rubber boots on because I feel you are feeding this blog full of crap…I highly doubt our traffic problem can be compared to the busiest traffic intersection in the state of South Dakota! (Louise and 41st)…I agree with #1 on this issue, when you purchased your house in one of these developments, the hwy was already there and everyone knows there is high traffic on this road at certain times of the day. So to me, i would see this as a homeowners fault for not taking that into consideration when purchasing your home.
To me it seems like we always look for someone else to blame (in this case the city AGAIN!) instead of taking blame on yourselves for not addressing the pros and cons of a home purchase.
Maybe people living in the new development North of the fire hall could complain about the smell of the lagoon, maybe people living by corson could complain of Jebco asphalt smell, maybe people could complain about the railroad that goes by their house (same development north of fire hall)..But do they? NO, reason being is lagoons, railroads they were all their before the purchase of their homes…
If you hate traveling to Brandon everyday, then why dont you move to Sioux Falls or maybe get a traffic engineering degree then move back to Brandon and fix the problem yourself smarty-pants!!! Or are you just a coffee drinker that thinks they can solve all the worlds problems?
LIVE–LAUGH–LOVE
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:27 am
I don’t claim to know a whole lot about road construction, but I can definitely see the problem on W. Holly at Eagle Creek. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t the city responsible for entrances to and from new developments? Maybe the developer is, I am not sure. I would bet on one thing for sure, somebody dropped the ball. If I lived out there I guess I would get together with everyone and get something done. That is the only way the city will pay attention……
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
And let me guess # 3 I LOVE Brandon is yet another person who can not stand the speed limits and slowing down to let the homeowners turn into the developments, I understand we chose to live here and DID take the highway and traffic into consideration, but when practically noone follows the speed limits posted for SAFETY reasons, it does make it more difficult to get out on the highway and to slow down to turn into our development. I get nervious when my son is in the car with me and look in my mirror and see someone on my tail to get me to go faster or turn quicker. And this is a daily occurance. I also feel bad for the ones who go to the new daycare Minilynx. I guess maybe your right, I should have been driving on Holly for MONTHS before the final decision was made so that I could see just how rude the drivers are. I am not saying they are the ONLY rude drivers, you have to put up with it everywhere now. Also remember everyone gets to have an opinion and make their own observations, don’t get too upset over what is said here.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:41 pm
To Anonymous #5: Your comments reflect one viewpoint I would like to include in my story, but so far, no one with that viewpoint has identified themselves to me. If you are willing to let me use your name in the paper, along with your comments, would you please contact me at apthiele@argusleader.com or 941-0216?
I would need to hear from you by end of day Thursday, though, in order to meet my deadline.
It will be unfortunate if I end up having to write my story without your type of viewpoint being included.
Thank you.
Alica P. Thiele, Challenger reporter
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I’ve commuted Holly/Rice every day for 5 years, and when I started to see the dirt movers up on the bluff to the south I started to think “great, next thing you know there will be another stop light out here.” That’s OK - the drive from Brandon to SF every day is still easier than coming from SW SF to downtown; and we are going opposite the sun both ways (when daylight timing permits). We have it pretty good in Brandon, and I’m sad to see someone bashing its motorists. You can find pushy and patient people anywhere you look.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I have an idea, if someone is tailgating you…..slam on your brakes! You will probably be hurt and get to sue them and then you can move?
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:57 pm
to #8 ya move to a location 6ft under. or get to be a witness to a really cool accident from those that feel the need to pass on the shoulder at 60 mph..just waiting to see someone get pulled into the ditch pulling that manuever. however. i have noticed with visibil police presence cars and driver’s tend to drive nicer
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I drive that stretch of road everyday and 95% of the time people are going 45 mph. I don’t know if I have ever seen anyone racing down Rice St. You can’t, because A LOT of times, Brandons finest is sitting out there!
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
My favorite is when I have one idiot tailgating me because I have the nerve to drive the speed limit, and idiot #2 decides that his Tahoe is bigger than my Kia, so he pulls out in front of me, causing me to have to slam on the brakes and pray that Mr. Yukon behind me doesn’t run over me!
October 24th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I drive Holly/Rice everyday starting @ 7:30am. I would say 99% of the time traffic is going 45 mph sometimes all the way into Sioux Falls. But you have to understand that it is a solid line of traffic. When the stoplights turn red for traffice going east & west on Holly all the traffic from Sioux Blvd is turning onto Holly and it is a lot of traffic. I have been in line for at least three green/red lights before I can turn west onto Holly. I think the best thing would be a stoplight at Holly & Heritage (where you turn to go to Sioux Valley Electric) but I also all the housing developments on the south side of the road should have access to that intersection
October 24th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I don’t typically commute during rush hours but, even so, I have seen traffic on South Sioux Boulevard backed up to the railroad tracks waiting to turn west onto Holly Boulevard.
I’ve seen people exceed the speed limit on their way to Sioux Falls. I also have seen people drive way too slow on that road.
I’ve seen people pass on the shoulder on the right instead of waiting for the car in front of them to turn. I also have seen people slow down way ahead of time and come to nearly a stop before turning.
I’ve seen people pass in no passing zones. I’ve seen people pass two or even three cars at a time.
Even if 99 percent of motorists are great drivers, there always will be a few who aggravate fellow drivers. The question is, where is our aggravation threshold? It’s not the same for all of us.
Certainly there are things that can be done to help control the aggravation. Police presence is one thing that helps. Road improvements would help also.
Please watch for a story on this topic in the Oct. 29 Brandon Valley Challenger. The story also will appear on www.brandoninfo.com at some point.
October 24th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I have a very weird idea, go south on Splitrock and west on Madison. Problem solved now you are still in Sioux Falls and don’t have to deal with the yuppy traffic from the Bluffs and beyond….: } Watchdog I love you and would never put you in harms way! the major rush is about 600 to 730ish?
October 24th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Thanks CA your very kind soul.
ok GROUP HUG’S EVERYBODY!!
October 28th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Gee did we not think about all of this before we purchased land or the home you are in??? I live on Redwood and we have been waiting for a stop light before the bluffs were even a thought. Guess you will have to do the same as me and leave earlier for work. Now that is a concept!
October 28th, 2008 at 11:47 am
At the Bluffs it is not about getting onto Rice/Holly. It is about getting OFF. It is SCARY to try and enter the development off of Rice/Holly as people driving behind aren’t paying attention, are speeding, are tailgating, or trying to pass (on either side sometimes).
I am just waiting for someone to crash into me from behind or the side. I have had people pass on the right as I am trying to make a right (blinker on WELL in advance), people try to pass on the left onto incoming traffic, etc. Turning lanes would help.
The residents of Eagle Creek are the ones who have issues with exiting their development. I will them plead their own case.
To #16. I agree with you completely about the stoplight at Redwood. It should have been in place a long time ago!
October 28th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
After attending some City Council meetings, I believe there is a certain point on Holly, where that road belongs to the county and not the city of Brandon.. Maybe someone should be in contact with the County about this traffic issue. You may get a quicker response than with the city. Someone please advise me if I’m wrong.
October 28th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
The city has to deal with the road issue first and then bring the issue to the county. Been there, done that. The city maintains Holly out to the west road into the Bluffs. West from there the county is responsible.
October 28th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
The county is responsible for only the portion of the road that lies between the Brandon city limits (just west of The Bluffs) and the Sioux Falls city limits (EROS Road).
October 28th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
You might want to check on that I think the city only matains up to the storage units on Holly by the train tracks and the county matains the rest of Holly up to the Sioux Falls city limits
October 28th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
It’s sort of confusing. Holly Boulevard from Sioux Boulevard to just where Eagle Creek starts is not in the city limits at all. Then, from Eagle Creek to just west of the Bluffs, it is city limits only on the south side, not on the north side.
I will find out which stretches of land Brandon is responsible for. The city’s 20-year plan calls for upgrades in Holly Boulevard from Sioux Boulevard through The Bluffs. I don’t know if the county would help pay for those upgrades or not.
I will check into it.
November 25th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
the main problem on this issue is the road itself…this road needs to be wider!! a 4-lane limited access road is more than likely the best solution (with a signal at the Heritage intersection), i’m not a big fan of the 2-lane road with a long a** turn lane in the middle
once Sioux Falls builds the extension of Benson Road and completes SD 100 bypass to I-90, Rice Street will be re-routed with Benson Road..hopefully by this time the money will be there to widen Rice Street
December 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I think people need to more curtious to those leaving these developments. At 7:30am, yes, everyone is doing the speed limit. That is because there is so much traffic it is impossible to speed. However after “rush hour” it appears the 45mph speed limit does not exist. And when i bought my property in the Eagle creek addition, i was lied to by the developer and realtor. We were told there was no plans for a 63 unit monstrosity nor a mini-mall. Seems the city may be a little to blame on this. As fast as this city is growing, the infrastructure is not being considered when building permits are being issued.Its a problem that is going to get worse. I hope the cops are out there hammering speeders cuz speed kills. One thing would help…..those of you that live east of Eagle Creek, could perhaps leave your houses 5 or 10 minutes earlier as so your not compelled to speed because your late for work.