Traffic study
April 29th, 2009 by 
Alica
If you live in the Eagle Creek or The Bluffs additions, do you have to wait a long time to turn onto Holly Boulevard on your way to work in the morning? Making that left turn onto Holly could be difficult with 800 cars heading west at the same time. Coming home later in the day might be easier, though, as east-bound cars don’t have to cross traffic to make the right-hand turn into the developments.
The city is having a study done to see how to best improve traffic flow on Holly Boulevard. Do you have any ideas? The proposed plan calls for two driving lanes and a center turning lane, and possibly a stoplight at Holly and Heritage Road. You may want to attend a public input meeting Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Brandon’s City Council chambers.
Let’s start sharing ideas now, though. A center turn lane might do the trick, especially if there is a light there that has a left-turn arrow. What do you think?
Posted in Uncategorized, City business | 
April 29th, 2009 at 10:27 am
NO STOP LIGHTS
April 29th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Why not?
April 29th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I think a 3 lane road with the middle being a turning lane would be great. I also think turning lanes are needed for right hand turns. Peole do not like to slow down and I have almost been rear ended many times while trying to turn into these developments. ****Unfortunately there is too big of a drop from the road surface to the shoulder - I actually had damage done to the bottom of my car by trying to go to the shoulder.
Regarding stoplights. It can take a significant amount of time trying to get onto Holly - especially in the morning. Stoplights would obviously help. I do recognize how annoying they could be for through traffic though.
I believe the turning lanes would be a HUGE step to help. Probably add the stoplights later if the turning lanes are not enough.
Also, keep the speed limit at 45mph - that has helped a lot.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:54 am
why would you even think about putting stoplights there? I commute from Brandon to SF and would be really annoyed having to stop at a red light that is there ONLY to appease the people in that development. Going W on Holly, you would like to have a left turn lane for The Bluffs (which would be the center lane), and a right turn lane for SxValley Electric, correct? I do understand how it would be a problem to get out of SxValley on to Holly to get to Brandon. Contemplating moving my child to Brandon Mini-Lynx, however…the traffic flow in & out of there really made the decision for me. If Brandon needs another stoplight, it should be at Splitrock and Redwood. Where in the pipeline is that project?
April 29th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
#4. The stoplight really isn’t just something to “appease” the people living in the Bluffs or Eagle Creek. First and foremost it is a safety issue. It is scary trying to get in and out of these developments. You should try it sometime at the peak traffic times.
I also imagine if they did go through with a light it would rarely switch during the day so it wouldn’t be an inconvenience. Yes, it would be turning a lot during the peak times which admittedly would be annoying for through traffic.
I also find your comments conflicting. First you start off by asking “why would you even think about putting stoplights there” and then later you say you didn’t switch daycare to Brandon Mini Lynx because of the traffic flow. ???????
Finally, I don’t think there is only “one” stoplight to go around and we have to pick and choose where the “one” would go. I think we can and should put up stoplights where needed. I agree 100% about Splitrock and Redwood.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Placing traffic controls is always in direct response to traffic pattern changes. If those two developments have created a change in traffic patterns, then a traffic signal would be the logical answer. What makes those new neighborhoods any less important?
How did Brandon end up with a light at Holly and Splitrock? How about Sioux Blvd and Holly? I doubt the city was founded with traffic lights already in place. Redwood and Splitrock is another intersection that needs consideration because of the traffic created by the developments east of Brandon.
If Brandon is going to continue to grow then we need to expect changes. Stop signs are annoying to me, especially when no traffic is coming, but those signs are there for a reason, and that is to keep people safe.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Thank you #5. My question was to get an answer as to “why”. I didn’t switch to the new daycare because I knew, from the commute, that traffic in the am & pm would be a headache. However, after re-thinking my comment, the light would make better sense than a turning lane, because you would still have to wait for oncoming traffic. Maybe I am looking at it wrong, and I do only travel that stretch in the mornings, but it still seems that the traffic light would only be convenient for the traffic in/out of the development, not the straight commuters. Ahhh…never mind. the businesses would still need convenient access. And I am fully supporting any business that may relocate or expand in Brandon
April 30th, 2009 at 8:47 am
You currently have a light at Sioux & Holly by Caseys. Now put a light by the Bluffs & Sioux Energy section. With all the traffic in the morning rush and the evening rush coming home from Sioux Falls, there would be alot of traffic bottle necked between those two lights. I can only imagine what the residents east of the Bluffs would say with all that traffic between those two lights. I would say the majority of the people that live in Brandon commute to Sioux Falls or in the area to work, thus the big flow of traffic. I for one am one of those people. We slowed the traffic to 45 mph, which I think was a good idea. But now to start putting in stop lights would really slow the commute to Sioux Falls. I would like to see the road widened from Sioux to Six mile road, with a center turn lane and shoulder turn-offs to the different residential areas. I like Brandon and shop in Brandon. I hope that will not have to change. Allthough, with the talk off the new railroad switch station on Holly somewhere,the light on the other end of the tunnel might be looking pretty good. Need another avenue to get to Sioux Falls.. Ahhh - HELICOPTER !!!
April 30th, 2009 at 11:00 am
For this problem you have to think long-term, I think a four-lane limited access road is the best possible solution with a turning lane/signal for the Heritage Road/Rice Street intersection. This is based on current AND future traffic trends, because Rice is a major collector road and with all the future development for the east side of SF and the west side of Brandon. This problem has to be dealt with the city of SF, once they build the Benson Road expansion, Rice Street will be rerouted to hook up with Benson Road. This is why Brandon should have spent a little more money to hire the one that also does Sioux Falls traffic stuff.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I think we should all tie tires to the sides of our car like tug boat do and have at it…I don’t know about you but I have never seen angry people getting off the bumper cars.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Bumper cars. Now there’s a thought.
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:46 am
i wonder why people never think of these things when they are making the decisions to move a business or purchase a home. Holly blvd has been a highly traveled road for the last 20+ years. Now they bitch because the road is busy. Property gets developed and expect the rest of us to pay for their oversights. If you are putting in a stop lite, may as well put one in the entrance to the ODE farms ( so the tractors can cross between the farm sites ) and then put one in by the apartments. More people potentially go in and out of there than the bluffs. A big Wow is all i have for stupidity.
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 am
t anthony - It is called growth. To make it simple, there is managed/planned growth and mismanaged/unplanned growth. In this case, it has been mismanaged/unplanned growth (poorly planned).
Managed/planned growth would have had turning lanes, etc. BEFORE the first structure was built. As usual, the city is playing catch up. (FYI - the developers of these developments offerred to put in and pay for turning lanes - they were told “no”. Not sure if it was the city or the county that said no.
The county/city should be planning (right now) for another paved east-west road into Sioux Falls. Maple would be an obvious choice.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Anon
Thanks for the clarification.
Alica, why didnt you disclose all the facts in the beginning?
Guess that is why we have this column.
May 5th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
To #14: To which facts are you referring?
May 7th, 2009 at 11:48 am
I think that it would be a good idea to put in both 2 driving lanes, a center turning lane, and right hand turning lanes as well as a light at Heritage Rd and Holly Blvd. We were thinking about moving to Eagle Creek Apt’s and decided against it for the simple fact that there is no traffic flow control at that intersection in the morning or evening and would make it difficult to fight the traffic. A light would be very benificial. Basically the same set up as what is on Holly Blvd and Sioux Blvd. Yes it would maybe cause a little more traffic congestion but if you just put in turning lanes that is not really solving anything with the morning commute…or evening commute…just another place to wait in line to find a slim gap in traffic to make it through. Lets think about the people living in those developments and there ability to get on the road rather than if we can drive 45mph all the way without stopping. Another ?….are we getting so lazy to the point that we are leaving to make it to work just a couple min before we start? Is it really all that difficult to wake up a few min earlier and leave so we make it on time? Maybe next time I am traveling down the road I will simply stop to allow traffic onto Rice from Heratige as a nice gester to allow people onto rice!!! Can imagine all the pissed off people there would be that would honk and yell and get impatient just because I stop for a min or 2….it would be kind of comical if you ask me!!! I bet the poeple getting on Rice though from the development would have a big smile and waive and would probably make their day!!!
I believe that there should also be a light at Redwood and Splitrock as well due to the traffic flow!
May 9th, 2009 at 8:20 am
See here’s the cool thing about this. I went to the open house and spoke to the representatives of SEH about the study, but noone other than 5 residents showed up between 6 and 7:30. Now that’s support of the study, we’ve been asking for, by the residents of the Bluffs and Eagle Creek. Maybe some had other agendas for the night and that’s ok, but for those whom I spoke with that were gonna be there all I have to say is you had your chance for input. Suck your thumb and don’t whine when the city does something at these 3 intersections you don’t like. Atleast the residents of the area, including myself, put in our suggestions.
For those of you whining about a light at Redwood and Splitrock talk to your local council member, unless I am mistaken there are plans in place to put a light in. Besides that according to the study a light is not necessarily warrented at this time, if you had shown up to the open hose you’d have known that. Turning lanes would suffice for the time being.
May 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Sure would be nice if the city or SEH would have preliminary plans online to view. This way, anyone could view the plans and contact “officials” with their thoughts. I have tried in the past to go to city hall and ask to view “plans” but have not had much luck with info being shared. Not everyone is available (work) to attend meetings in the evenings.
I do appreciate that at least they did organize a meeting to share information.